Expectations:
Rather surprisingly the start-list here is not very strong, considering it is the first world tour classic, we normally would not expect a top result in a cobbled race, but here we are aiming for a top 5 or even a porium, hoping it comes to a reduced sprint with Magnus.
The stage start in Gent, heading south on a curved route towards the hills and cobbled roads surrounding Oudenaarde. The first 80 km hilly but easy compared to what is coming. After that 18 climbs and 10 cobbled sections before we reach the finish line.
Traditionally Omloop Het Nieuwsblad started and finished in Gent, with a relative easy 30 km from Moleberg to the finish. (I did say relative). This have changed since 2018 where the finish was moved to Ninove and by that we get two cobbled climbs, Kapelmuur and Bosberg within the last 17 km. On paper a much harder route.
The race was first held in 1945 as Omloop van Vlaanderen initiated by Flemish newspaper Het Volk. Even though the race was upgraded to World Tour late (2017) it has as opener of the Belgian cycling season attracted many renowned riders, from Eddy Merckx to Philippe Gilbert. The 2016 podium screams “World Tour”: Greg Van Avermaet, Peter Sagan, Tiesj Benoot
The weather may of course play a vital role in a northern race this early season.
Top 5 media favorites:
Magnus Cort Nielsen (Astana) Nikias Arndt (Sunweb) Maximiliano Ariel Richeze (Quick Step) Marco Haller (Katusha) Jean Pierre Drucker (BORA)
Het Volk was first published in 1891 controlled by the Christian labour organizations in Ghent. The early edition of the race was created as a rival race to Tour of Flanders seen by many at the time as associated to the Nazi’s, as it was held under protection from the Germans during the war.
Race
The race was opened by Jonas Vingegaard Rasmussen (Jumbo) with Ludovic Robeet (Wallonie) and Pier-André Cote (Rally) at wheel.
The peloton is satisfied with a small break like this and let them go without fight. The trio has almost 5 minutes but is it cut to 4’20 as they reach the first cobbled sector ”Haaghoek”.
Jumbo, Astana and Israël working hardest in the peloton, it is Dario Cataldo working for Astana. Now starting to chop down the gap, with 56 km left for the breakaway it is 1’23” they won’t stand a chance that is for sure, as the hardest part is still to come and the peloton not yet starting to break up.
22 years old Danish Jonas Vingegaard have been at Danish CT team ColoQuick since 2016, but sighned with Jumbo-Visma for this season. In 2017 he came 2nd in GP Viborg behind another danish talent Kasper Asgreen now with Quick Step
The peloton continues to cut the distance little by little, with 36 km left Ludovic Robeet attacks from the breakaway taking an extra minute on camera before the breakaway is over.
The pace goes up in the peloton, but without any attacks we enter the last cobbled section with 75 riders left in the first group, then we get the first attack from the peloton. Jan Bakelants in front of teammate Nikias Arndt (Sunweb) with Marco Haller (Katusha)
Jan Bakelants attempting to help teamleader Nikias Arndt, neither of them with notable results in Omloop previously
It has started to rain just a little.
Alexey Lutsenko close the gap over the next 2.5 km, the leading group is now 16 riders with 11 km left.
Even though the pursuit is just 25” behind they never make it back to take part in the finish, it comes down to a redused sprint between 13 riders.
The only team with two riders Astana. Alexey Lutsenko can open for Magnus Cort, it is close but Magnus Cort Nielsen wins the 2019 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.
Amaury Capiot (Sport Vlaanderen) 2nd and Nikias Arndt (Sunweb) takes the last podium.
To the undived pleasure of the spectators 25 years old Belgian Amaury Capiot riding for Sport Vlaanderen came 2nd today, a surprisingly good result and clearly his best to date.
Astana Pro Team
Opening the spring season on the highest note Cort have made his first Belgian classic win. The field was weak and Magnus not only in supreme form, but have also improved his sprint remarkably during the first month of the season, but a win like this is never easy and we are very happy with the result.
@valverde321/ sutty68:
Thanks a lot, Cort was the rider to beat, so not exceptional that he could get this win. Actually quite surprised that the other teams send so weak squads, for the Belgian spring opener.
Squad:
Magnus Cort Nielsen - Alexey Lutsenko - Luis León Sánchez
Hugo Houle - Jonas Gregaard Wilsly - Dmitriy Gruzdev - Yuriy Natarov
Expectations:
No rider has ever won Omloop and Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne in the same week, Magnus Cort can’t be expected to do so, never the less it would be amazing.
More realistically we are aiming for a top 5, even though Magnus is in prime shape we must consider the much stronger field today compared to Omloop.
As you may expect from the name it starts in Kuurne heading west, but since 1968 turning back in the village Ninove about 30 km before Brussels.
The hardest part of the race the mid-section on the way back from Ninove, Geraardsbergen to Kluisbergen from km 68 to km 124, passing 8 climbs with two uphill cobbled sectors, Kruisberg and the renowned Oude Kwaremont. The race ends with two laps around Kortrijk and Kuurne, the last climb of the race coming at 53 km from the finish, and may sometimes favor a sprinter rather than a pure specialist of northern classic races.
Kuurne is located on the Leie river, the small town was officially founded about 900 years ago, but archaeological finds from Stone age (4000 BC) to Roman times have proved that it has been populated long before that. In more reason times Kuurne was textile town.
Top 5 media favorites:
Peter Sagan (BORA) - Niki Terpstra (Direct Energie) - Greg Van Avermaet (CCC) Zdeněk Štybar (Quick Step) - Tiesj Benoot (Lotto Soudal)
Tom Boonen have been the only rider able to win Kuurne – Brussels – Kuurne three times, and Mark Cavendish the only active rider able to do the same have chosen not to be on the startlist or more precise Team Dimension Data is not here at all.
Tom Boonen win his third Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne in 2014:
Race
Jérémy Maison (Arkéa) attacks with in first few km of the race, directly at his wheel Lars Van der Haar (Fidea Lions) and Johannes Fröhlinger (Sunweb)
Several other riders also attacks and the peloton keep up a hard pursuit, the only rider from the original break to survive the hard pace was Van der Haar (Fidea Lions), as he was joined by Matteo Spreafico (Androni) and Nicolas Roche (Sunweb).
Behind those also Stijn Devolder (Corendon) Luis León Sánchez (Astana) and Mathijs Paasschens (Wallonie) have distanced the peloton, and they will soon join the breakaway.
Irish Nicolas Roche leads the breakaway, the 34 years old rider have 13 professional victories, his latest a stage and the GC in Tropicale Amissa Bongo back in January
The breakaway builds a lead of about 4 minutes, reduced to 2’45 as they enter the hard mid-section. The selection starts in the peloton Astana loses Jonas Gregaard Wilsly early, and also Dmitriy Gruzdev before Oude Kwaremont.
After Oude Kwaremont, Magnus Cort Nielsen is isolated in a favourite group of 20 riders and Luis León Sánchez called back to help.
The leading duo now Stijn Devolder and Nicolas Roche, they got 1’49” with 63 km left.
Luis León Sánchez fall back to help
The peloton slows down and Alexey Lutsenko rejoins with a larger group of riders, all in all the peloton now 47 riders.
In the breakaway Stijn Devolder drops an empty Nicolas Roche soon to be reeled in. Devolder fights brave and do not lose much time over the next 15 km, but he eventually gets caught with about 20 km left.
The peloton now slows down a lot and more riders join from behind, 69 riders when the next attack comes, a large group of top riders Peter Sagan, Niki Terpstra, Sep Vanmarcke ,Tiesj Benoot, Zdeněk Štybar and Wout Van Aert, but they get caught without getting a substantial gap.
Immediately we get a counter attack, passing under the 5 km banner.
Greg Van Avermaet (CCC), Wout Van Aert (Jumbo) and Jacopo Guarnieri (FDJ)
After a dissapointing 2018, Greg Van Avermaet have already won 4 stages this season, all four in Vuelta a San Juan
Also this was closed down, and we get a mass sprint finish from a large group.
Peter Sagan wins Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne in front of Magnus Cort and Zdeněk Štybar
This was Peter Sagan’s 5th win of the season, being an excellent puncheur, sprinter and classics specialist the 29 years old Slovak have been seen as the best rider of his generation by many cycling fans with an unbelievable long record list
Astana Pro Team
A hard race where we struggled to keep organized, very important that we got Alexey Lutsenko back in time. 2nd is a great result that we can be proud of.
Winners
4/3 - Alexander Krieger - International Rhodes Grand Prix
4/3 - Rodolfo Andrés Torres - Vuelta Independencia Nacional Rep. Dom.
6/3 - Lars Boom - Ster van Zwolle
7/3 - Grzegorz Stępniak – Trofej Umag
4/3 Dwars door West-Vlaanderen (1.1)
Nieuwpoort – Ichtegem 204.0 km
A breakaway of 8 riders, best cobbler Hugo Houle (Astana), Jonas Gregaard Wilsly (Astana) down after 65 km, but all crashed riders get back.
The breakaway enters the hard climbs at the middle of the stage with 2’44”
The breakaway was over with 30 km left, at this point 123 riders in the leading group.
Form 20 km left the selection begin, not serious attempts to attack, just more and more rider not able to keep up.
It comes to a reduced and very close sprint between 15-20 riders, Edward Theuns (Trek – Segafredo) wins in front of Omar Fraile (Astana) and Baptiste Planckaert (Wallonie)
1
Edward Theuns
Trek - Segafredo
5h04'00
2
Omar Fraile
Astana Pro Team
s.t.
3
Baptiste Planckaert
Cycling Team Wallonie-Bruxelles
s.t.
4
Jens Keukeleire
Lotto Soudal
s.t.
5
Pim Ligthart
Direct Energie
s.t.
6
Hugo Hofstetter
Cofidis, Solutions Crédits
s.t.
7
Loic Vliegen
Wanty - Gobert Cycling Team
s.t.
8
Florian Senechal
Deceuninck-Quick Step
s.t.
9
Iljo Keisse
Deceuninck-Quick Step
s.t.
10
Amaury Capiot
Sport Vlaanderen - Baloise
s.t.
5/3 Le Samyn (1.1)
Quaregnon – Dour 200.0 km
Over the first about 100 km, where the race was relative flat, we has a breakaway of 8 riders, hitting the cobbled circuit with a lead of 2’11, then we get more riders attacking and they join the breakaway, 15 riders in front but now with just 1’12” and 30 km left, it is now raining more and more.
The break over with about 20 km left, soon after attacks start from better riders, Nikias Arndt (Sunweb) and later Daniel Oss (BORA) with Nikolas Maes (Lotto Soudal) and Iljo Keisse (Quick Step).
Laurens De Vreese closes it down with about 9 km left.
It comes to a reduced sprint between 13 riders, Marc Sarreau (FDJ) clearly the strongest riders today. Daniel Oss (BORA) 2nd and Loic Vliegen (Wanty) 3rd.
Squad:
Ion Izagirre - Luis León Sánchez - Alexey Lutsenko
Omar Fraile - Davide Ballerini - Jan Hirt - Laurens De Vreese
Expectations:
The field is strong, but we also got a strong squad here, the team management has set a top 5 goal in the race and that is also about what we expect. Ion Izagirre will be our leader with no sprint abilities we need a hard race ending in a small group, getting rid of the better finishers.
The race starts and finish in Sienna, taking place in the Crete Senesi area with its distinctive grey clay coloration, between the province capital and hill town Montalcino.
The race is not only hard due to its white gravel roads, it is also very hilly with short but steep climbs from start to finish.
Sienna dates back to the pre-roman Etruscan civilization (BC 900-400).
Top 5 media favorites:
Davide Formolo (BORA) – Michael Matthews (Sunweb) - Diego Ulissi (UAE) Ion Izagirre (Astana) - Diego Rosa (Sky)
Over four hundred years from 1125 to 1555, Siena and its surrounding territory in Tuscany was the city-state Repubblica di Siena. Prospering as a major centre of money lending and wool trade
Race
Matteo Spreafico (Androni) leads a group of 4 riders, attacking at the beginning of the first gravel road. Ryan Gibbons (Dimension Data), Dmitriy Strakhov (Katusha) and Antonio Nibali (Bahrain)
Won’t be long before another group get a nice gap to the bunch, Vincenzo Albanese (Bardiani) and Nicolas Edet (Cofidis), with about 20 km raced the groups join forces.‘
When the riders start the longest climb after about 40 km, the distance is 3’24”
Italian Matteo Spreafico born 1993 in Erba, best result so far came last year where he won Vuelta Ciclista a Venezuela, he has never won above cat.2 level.
The distance stay around 3’30” for another 30 km, but then riders from first Astana, later Sky and then Bora up the pace little by little cutting the gap to about a minute over just 20 km.
And then with 79 km left, we get another attack from the peloton. Pieter Serry (Quick Step) and Georg Preidler (FDJ) another 12 km and also Ion Izagirre attacks.
Belgian Pieter Serry is at his 7th season with Quick-Step, he has some fine results in the sprint classics although he has no wins. Top 10 last season here in Strade Bianche
Izagirre did not get anywhere, but Serry and Preidler joins the breakaway.
With about 45 km left the selection from the bunch increases, with big chunks of riders forced to form groups behind the favourite, over just 5 km is shrinks from 121 to 47 riders.
Valerio Conti (UAE) attacks and Ion Izagirre counters, but they get caught.
We get a crash in the group sitting just behind the favourites, Romain Sicard, Sebastián Henao, Davide Ballerini and many others.
Astana has also lost some important riders to the general selection, Alexey Lutsenko at 1’19, Ion Izagirre burning too many matches at 2’44, but never the less Jan Hirt is putting pressure at the front, working for Luis León Sánchez.
20 km to the line 16 riders left in the favourite group.
After a great stage victory in Tour Down Under, Luis León Sánchez haven’t got any noteworthy result, but now it seems he is the only egg left in Astana’s basket.
The group is down to just 10 riders with 10 km left.
Alexis Vuillermoz, Davide Formolo, Diego Rosa, Diego Ulissi, Lilian Calmejane, Luis León Sánchez, Michael Matthews, Petr Vakoc, Robert Gesink and Tanel Kangert
Michael Matthews (Sunweb) may well be the strongest finisher in the group, but he is seemingly not sure about the uphill finish, and choose
to attack from the distance.
That was a great idea as noone got any power left to counter, Matthews take a solo win in Sienna, with impressive 31” to the next rider.
After winning a stage in Tour of Oman this was Matthews 2nd and most important season win. Matthews had four would tour wins last season but nothing as prestigious as Strade Bianche
Diego Ulissi 2nd and Alexis Vuillermoz 3rd.
Astana’s Luis León Sánchez 6th.
Diego Rosa exploded and lost 3’02” over the last 10 km, but made it into top 10 anyway.
Astana Pro Team
6th was just outside our target, not to bad but we can’t be satisfied with that in a focus race. Ion Izagirre was very aggressive and today that was a bad idea.
