Cobbled Classics 2022 *** Spoilers***

blazing_saddles

I know that a few people on here will have been waiting patiently for a thread, but opening weekend is almost here. I have taken a couple of liberties: a list of the Flemish races, plus a couple of interlopers.

1 26-Feb Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 1.WT3
2 27-Feb Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne 1.Pro
3 01-Mar Le Samyn 1.1
4 05-Mar Strade Bianche* 1.WT3
5 16-Mar Danilith Nokere Koerse 1.Pro
6 18-Mar Bredene Koksijde Classic 1.Pro
7 23-Mar Classic Brugge-De Panne 1.WT3
8 25-Mar E3 Saxo Bank Classic 1.WT2
9 27-Mar Gent-Wevelgem 1.WT2
10 30-Mar Dwars door Vlaanderen 1.WT3
11 03-Apr Ronde van Vlaanderen 1.WT1
12 06-Apr Scheldeprijs 1.Pro
13 17-Apr Paris-Roubaix* 1.WT1

As ever with the Flemish races, information and route details are pretty poor and limited.


26-Feb The 77th Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 1.WT3





helling distance to the finish
1. Leberg 158 km
2. Kattenberg 101 km
3. Leberg 91 km
4. Hostellerie 74 km
5. Valkenberg 66 km
6. Wolvenberg 56 km
7. Marlboroughstraat 40 km
8. Biesestraat 39 km
9. Leberg 35 km
10. Berendries 31 km
11. Vossenhol 29 km
12. Muur 17 km
13. Bosberg 13 km

kasseistrook distance to the finish
1. Haaghoek 161 km
2. Huisepontweg 137 km
3. Holleweg 100 km
4. Haaghoek 94 km
5. Paddestraat 85 km
6. Holleweg 58 km
7. Kerkgate 52 km
8. Jagerij 50 km
9. Haaghoek 38 km


Top competitors

VAN AERT Wout
COLBRELLI Sonny
MOHORIČ Matej
STUYVEN Jasper
ASGREEN Kasper
LUTSENKO Alexey
KÜNG Stefan
TRENTIN Matteo
SAGAN Peter
GILBERT Philippe
VAN AVERMAET Greg
VANMARCKE Sep
PIDCOCK Thomas



27-Feb The 74th Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne 1.Pro







Top competitors

COLBRELLI Sonny
MOHORIČ Matej
MERLIER Tim
STUYVEN Jasper
NIZZOLO Giacomo
KÜNG Stefan
TRENTIN Matteo
LAPORTE Christophe
SAGAN Peter
JAKOBSEN Fabio
EWAN Caleb
KRISTOFF Alexander

dabber

Really sorry to see that Tim Declerq will be out with pericarditis for the first few races. Hope it turns out to be nothing too serious or permanent.
Seeing Tim driving things on at the front is, for me, one of the great sights in cycling.
Wish him a speedy recovery.

Mad_Malx

Can someone remind me what WT1, WT2, WT3 are - does it relate to ranking points?

blazing_saddles

Mad_Malx said:

Can someone remind me what WT1, WT2, WT3 are - does it relate to ranking points?

They may have changed since last year but a WT 1 race win earned the rider 500 UCI points, WT 2 - 400, WT3 - 300.
As ever, the UCI site is a nightmare when it comes to finding information like this.

If it's CQ Ranking you were thinking about, the full points allocation for each level of race can be found much more easily, here.

https://cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/rules.asp

andyp

I see procyclingstats have finally removed 7 months pregnant Elinor Barker from the Uno-X team roster for Het Nieuwsblad.

RichN95.

Apparently, this chap is doing junior Kuurne on Sunday

Pross

RichN95. said:

Apparently, this chap is doing junior Kuurne on Sunday

Bit of a stretch, he's 41 now! 😉

andyp

Pross said:

RichN95. said:

Apparently, this chap is doing junior Kuurne on Sunday

Bit of a stretch, he's 41 now! 😉

He's three days younger than Valverde.

blazing_saddles

andyp said:

Pross said:

RichN95. said:

Apparently, this chap is doing junior Kuurne on Sunday

Bit of a stretch, he's 41 now! 😉

He's three days younger than Valverde.

Who got 3rd in a bunch sprint, today.

seanoconn

andyp said:

Pross said:

RichN95. said:

Apparently, this chap is doing junior Kuurne on Sunday

Bit of a stretch, he's 41 now! 😉

He's three days younger than Valverde.

Who looks 50

Pross

andyp said:

Pross said:

RichN95. said:

Apparently, this chap is doing junior Kuurne on Sunday

Bit of a stretch, he's 41 now! 😉

He's three days younger than Valverde.

I'd be surprised if he was doing the junior race too though to be honest

rick_chasey

Pfft, good timing this. Could do with a sporting distraction.

Only thing to note is they're not going up the Oude Kwaremont which is quite a material change (in the context of these races, anyway).

There was a feeling it's used too much in the classics season.

blazing_saddles

rick_chasey said:

Pfft, good timing this. Could do with a sporting distraction.

Only thing to note is they're not going up the Oude Kwaremont which is quite a material change (in the context of these races, anyway).

There was a feeling it's used too much in the classics season.

Just a random thought.
They seem to have made the final run for home easier again this year, by cutting out the Molenberg. I wonder if this is because the women's race that follows, will be using the same course for the last 50kms or so.

I hope I am wrong, as this edition certainly looks lightweight. They need to return to Gent.

tailwindhome

KBK is on ES2 this year.
Not sure it's normally covered.

TheBigBean

tailwindhome said:

KBK is on ES2 this year.
Not sure it's normally covered.

I feel like one of the races is not normally covered. Is Omloop on?

RichN95.

TheBigBean said:

tailwindhome said:

KBK is on ES2 this year.
Not sure it's normally covered.

I feel like one of the races is not normally covered. Is Omloop on?

Yes. From 12.30. Followed by the women's race

Pross

Wish they'd co-ordinate opening weekend with the 6 Nations

Dorset_Boy

Pross said:

Wish they'd co-ordinate opening weekend with the 6 Nations

But the only 6 Nations game the Welsh are REALLY interested in kicks off at 4.45 pm.!

blazing_saddles

Dorset_Boy said:

Pross said:

Wish they'd co-ordinate opening weekend with the 6 Nations

But the only 6 Nations game the Welsh are REALLY interested in kicks off at 4.45 pm.!

Some of us are not quite as parochial as the average Englishman thinks.

I am really frustrated that Omloop clashes with the Scotland France match, which could be a cracker.

RichN95.

Dorset_Boy said:

Pross said:

Wish they'd co-ordinate opening weekend with the 6 Nations

But the only 6 Nations game the Welsh are REALLY interested in kicks off at 4.45 pm.!

The France game is more interesting for me as I've got ticket. We get them through work and I'm 3 out of 3 in the lottery

m.r.m.

Nice! Have the very best time!

blazing_saddles

Het Nieuwsblad's star rating for today. Make of it what you will:

***** van Aert
**** Lampaert, Wellens
*** Colbrelli, Stuyven, Lutsenko
** Senechal, Benoot, Pidcock, Campenaerts
* van Avermaet, Mohoric, Vermeersch, Valgren, Vanmarcke

Personally, I think the finish will have more in common with KBK, than a major cobbled race.

blazing_saddles

blazing_saddles said:

Het Nieuwsblad's star rating for today. Make of it what you will:

***** van Aert
**** Lampaert, Wellens
*** Colbrelli, Stuyven, Lutsenko
** Senechal, Benoot, Pidcock, Campenaerts
* van Avermaet, Mohoric, Vermeersch, Valgren, Vanmarcke

Personally, I think the finish will have more in common with KBK, than a major cobbled race.

Not a good start for Nieuwsblad.
I've just read on CN that Wellens and Vanmarcke withdraw because they're ill.

blazing_saddles

BOTD: Ben Healy, Juri Hollmann, Alexander Konychev, Quentin Jauregui, Ruben Apers, Donovan Grondin, Morten Hulgaard. Peloton at just under 4min.

First chute casualty: Lawrence Naesen off to hospital.

rick_chasey

Alexander Konychev Italian, for anyone who is wondering.

His dad rode for Mercatone Uno

blazing_saddles

Not sure what is going on here.
TV seems to be mostly covering the women's race build up, while the player has the men.
Yet when live coverage starts we get Marty off the women's commentary team.

Finally, Dan Lloyd turns up. Only 80kms live, so they are already well into the pointy bits.

blazing_saddles

Not a lot happening aside a moderate sized crash and Kasper Asgreen looking like he’s already cooked.

blazing_saddles

That's Gaviria's Spring curtailed. Broken collarbone.

A huge group left with under 40kms to go. Sagan currently last man.

No_Ta_Doctor

Looking like a sprint from reduced peloton to me

No_Ta_Doctor

Errr... Might have got that badly wrong, QS nightmare just went up the road

blazing_saddles

Asgreen (who is back) and Lampaert forced to chase.
The likes of Trek, Ag2r etc appear to have gone AWOL.