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2012 Ronde Van Vlaanderen - Change in Parcours?

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Anonymous

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So, it is beginning to look like there may be a major shake-up in the course design for the 2012 Tour of Flanders. Rumored to be gone is the finish in Ninove. Also rumored, the Muur van Geraardsbergen (Kappelmuur) will happen very early in the race. Speculation has the finish in Oudenaarde or possibly Ronse.

One interesting proposal has the 2012 course on a finishing loop that will climb the Koppenberg, Paterberg and Oude Kwaremont twice. Ouch. If true, 80% of the beer consumed in Belgium on that Sunday will be by the spectators on those three climbs.... it will be insane (already looking forward to it:D).

According to some friends in Belgium, the proposed changes are causing a lot of heartburn with some of the traditionalists.

I'm interested to see if these proposals come to be. IMO, it would make the race more difficult and I can only imagine the carnage on the finishing loops if it's raining...
 
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Anonymous

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Parrulo

Parrulo

Aug 5, 2010
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Scott SoCal said:
It should be interesting although there has been so much atmosphere on the Muur. It will be sad to see that climb booted to a less relevant position in the race.
Click to expand...

the muur :( it will be really weird to see the muur not being pretty much the decisive point of the race

the muur is one of my favourite places in all of cycling
 
hfer07

hfer07

Mar 17, 2009
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well-I don't mind if the organizers are thinking outside the box & scramble the route somehow-as long as they let the iconic climbs untouched-so I'd say let's see what they're going to come up with and then be critical...
 
Race Radio

Race Radio

Aug 13, 2009
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I am confident that the organizers will come up with a route that is memorable and exciting.

I like the idea of the finish being in Oudenaarde. It really is the center of Flanders, home to the race museum, and would be a nice change from Ninove
 
Maxiton

Maxiton

May 14, 2010
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Scott SoCal said:
So, it is beginning to look like there may be a major shake-up in the course design for the 2012 Tour of Flanders. Rumored to be gone is the finish in Ninove. Also rumored, the Muur van Geraardsbergen (Kappelmuur) will happen very early in the race. Speculation has the finish in Oudenaarde or possibly Ronse.

One interesting proposal has the 2012 course on a finishing loop that will climb the Koppenberg, Paterberg and Oude Kwaremont twice. Ouch. If true, 80% of the beer consumed in Belgium on that Sunday will be by the spectators on those three climbs.... it will be insane (already looking forward to it:D).

According to some friends in Belgium, the proposed changes are causing a lot of heartburn with some of the traditionalists.

I'm interested to see if these proposals come to be. IMO, it would make the race more difficult and I can only imagine the carnage on the finishing loops if it's raining...
Click to expand...

Moondance said:
Sigh... It wasn't broke. No need to fix.


But the new course will probably pass through a few more towns, allowing the organisers to collect a few more Euros.
Click to expand...

hfer07 said:
well-I don't mind if the organizers are thinking outside the box & scramble the route somehow-as long as they let the iconic climbs untouched-so I'd say let's see what they're going to come up with and then be critical...
Click to expand...

I guess I'm ambivilent. On the one hand I agree that it wasn't broken and didn't need fixing. On the other, change every few years can be good, especially when they do something exciting; and the double finish loop Scott mentions could definitely qualify. Whatever they do, I trust them not to muck it up. We'll see.
 
craig1985

craig1985

May 6, 2009
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And what if the changes make the race even better and exciting? What's wrong with maybe leaving out a climb for a year or two and mixing things up to try to make the race even better, by doing then Koppenberg, Paterberg and Oude Kwaremont twice sounds very painful and will definitely split the race up and can make it even harder.

Although I feel sorry for you Scott next year when you have to do the aforementioned climbs twice in your 264km RVV cyclo-sportive :D
 
GreasyMonkey

GreasyMonkey

Dec 21, 2010
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Muur is not as good.

Since they "repaired" the cobbles up on the top ramps and re-surfaced the lower slopes in 2004/2005 winter, the Muur has become a lot easier, thus the effect has become less.

I have ridden the cyclotourist event three times (2003, 2005 and 2011), and the Muur was by far harder and more decisive in 2003, before repairs - having cobbles getting spat out from under your back wheel on a 20% gradient after 250km makes for fun:)

I would LOVE to see the pro's do two laps of Kwaremont, Paterberg & Koppenburg - I will be back again for 2012, so looking forward to doing something like that with Scott, if he comes back over the puddle.
 
Michielveedeebee

Michielveedeebee

Feb 25, 2010
3,854
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If it really goes to Oudenaarde it will be for 1 reason only, money.
I like De Ronde the way it is, shouldn't be changed a bit
 
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