Tour of Flanders 2019

TheBlaaMan

This is arguably the biggest one day race of the year. The highlight of the Spring cycling season for some – especially the Belgians – takes place this coming Sunday with the 103rd version of the Ronde van Vlaanderen or Tour of Flanders.

The 260km race follows pretty much an identical course to last year with the multiple Oude Kwaremont-Paterberg x 3 combination for the finale and then a 13km lung-bursting run in to the finish in Oudenaarde.

The profile of the 260km shows why the action doesnt really begin, normally, until about 110km in and the first ascent of the Oude Kwaremont, and is nonstop thereafter.

TIMING
Women's race starts at 9:55am BST
Women's race finish at around 2:21pm BST
Women's race live video from 11:30pm BST on Eurosport

Men's race starts at 09:30am BST
Mens race finish at around 4:11pm BST
Men's race live video from 9:15am BST on EuroSport1

The mens race will be broadcast in full, so we get to see the Muur and Koppenberg as well as the latter ‘hellingen’.

Who will win? Well, Deceuninck QuickStep will have their eyes on a hat-trick with Lampaert, possibly Gilbert, Jungels and Stybar all potential winners but they will have to overcome the likes of Valverde, last years winner Terpstra, Sagan, Neasen, van Avermaet, Benoot and Vamarke all of whom are impossible to rule out and the new kids on the block Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel showing their credentials in Ghent Wavelgem last weekend & looking really sharp. I’d like to see Vanmarke finally make it…..but doubt he will, he seems to just lack that last killer step, and the good luck, to carry it off. Sagan was still off the boil last week but Naesen is in fantastic form and so is van Aert. So they are my 1-2 with MVDP or Sep Vanmarke taking the third step. Ryan Mullen will be riding for Jesper Stuyven and Mads Petersen

I previously linked a Belgian TV website vrt.be that showed some programmes on the classics and there is a full (75min) “Behind the scenes at the 102nd Tour of Flanders” documentary (in Flemish with some English, but don’t let that put you off, seriously) on the 2018 Ronde here – some guys had difficulty accessing it for some reason, but it is free to view. https://www.vrt.be/vrtnu/a-z/de-ronde-102/2019/de-ronde-102/

It’s really interesting, IMO, because you see the race in-car from the perspective of the race organisers and especially see the role that the jury and commentators and moto riders perform. The focus of a lot of footage is team managers/DS (some really great characters) - you see how chaotic and dangerous the race is from this vantage point and looking at the amount of things going on in the car, it is amazing that there isn’t more serious accidents with the cars. The documentary is really well edited and they have cut together the footage so that it all runs contemporaneously and smoothly. The drama is pretty visceral when it interlaces the womens race featuring the big crash that occurred last year on the approach to the Muur.

The version of the doc from the 2017 race (won by Gilbert) is on YouTube, here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtJ2mfYda_c which has more of the Jury decisions on the road to follow, such as the expulsion of photograhers motos forusing the bikepaths and Boonens meltdown on the Taaienberg with some choice swearing recorded !

Well worth the time to watch if you like Belgian bike racing…..!

Tour of Flanders 2018: Men's top 10
1) Niki Terpstra (NED) Quick-Step Floors, at 6:21:25
2) Mads Pedersen (DEN) Trek-Segafredo, at 12 seconds
3) Philippe Gilbert (BEL) Quick-Step Floors, at 17 sec
4) Michael Valgren (DEN) Astana, at 20 sec
5) Greg Van Avermaet (BEL) BMC Racing, at 25 sec
6) Peter Sagan (SLO) Bora-Hansgrohe, at same time
7) Jasper Stuyven (BEL) Trek-Segafredo, at st
8) Tiesj Benoot (BEL) Lotto-Soudal, at st
9) Wout Van Aert (BEL) Verandas-Willems, at st
10) Zdenek Stybar (CZE) Quick-Step Floors, at st

Tour of Flanders: Previous male winners
2018 - Niki Terpstra (NEd) Quick-Step Floors
2017 - Philippe Gilbert (BEL) Quick-Step Floors
2016 - Peter Sagan (SLO) Tinkoff
2015 - Alexander Kristoff (NOR) Katusha
2014 - Fabian Cancellara (SUI) Trek Factory Racing
2013 - Fabian Cancellara (SUI) RadioShack-Leopard
2012 - Tom Boonen (BEL) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step
2011 - Nick Nuyens (BEL) SaxoBank-Sungard
2010 - Fabian Cancellara (SUI) Saxo Bank
2009 - Stijn Devolder (BEL) Quickstep-Innergetic

dastardly00

I'm going to go out on a limb here and nail my colours to the mast... A rider from Deceuninck-QuickStep will win

Actually I do think Oliver Naesen might do it. His form is fantastic

neris

Paris Roubaix??

TheBlaaMan wrote: »

This is arguably the biggest one day race of the year

Taxuser1

Kristoff or Gilbert for the win with lots of questions marks over Sagan, GVA, Trentin, Terpstra to name but a few. Gilbert might go long but thought Kristoff was impressive on a few occasions at the weekend.

Macy0161

neris wrote: »

Paris Roubaix??

No, Flanders!

TheBlaaMan

Taxuser1 wrote: »

Kristoff or Gilbert for the win with lots of questions marks over Sagan, GVA, Trentin, Terpstra to name but a few. Gilbert might go long but thought Kristoff was impressive on a few occasions at the weekend.

I know he was good last weekend but I cannot see Kristoff coming back from being dropped over the climb of the Paterberg in the last 13km. I know he has won Flanders, and cannot recall the route that year, but he would surely have to be out in front over the Kwaaremont and 3km later still ahead over the Paterberg to hold on....?

neris

Stybar as an outside bet. Van aert, hes due a win.

Some thing on today about dooring dwarves in a place called vlaanderen that has something to with bikes

Torres09

neris wrote: »

Stybar as an outside bet. Van aert, hes due a win.

Some thing on today about dooring dwarves in a place called vlaanderen that has something to with bikes

Absolute chaos in this race... Men's race temporally stopped as it caught up with the Women's race.

neris

Torres09 wrote: »

Absolute chaos in this race... Men's race temporally stopped as it caught up with the Women's race.

Looks manic with less then 65k to go

TheBlaaMan

Torres09 wrote: »

Absolute chaos in this race... Men's race temporally stopped as it caught up with the Women's race.

neris wrote: »

Looks manic with less then 65k to go

:eek:
Dwaars door Vlaanderen

Ronde is on on Sunday....

Only had half on eye on that while getting some course work done. Worthy winner though.

neris

https://twitter.com/robhatchtv/status/1113530830054412289?s=19

dastardly00 wrote: »

I'm going to go out on a limb here and nail my colours to the mast... A rider from Deceuninck-QuickStep will win

Actually I do think Oliver Naesen might do it. His form is fantastic

ballyharpat

I'd be backing Wout Van Aert, Mattieu VDP, and as an outsider Degenkolb.

dastardly00

neris wrote: »

https://twitter.com/robhatchtv/status/1113530830054412289?s=19

D'oh!

Macy0161

After yesterday, I'm going Wout Van Aert. He generally trumps Mattieu to the bigger wins...

marvin80

Van Aert for me as well - very consistent this year and can do damage on the short hills

dastardly00

For those that have been before, any recommendations for best places on the course to watch the race go by?

TheBlaaMan

From Cyclingnews.com

"Naesen, who has finished on the podium in Milan-San Remo and Gent-Wevelgem in recent weeks, is suffering from bronchitis.

His team confirmed his condition today and, despite Naesen starting a course of antibiotics, they claim it’s "nothing serious" and he'll definitely race on Sunday.

Speaking to TV Oost Nieuws, Naesen identified the chief suspect for his illness as the champagne on the podium at Gent-Wevelgem. He and winner Alexander Kristoff both sprayed bubbly in each other's faces during the post-race ceremony and Naesen believes that has contributed to the respiratory problem".

...that's a new twist on the cause of cycling illnesses !

Also, Sep Vanmarckes good luck continues.....

"Gilbert's and Naesen's setbacks pile on top of news that Sep Vanmarcke is a serious doubt for Flanders, following a crash at E3 BinckBank last Friday in which he suffered a large edema in the left knee. He had to skip Gent-Wevelgem and Dwars Door Vlaanderen, and will make a call on Flanders when he tests his knee on a recon ride on Friday. "I don't want to think negatively, but it is very possible that my spring is over," he said."

neris

Im going for Greg van Avermat & no one from Katusha to not win it

andy69

dastardly00 wrote: »

For those that have been before, any recommendations for best places on the course to watch the race go by?

For me I think the Kwarmont is the best spot. The women's race passes twice I think and the mens 3 times if I recall.
A few hundred metres down from the little square in the village is where we were.
You can get a bus out from the finish town, they have them running all day.
We had small backpacks with beer and food, but there's food stalls in the village if you can get in (does be jammers in there)

Enjoy!!

michaelm

Without doubt one of the most fascinating races to watch as unlike most others you can get to see the race pass a few times, if you have your a bike to go between various points on the route. The real action is around the climbs of the Koppenberg and Paterberg (x2). Both of these are only a few kilometres from the finish in Oudenaarde (45 mins from Brussels) - which is also home to the wonderful Ronde museum. To witness the crowds on the Koppenberg is to see the passion of Belgian cycling fans at its very best. As a matter of interest it is actually possible to do this in one day from Dublin! Enjoy - I'm envious!

sy

The greatest one day race of them all Van Aert for the win

TheBlaaMan

Looks as if the earlier forecast of a dry race may have been premature; although it wont be much, a spash of rain late in the days could make things a bit lively on the later climbs.



Timetable for the day based on estimated speeds. It should start to get really interesting before the Muur at around 1:30

Also, no Ryan Mullen, Strava shows he is back in Girona and no longer on the start list, so no Irish participants.



Sofa booked
Belgian beer in fridge
Countdown started







.

25sean

An bhfuil slaghdán ar Sheán?

(does Kelly have a cold?)

TheBlaaMan

25sean wrote: »

An bhfuil slaghdán ar Sheán?

(does Kelly have a cold?)

Much as I like listening to Kelly, I cant abide Kirby any more so the ES Player feed for other territories has the two Robs commentating (Hatch and Hayles) and thats what I'll be watching......

And no ads... yet

dahat

Marooned in UL at a swim gala today so it's a phone & power bank to watch this today. I'll likely wait till 1pm to tune in though.

dahat

dahat wrote: »

Marooned in UL at a swim gala today so it's a phone & power bank to watch this today. I'll likely wait till 1pm to tune in though.

live.cyclingnews.com for sneaky updates

dastardly00

My view from Antwerp earlier this morning

El Tarangu

Not sure that I agree with the OP that Terpstra will be contender this year; I think Terpstra is finding, as many before him have found, that winning races with Quickstep versus winning races for any other team are different kettles of fish entirely.

Womens race on the player at 12:20.