The Muur van Geraardsbergen

Kapelmuur start

The penultimate climb of the Tour of Flanders is so good they named it twice. Some call it the Kapelmuur, some call it the Muur van Geraardsbergen but it’s the same thing. In fact there’s also the French name, the Mur de Grammont. Either way it is a decisive climb for the race.

Two names, two climbs
Kapel means chapel, muur means wall so it’s either the “Chapel wall” or the Wall of Geraardsbergen. There is only one route to the top but it has two parts. First the riders cross the Dender river and then head into the city of Geraardsbergen. No metropolis, it is has city status from medieval times.

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Housekeeping – advertising

A quick note to say Strada Wheels are advertising here for April. I’m pleased to welcome them especially since they’ve been helpful on the whole subject of advertising. Jonathan’s kindly given me some useful thoughts and also some tech ideas, software not wheels, too. Also, it’s good to have the advertising but so far no … Read more

News from Spain

Just time to fit in three tales from Spain amidst all the excitement and build up in Flanders.

jaime lissavetzky

Spanish sports minister says no political involvement
It’s one of those head-scratching moments. Faced with accusations that the Spanish federation’s verdict on the Contador case was influenced by political and judicial powers… Spanish sports minister Jaime Lissavetzky has said it wasn’t. Which surely only adds to the political pressure on the case give the minister has now a public position on the matter? Lissavetzky then went on to say UCI President Pat McQuaid opens his mouth too quickly, saying “he is very talkative“.

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The rain bag

With the weather forecast suggesting showers are likely between now and Sunday’s Tour of Flanders and rain on the start line in De Panne today, here’s a quick look at an item of pro kit that’s not often featured: the rain bag.

This is a small bag belonging to each rider containing the clothing they need on a rainy day. It’s packed into the team car and can be brought out in case of rainy weather. The pro cyclist’s version of an umbrella.

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Sunday morning in Flanders

This promotional video for Belgian daily Het Nieuwsblad was doing the rounds last year but a comment from a reader mentioned it and I think it’s worth a mention in its own right, especially if you did not see it last year. The road graffiti saying “God is terug” means “God is back”.

BMC’s Rihs drops day job after insider dealing probe

Andy Rihs

You might know Andy Rihs as the boss of BMC Racing but he’s become wealthy by creating a hearing aid company, Sonova. A Swiss company, Sonova is the world’s leading manufacturer in this sector. If you haven’t heard of it, you might have known it under its previous name of Phonak. The company was started by cycling aficionado and wealthiest man in cycling Andy Rihs, it’s grown from a tiny start-up into a medical electronics giant.

Only the company took a hit today with its CEO and CFO both tendering their resignations whilst Chairman Andy Rihs is to step down as a result of what the Financial Times calls “an insider trading probe”.

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De Ronde, much more than a race

Well supported

The Ronde van Vlaanderen, the Tour of Flanders, is a bike race held this Sunday. But it is so much more than a bike race, so much more than a sports event. It is a sociological phenomenon, a cultural and national event.

Many countries have days on the sporting calendar that take on a national significance. France obviously has the Tour de France, Italy has the Giro d’Italia. Australia has a horse race, the Melbourne Cup that is described as “the race that stops a nation” and that’s apt for De Ronde and Belgium. Britain has the Grand National horse race and the FA Cup final and there’s the Superbowl in the US. But I still don’t feel these events get the measure of what’s coming this Sunday in Flanders.

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Baugé on racism and outsprinting Cavendish

Greg Baugé

L’Equipe has a good interview with Grégory Baugé, the triple world champion on the track. There’s plenty of detail about the riding, the training and hopes for the Olympics in 2012. But there are two things that stand out from my road-biased perspective: the idea of racism in pro cycling and a contest with Mark Cavendish. In covering them I don’t want to diminish the rest of the interview, the bits I’m picking up are not the main subjects of the interview. You can read some of the highlights of the interview in English over at cyclingnews.com.

I had fun in the finale, when you had to ride up to the front of the peloton to do the sprint. I loved to win. I think a road career would have been difficult for me with my skin colour; the scene is not ready for it yet.

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The Koppenberg

Koppenberg

One of the most feared ramps of the Tour of Flanders, the Koppenberg is 600 metres of cobbles. It comes as the ninth climb, after 181km, so it is not usually a launchpad for the win. But it is highly strategic. The photo above is one of many from over the years, crashes are common the slippery cobbles and many have to complete the climb on foot. Lose momentum, lose the race.

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Alexandre Geniez

Geniez

It’s been a good start to the season for the French. Thomas Voeckler stands out but there have been plenty of wins from others, from Samuel Dumoulin and Jérémy Roy as well as strong performances from Yoann Offredo. Another name to add to the mix is Skil-Shimano’s Alexandre Geniez.

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