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Omloop Het Nieuwsblad kick starts the spring Classics season

WorldTour race is a mini-Tour of Flanders

February 28, 2019
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Saturday sees a return to WorldTour one-day races, as Omloop Het Nieuwsblad ushers in the spring Classics season with Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne the next day. Het Nieuwsblad is seen as a compact version of the Monument Tour of Flanders and it’s a fine test of early season form.

The peloton on the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad’s Haaghoek cobbles. Photo: Sirotti

The Course

This year the finishing town is Ninove in Flanders, Belgium instead of Meerbeke, its finishing line coming 199.8-km after the start in Gent, the riders passing 13 hills and seven cobbled sections in between. After climbs like Rekelberg (800-metres of 4 percent), Valkenburg (540-metres of 8.1 percent) and Molenberg (463-metres of 7 percent), the contenders will cross swords on the Muur van Geraardsbergen and Bosberg one-two punch in the final 27-km of racing.

Last year EF-Education First’s Sep Vanmarcke attacked on the steepest part of the Muur (20 percent) and a group of 12 found him on its descent. Astana had three riders in the gang, and when its Dane Michael Valgren attacked in the final 2-km, no one went with him. Valgren finished 12-seconds ahead of a pack that had grown to 55-riders due to its dithering.

Valgren is back, riding for Dimension Data this season. His rivals will be CCC’s Greg van Avermaet, who has two titles on his palmares; Oliver Naesen (Belgium/AG2R); Vanmarcke; cyclocross ace Wout Van Aert in his debut for Jumbo-Visma; Niki Terpstra, now plying his trade for Direct Energie; and Lotto-Soudal’s Tiesj Benoot.

RELATED: How to watch Omloop Het Nieuwsblad

Maybe double winner Ian Stannard (Great Britain/Sky) will take on three guys from the Deceuninck-Quick Step Wolfpack, say, Philippe Gilbert, Zdenek Stybar and Yves Lampaert in the finale, and win like he did against Gilbert, Tom Boonen and Stijn Vandenbergh in 2015.

Ian Stannard was outgunned three to one in 2015 but still earned his second title.

On Thursday, Deceuninck-Quick Step was out on recon.

Held the next day, Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, a 1.HC-rated race, is more of a sprinter’s Classic.

Canadians Hugo Houle and Antoine Duchesne will contest both races, while Guillaume Boivin is in K-B-K with his wildcard team Israel Cycling Academy.