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Spring Classics launch this weekend in Flanders

February 24, 2016
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The Spring Classics season kicks off this weekend with the first Flanders Classics, two cobbled, hilly contests often lashed with winds amid generally inclement weather. On Saturday, riders will assail the 71st Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, with the women’s race the same day. Sunday sees the 68th Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne, the “sprintier” of the two races.

The Omloop travels 200-km, with a start and finish in Gent. Riders must handle 13 hills and 15 sections of cobbles, the last of which is 2.5-km in length 22-km from the finish. In 1986 and 2003 the race was cancelled because of snow. This year the Boembekeberg hill is introduced to replace the Molenberg, which is closed due for repairs.

Trek was out on Wednesday scouting the course.

Last year, Ian Stannard (Great Britain/Sky) outfoxed three Etixx-QuickStep riders to take his second title in a row. Stannard won’t be there this year to embarrass Niki Terpstra (The Netherlands) and Tom Boonen (Belgium) again.

World champion Peter Sagan (Slovakia/Tinkoff) likes his chances, as do the Belgian BMC duo of Greg Avermaet (Belgium) and two-time winner Philippe Gilbert.

Canada has three representatives in both races: the Direct Energie duo of Ryan Anderson and Antoine Duchesne and AG2R’s Hugo Houle.

A rider who won’t be present is Houle’s Belgian teammate Johan Vansummeren, winner of the 2011 Paris-Roubaix when he was with Garmin. Vansummeren had a heart complication diagnosed during training camp, one that wasn’t considered serious enough to keep him from starting the Tour of Oman. But after two stages, Vansummeren had to withdraw. In a press release, AG2R’s medical Eric Bouvat said, “We have to pay special attention to Johan Vansummeren’s case. We can assure you every possible effort will be made to protect him. His health is our top priority.”

An entire team had to withdraw from the race. Giant-Alpecin, it’s numbers decimated after a training ride collision with a car, already started the Tours of Qatar and Oman with one less rider, but couldn’t juggle commitments with so few cyclists.

The women’s Omloop is a shortened version of the men’s race keeping nine of the climbs and eight sections of cobbles. Title holder Anna van der Breggen (The Netherlands/Rabobank-Liv) returns to defend her crown against Boels-Dolmans duo Ellen van Dijk (The Netherlands) and Lizzie Armistead (Great Britain), who were on the 2015 podium. Wiggle-High5’s Swede Emma Johansson is a two-time winner.

Five Canadian women will line up in Gent: Leah Kirchmann with her new Liv-Plantur squad, Lex Albrecht (Bepink), Annie Ewart (UnitedHealthcare), and the Cervélo-Bigla twosome of Gabrielle Pilote-Fortin and Joëlle Numainville.

At the Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne, all 11-climbs are tackled before the final 50-km of the race, practically guaranteeing a sprint in Kuurne. Sagan will attempt the weekend double, with three-time winner Boonen there to thwart him, but reigning champ Mark Cavendish’s Dimension Data isn’t contesting the KBK. However, Giant-Alpecin is fielding a team, with young Dane Soren Kragh Andersen their protected rider.

Alexander Kristoff (Norway/Katusha) took a hat trick of wins in Qatar and two in Oman and wants the traditional plush donkey prize. Whenever a sprint is afoot, Orica-GreenEdge’s Caleb Ewen (Australia) can’t be discounted. Elia Viviani (Italy/Sky) has a 2016 win from the Dubai Tour on his palmares.

Andre Greipel (Germany/Lotto-Soudal) is out after suffering a broke rib in last week’s Volta ao Algarve.

Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne was cancelled as recently as 2013.