75th Omloop Het Nieuwsblad: February 29, 2020

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Pantani_lives

Pantani_lives

May 3, 2010
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We’ve had enough preparation races by now, so it’s time for the opening weekend of the Belgian calendar. Thirteen hills and nine cobbled sectors will take the riders from Gent to Ninove for a wet and windy final.

route.jpg


Cobbled sections:

**Haaghoek (161 km) [2000 m]
**Huisepontweg (130 km) [1800 m]
**Holleweg (97.7 km) [1500 m]
**Haaghoek (92.2 km) [2000 m]
**Paddestraat (83 km) [2300 m]
**Ruiterstraat (54.6 km) [800 m]
**Kerkgate (51.4 km) [1030 m]
**Jagerij (48.8 km) [800 m]
**Haaghoek (38.1 km) [2000 m]

Hills:
  1. Leberg (158 km) [950 m; 4.2%]
  2. Den Ast (124 km) [450 m; 5.5%]
  3. Katteberg (98 km) [600 m; 6%]
  4. Leberg (89 km) [950 m; 4.2%]
  5. Rekelberg (74 km) [800 m; 4%]
  6. Valkenberg (66 km) [540 m; 8.1%]
  7. Wolvenberg (54.8 km) [645 m; 7%]
  8. Molenberg (42 km) [463 m; 7%]
  9. Leberg (35 km) [950 m; 4.2%]
  10. Berendries (31 km) [940 m; 7%]
  11. Elverenberg-Vossenhol (28 km) [1,268 m; 3.6%]
  12. Muur-Kapelmuur (16.7 km) [475 m; 9.3%]
  13. Bosberg (12.8 km) [980 m; 5.8%]
These are the recent winners:

2010 Juan Antonio Flecha
2011 Sebastiaan Langeveld
2012 Sep Vanmarcke
2013 Luca Paolini
2014 Ian Stannard
2015 Ian Stannard
2016 Greg Van Avermaet
2017 Greg Van Avermaet
2018 Michael Valgren
2019 Zdenek Stybar
2020??

And the record holders with three wins each:

Ernest Sterckx (1952, 1953, 1956)
Joseph Bruyère (1974, 1975, 1980)
Peter van Petegem (1997, 1998, 2002)
 
Last edited:
gerundium

gerundium

Jan 1, 2012
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If the weather holds, it will be really windy and wet. A real flandrien will win: Greg.
 
sir fly

sir fly

Feb 24, 2014
15,228
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Full five days till the race... it won't surprise me if it gets bright, sunny and calm.
... A real Flandrien can still win.
 
Velolover2

Velolover2

Apr 12, 2015
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I think it will be similar to last year with the top 5 being composed of relatively good climbers. A strong all-rounder will win it. There is a tendency that even the most robust sprinters can not win these races.

Personally, I'm going with Teuns. We all know that his kick on short climbs is amazing but he has also developed a strong engine. The power he produced in the Andalucia time trial was very impressive.

MVDP (who most people would have picked a couple of months ago) seems to be a bit off form after a strong cyclocross season but he might be hiding his true power level or saving it for later races.

With no Lutsenko in the race, Astana should consider bringing the Bird to the race. I think he could get a top result in this kind of shape.
 
S

Salvarani

Oct 15, 2017
16,891
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Velolover2 said:
I think it will be similar to last year with the top 5 being composed of relatively good climbers. A strong all-rounder will win it. There is a tendency that even the most robust sprinters can not win these races.

Personally, I'm going with Teuns. We all know that his kick on short climbs is amazing but he has also developed a strong engine. The power he produced in the Andalucia time trial was very impressive.

MVDP (who most people would have picked a couple of months ago) seems to be a bit off form after a strong cyclocross season but he might be hiding his true power level or saving it for later races.

With no Lutsenko in the race, Astana should consider bringing the Bird to the race. I think he could get a top result in this kind of shape.
Click to expand...

If the weather is bad I dont know if Teuns will have a chance againnst the likes of GVA and other riders for the classics. GVA inparticular also looks like he is great form after seeeing him in Algarve.

Fuglsang I think is going to Strade, the weekend after Omloop . He has only ridden Ronde once in his career, came 25th, but none of the other Belgian races except for Ardennes week.
 
pink_jersey

pink_jersey

Apr 20, 2012
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Salvarani said:
If the weather is bad I dont know if Teuns will have a chance againnst the likes of GVA and other riders for the classics. GVA inparticular also looks like he is great form after seeeing him in Algarve.

Fuglsang I think is going to Strade, the weekend after Omloop . He has only ridden Ronde once in his career, came 25th, but none of the other Belgian races except for Ardennes week.
Click to expand...


Greg doesn't like bad weather.
 
Boes

Boes

Oct 31, 2018
575
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No love for Stybi?
He's my big favourite along with pedersen if the weather continues like this.

Anyone knows what form Vanmarcke is in?
 
V

virenque216

Mar 8, 2011
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Some weather models would have this race cancelled going by the wind gusts projected. Still plenty of time ahead to change, but it will be windy that is for sure and also showery
126-289.GIF
 
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Dekker_Tifosi

Dekker_Tifosi

Mar 13, 2009
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I expect a strong GVA and Wellens from what I've seen in Algarve.

MVDP is a bit of a question mark, but I don't think he will be bad. Algarve wasn't really his course to begin with. Just too much climbing.
 
A

Anderis

May 10, 2013
5,455
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Boes said:
Anyone knows what form Vanmarcke is in?
Click to expand...
Can't be too bad when he lost less than 4 minutes on Col d'Eze stage in a recent race. But last year he won a hilly stage in a French race too and then completely cracked at Omloop just 1.5 weeks later so you can never know for sure.
 
N

Naico

Sep 26, 2015
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I wouldn’t be surprised if Sep Vanmarcke takes another win here. He loves the cobble sections in this race and is (silently) in great shape early this season.

GVA, Wellens, Teuns, Valgren, Teunissen, Politt, Küng, Keukeleire and Pedersen seem to be going well too.

QST will be there of course. Besides the usual suspects, watch for Sénéchal to leave his mark on this race. He's hungry.
 
MartinGT

MartinGT

Jul 4, 2010
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I am looking forward to seeing how Scott Thwaites and Gab Cullaigh get along. Thwaites looks like he's gone well in Etoile de Besseges so we shall see.
 
tobydawq

tobydawq

Nov 16, 2013
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MartinGT said:
I am looking forward to seeing how Scott Thwaites and Gab Cullaigh get along.
Click to expand...

Haha, I really had to re-read a couple of times before I realised you didn't mean "how they get along" in the sense that they may have arguments with each other.
 
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N

Naico

Sep 26, 2015
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A bummer that Alexys Brunel fell ill during Algarve. Was really looking forward to how he could perform this weekend. Big classics talent.
 
Pantani_lives

Pantani_lives

May 3, 2010
4,489
4,580
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I expect a showdown between the Belgians, the Danes and the cross specialists.

**** *Stybar, Van der Poel
****Gilbert, Van Avermaet, Lampaert
***Jungels, Vanmarcke, Stuyven, Naesen
**Pedersen, Wellens, Teuns
*Stannard, Valgren, Asgreen, Benoot
 
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RedheadDane

RedheadDane

May 5, 2010
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A shame Van Aert - apprently - isn't in the race, then. Given that he's a Belgian cross specialist, he should have an extra edge.
 
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