Tiegemberg (750m at 5,6% - Max. 9%) - 177km
Oude Kwaremont (2.2km at 4% - Max. 11,6%; 1.5km in cobbles) - 152km
Kortekeer (1km at 6.6% - Max. 17%) - 141.7km
Eikenberg (1.2km at 5,2% - Max. 10%; 1.2km in cobbles) - 134.2km
Wolvenberg (645m at 7,9% - Max. 17,3%) - 131.1km
Molenberg (463m at 7% - Max. 14,2%; 300m in cobbles) - 118.4km
Leberg (950m at 4,2% - Max. 13,8%) - 97.9km
Berendries (940m at 7% - Max. 12,3%) - 93.8km
Valkenberg (540m at 8,1% - Max. 12,8%) - 88.5km
Kaperij (1km at 5,5% - Max. 9%) - 77.9km
Kanarieberg (1km at 7,7% - Max. 14%) - 70.5km
Oude Kwaremont (2.2km at 4% - Max. 11,6%; 1.5km in cobbles) - 54.6km
Paterberg (360m at 12,9% - Max. 20,3%; 360m in cobbles) - 51.2km
Koppenberg (600m at 11,6% - Max. 22%; 600m in cobbles) - 44.6km
Steenbeekdries (700m at 5,3% - Max. 6,7%) - 39.2km
Taaienberg (530m at 6,6% - Max. 15,8%; 500m in cobbles) - 36.7km
Kruisberg/Hotond (2.5km at 5% - Max. 9%; 450m in cobbles) - 26.5km
Oude Kwaremont (2.2km at 4% - Max. 11,6%; 1500m in cobbles) - 16.7km
Paterberg (360m at 12,9% - Max. 20,3%; 360m in cobbles) - 13.2km
Course Analysis:
It's 264km of grueling hills and cobbles, where only the strongest "flandriens" will win. Across 19 hills, we will find our winner. Sadly, for us fans, but fortunatelly for the riders, the weather prediction is sunny, and the wind isn't really strong, especially compared to the mayhem Gent-Wevelgem was, and to what we saw in the Three Days of De Panne. The main difficulties start when we are 177km's away from the finish, when the riders hit the Tiegemberg. Even though the climb is hard, the rider's will be saving they're energies, and at this point is where the pack should start to slowly up his pace, especially if there's a breakaway in front with strong riders. Next, we have the first cobbled sector of the day: the Oude Kwaremont, 152km's away from the finish line. Hitting a maximum percentage of incline of 11.6%, this is the first real test for the riders. Even though it's far from the finish line, I wouldn't be surprised if some teams decided to attack from here with they're "weaker" leaders. Then we have the Kortekeer. This is a fairly interesting climb. Beeing "only" 1km long, it has a maximum percantage of incline of 17%! It's really a wall in the middle of the road. We have the next cobbled sector next time by, the Eikenberg. Even though it's not as hard as the Oude Kwaremont, it's still though. 1.2km's at 5.2%, with a maximum incline of 10%, it's another chance for the outsiders to start making they're moves to try and surprise the strongest teams, like Etixx. The Wolvenberg is next in the road for the riders. With the pack already beeing reduced, we have another wall. 645m at 7.9%, with a maximum incline of 17.3%, this is literally a hill that would fit more into the Ardennes, than into a cobble race. But it adds to the difficulty of the race. If there's no breakaway at this point of the race, this is a good place to try and split the pack, especially since it's only been 3km's since the Wolvenberg, and the pack should be long as we enter the climb. We follow up with the Molenberg, another cobbled sector. If the pack broke in the last couple of climbs, this is a climb that is 118km's away from the finish line. Next, we follow up with five hills: the Leberg, the Berendries, the Valkenberg, the Kaperij and the Kanarieberg. All of them are small climbs, ardennes style, and all of them are really steep. Alejandro Valverde approves this part of the race. We're now only 70km's away from the finish line, and at this time I imagine only a small part of the pack (around 50-60 riders) will be in the peloton, before we hit the decisive part of the race. 16km's after we leave the Kanarieberg, we enter the decisive part of the race: the triple threat of the Oude Kwaremont (again), the Paterberg and the Koppenberg. This is where the race is expected to be decided, with the favourites starting to attack. The peloton is going to split, and only the best riders will stay in the front group. The chance that the winner will get away in this part of the race is really high. It's where the mens are split from the boys. We follow up with the Steenbeekdries, a non-cobbled hill, before we re-enter the cobbles, with 4 consecutive sectors, which are the last 4 of the race. The Taaienberg, the Kruisberg/Hotong combo, and the last pass in the Oude Kwaremont and the Paterberg. If there's a group of 10 riders coming into these last two, there will be attacks for sure, as the men with the weakest sprints attack to try and leave those sprinters behind. After the Paterberg, it's 13km's to the finish line, where the strongest "flandrien" will be crowned the winner of the 2015 RvV. So, who'll win?
Startlist:
Startlist Analysis:
Favorites:
Alexander Kristoff
Kristoff won 3 stages in the Three Days of De Panne, winning the GC by finishing 3rd in the TT
After his incredible performance in the Dridaagase De Panne, where he won 3 stages and the General Classification, the norwegian has to be considered the main favorite for De Ronde. With already a 4th in 2013 and a 5th last year, this year it looks to be finally when Alexander will step up his game to become a true "flandrien". And to add to his favoritism, he already has 9 wins this season. 9! Kristoff might have a problem though. Bar Paolini, who's in a great shape, having recently won Gent Wevelgem, he doesn't have a team-mate who can help him in the later stage of the race, to try and keep the pack (or group) together, so he can grab the win in the sprint. Guarnieri and Porsev, while good cobbled riders, will struggle in the hills, and I don't see them beeing there when it matters. I'm surprised Katusha didn't bring Kolobnev, who seemed to be making a great spring classics campaign this year.
Spring Classic Results:
11th Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
2nd Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne
2nd Milano-Sanremo
4th E3 Harelbeke
9th Gent-Wevelgem
1th Driedaagse De Panne-Koksijde (3 stage wins, and points classification)
Geraint Thomas
Geraint Thomas won the E3 in a dominant fashion
Geraint Thomas is a curious case this year. We always knew he was a great rider in the cobbles, but he's a great all-rounder, who adapts perfectly to the course. He can pass the steep hills, and attack on the cobbled ones. And he has a decent sprint too. Thomas is in a great shape too, and is beeing really regular so far during this year's spring campaign. Looking at his team, we see a great squad to help him. Ian Stannard has already won Omloop this year, and he's in a good shape to help him. If Geraint fails, he can step up to the leader too. Then there's Bernie Eisel, who's the road captain, a man with great experience to help Geraint. And then there's Rowe, and Puccio, who can pace the pack at an early phase in the race. Honestly, I don't see Wiggo helping Geraint this weekend, and I see him either abandon, or ride his own race.
Spring Classics Results:
31st Milan-Sanremo
1st E3 Harelbeke
3rd Gent-Wevelgem
Zdenek Stybar
With his cyclocross background, Stybar fits perfectly to the route of the RvV
Stybar fits perfectly to the course. He's great in the cobbles, great in the hills. And with a good sprint, he's a great fit to win. And he has the strongest team in Etixx behind him. I don't know if he's going to lead the team this weekend or not, but if I was Patrick Lefevre, I would make Stybar the leader this weekend, and Terpstra/Vandenbergh in the Paris-Roubaix. Stybar has been unlucky not to win a big classic yet. In 2013, he was following Fabian's wheel in Paris-Roubaix, when he fell. Last year, he only finished 18th in the RvV, but he finished 5th in the Paris-Roubaix, improving his previous best result of 6th. This year, he was unlucky not to win the E3, if it wasn't for a super strong Geraint Thomas. In Gent, he punctured, and when he was about to rejoin the pack, his team-mate attacked, and when he rejoined, he was probably too tired to reach the breakway, eventually finishing second last of the finishers, which means he must have been saving energy for this weekend. Stybar is a great favourite, and if Etixx play they're cards right, he can certainly win this race.
Spring Classics Results:
56th Milano-Sanremo
2nd E3 Harelbeke
38th Gent-Wevelgem
Sep Vanmarcke
Will bad luck hit Sep again?
He is the strongest rider in the cobbles, after Fabian and Boonen got injured. And we can say he's the strongest rider in the peloton in the cobbles, even with those two racing. He's one of the riders we know will attack on the cobbles. But he has a problem: he always seems to get hit by bad luck. A puncture in a bad time, or something going wrong. When he attack in E3, he went a bit too deep into the corner, and almost crashed. Last year, he finished 3rd here, losing to van Avarmaet and to Fabian. He's the biggest belgium hope to win this race, and with a good team behind, with Wynants, Tjallingii and Tankink, he will be withing the strongest this year again. Hopefully, bad luck doesn't strike him again.
Spring Classics Results:
5th Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
81st Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne
4th Strade Bianche
5th E3 Harelbeke
6th Gent-Wevelgem
Outsiders:
Greg van Avermaet Niki Terpstra Stijn Vanderbergh Jurgen Roelandts Jack Bauer John Degenkolb Peter Sagan Edward Theuns
Alexander Kristoff
Geraint Thomas
Zdenek Stybar
Sep Vanmarcke
Niki Terpstra
Jack Bauer
John Degenkolb
Peter Sagan
Fabian Cancellara (Trek Factory Racing) - 6h15'18''
Alessandro Ballan
