Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne 2023 February 26, 196 km (1.Pro)

[zlev11]

i can't believe how badly they ruined the route of this race. there's barely any cobbles in it anymore. the old route would've been perfect if they just cut out one of the finishing circuits (which they did anyway). we desperately need to go back to the Omloop and KBK routes from 2017 or so, they were much better for racing.

 

[theyoungest]

Yeah I agree. QS was strongest as a team, but didn't always have the 5 strongest riders of the race. Jumbo is just ridiculous, it's stupid. Plus they're everywhere. Mountains and classics. Boring af

They didn't have the strongest riders in today's race, Wellens and Mohoric were clearly stronger than Benoot and Van Hooydonck. But they had the numbers. If Van der Poel, Van Aert, and Pogacar are there the dynamic will be totally different though, maybe Laporte can follow them for a while but I don't think any of the others can.

 

[Valv.Piti]

She must love Brian Holm. Whenever he says a certain number, it's always pulled right out from his anus. It's never the right number but at least he presents is as if it is.

Of course, Holm is a politician. And still a better commentator than what they mostly find. For example, I had to mute Asbjørn Kragh earlier because he was too dumb to listen to - at least Holm has a dry sense of humour

 

[tobydawq]

Of course, Holm is a politician. And still a better commentator than what they mostly find. For example, I had to mute Asbjørn Kragh earlier because he was too dumb to listen to - at least Holm has a dry sense of humour

Yeah, I don't think Asbjørn is a very good addition, either. Tobias Kongstad might be alright but he has the most bizarre way of talking I have ever heard and I find it very difficult to not be annoyed/perplexed by that when I listen to him.

Anders Mielke is good, though, and very eager to keep himself updated and improving.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Yeah, I don't think Asbjørn is a very good addition, either. Tobias Kongstad might be alright but he has the most bizarre way of talking I have ever heard and I find it very difficult to not be annoyed/perplexed by that when I listen to him.

Anders Mielke is good, though, and very eager to keep himself updated and improving.

I'll definitely rather listen to Asbjørn Kragh than Kongstad. Kragh has told some interesting anecdotes, but he probably won't ever become my favourite commentator either
I don't know if Mathias Larsen will be doing any races this year, but I thought he did decently last year.

I agree that Mielke is doing a good job, and he also seems to be able to work well with pretty much all of their other commentators.

 

[gavia88]

i can't believe how badly they ruined the route of this race. there's barely any cobbles in it anymore. the old route would've been perfect if they just cut out one of the finishing circuits (which they did anyway). we desperately need to go back to the Omloop and KBK routes from 2017 or so, they were much better for racing.

I think the new route is a necessary chance. The Oude Kwaremont is already the most important climb in most Flemish races nowadays. While the Pays de Collines are barely appearing in any race. And it's actually quite a nice region for riding a bike. However,

• the stronger classic riders prefere Omloop (and are not racing Kuurne/ are tired/ have to work for sprinter). Omloop is the main race of the weekend and Kuurne is for sprinters and riders and teams to bounce back after a bad Omloop.
• teams sending their sprinters
• the organization sticks with the rather long flat circuit in the final, which automatically brings the hilly zone far from the finish. This was not any different when the main hills were the 'oude kruisberg' and 'Kwaremont'
• the organization sticks with a rather limited number of really tricky climbs

There are a few options how they could chance the race:

• skip the final circuit
• have the final circuit not around Kuurne, but east from Kortrijk, where the terrain is far more hilly (without any difficult hill)
• they could add some hills (even with cobbles) to the hilly zone in Pays the Collines) (there are not many cobble sections in this part, but there are a few short sections).
• If you are really missing cobbles, they could add the Kalkhoveberg (used 20 years ago in dwars door Vlaanderen). Cobbles and still an unused climb in other races currently.

 

[tobydawq]

I think the new route is a necessary chance. The Oude Kwaremont is already the most important climb in most Flemish races nowadays. While the Pays de Collines are barely appearing in any race. And it's actually quite a nice region for riding a bike. However,

• the stronger classic riders prefere Omloop (and are not racing Kuurne/ are tired/ have to work for sprinter). Omloop is the main race of the weekend and Kuurne is for sprinters and riders and teams to bounce back after a bad Omloop.
• teams sending their sprinters
• the organization sticks with the rather long flat circuit in the final, which automatically brings the hilly zone far from the finish. This was not any different when the main hills were the 'oude kruisberg' and 'Kwaremont'
• the organization sticks with a rather limited number of really tricky climbs

There are a few options how they could chance the race:

• skip the final circuit
• have the final circuit not around Kuurne, but east from Kortrijk, where the terrain is far more hilly (without any difficult hill)
• they could add some hills (even with cobbles) to the hilly zone in Pays the Collines) (there are not many cobble sections in this part, but there are a few short sections).
• If you are really missing cobbles, they could add the Kalkhoveberg (used 20 years ago in dwars door Vlaanderen). Cobbles and still an unused climb in other races currently.

Isn't Oude Kwaremont only used in De Ronde (albeit, rather prominently) and E3 now?

 

[staubsauger]

Nowadays Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne route is perfectly fine. The race kicks out from far out with strong teams trying to initiate long-range attacks. Then, in the last 40 kilometres the race storyline falls flat a bit, before in the finale the question is whether the move made sticks or the sprinter teams reel back in the escapees. If the race ends up in a sprint though, those teams really had to earn it and it still produced an interesting race like the editon Pedersen won after Van der Poel being reeled back in.

The Walloon hills are a great diversity to the same Flemish hills being used to overkill in every spring classic over and over again. I don't care about the missing pave. They certainly serve their function.

Omloop is the big race, the great season opener anyway like mentioned above. Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne has to be a race that can swing to both directions (sprint or escape victory) includes different hills than most other races and thus is worth watching as well.

2010 Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne won't ever happen again anyway. We're blessed to have seen it!

 

[tobydawq]

Nowadays Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne route is perfectly fine. The race kicks out from far out with strong teams trying to initiate long-range attacks. Then, in the last 40 kilometres the race storyline falls flat a bit, before in the finale the question is whether the move made sticks or the sprinter teams reel back in the escapees. If the race ends up in a sprint though, those teams really had to earn it and it still produced an interesting race like the editon Pedersen won after Van der Poel being reeled back in.

The Walloon hills are a great diversity to the same Flemish hills being used to overkill in every spring classic over and over again. I don't care about the missing pave. They certainly serve their function.

Omloop is the big race, the great season opener anyway like mentioned above. Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne has to be a race that can swing to both directions (sprint or escape victory) includes different hills than most other races and thus is worth watching as well.

2010 Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne won't ever happen again anyway. We're blessed to have seen it!

I mostly agree but not with the acceptance of lack of cobbles.

 

[gavia88]

Isn't Oude Kwaremont only used in De Ronde (albeit, rather prominently) and E3 now?

well, yes, I think it also has been removed from Dwars door Vlaanderen's route since a few years and not used (already for a while) in the Omloop. But both in De Ronde as in E3 it's the decisive climb. So, isn't that enough Oude Kwaremont?

Another interesting addition would be climbing the Kluisberg completely to the top. I don't think they ever did in any race. Or climbing the Schapenberg, which I never saw in any race neither. You can do something like this then:
-hilly zone in Pays des Collines
-Oude Kruiskens (but only till the cobbled part), Fiertelmeers (not with the unpaved part in the end), Schappenberg, long downhill, first part of the Keuzelingsstraat, Kalkhoveberg (+the last part of the watermolenbos imediately after the cobbles, le Horlitin and then the full Kluisberg.

But as it actually is a fixed combo with the omloop, the race will always be (and kept) the easier race of the weekend. One between attackers and sprinters fighting out who will will.

 

[Netserk]

I too like the variety offered by a greater Walloon focus here, but I think this race should be closer to Brussel than Omloop is. So the latter should go back to Gent - Gent, and then the Muur could feature here.

 

[OlavEH]

they could add some hills (even with cobbles) to the hilly zone in Pays the Collines) (there are not many cobble sections in this part, but there are a few short sections).

This is the hills around Mont Saint Laurent?

If there is a specific design choice I would like to see for a cobbled classic (or a stage in Benelux Tour) it would be a race or a stage centered around Mont Saint Laurent doing at least a couple of loops around that climb and a finish in Ronse.

 

[gavia88]

I too like the variety offered by a greater Walloon focus here, but I think this race should be closer to Brussel than Omloop is. So the latter should go back to Gent - Gent, and then the Muur could feature here.

I agree, that the omloop should finish in Gent. I think there just is a little bit of a disbalance since De Ronde moved to Oudenaarde in the variety of the classics. I mean:
E3 Harelbeke en Kuurne are finishing less than 5 k from eacht other. Then there is Waregem (dwars door Vlaanderen) en Nokere koers that are finishing very close to each other and just 15k more to the north than Harelbeke and Kuurne. Then there is De Ronde now finishing in Oudenaarde which is close to all the 4 finishing places of the other classics. And then there is the Omloop who took over the old final of the RVV.

So, I think it make sense those smaller races are looking for some variety. For me personal especially the E3 has lost a bit of his charms with not having the monopoly anymore on the Paterberg/Kwaremont combo as final.

I terms of variety I think all those races could have a bit more of there own identity if:
-De ronde moves back to finish somewhere east (Ninove) as it used to finish (although routewise more is possible around Oudenaarde) and having the monopoly on using the Koppenberg and having the Muur in the final. ------> finish east of the flemish ardennes
-Omloop moves back to Gent ----------> finishing north of the flemish ardennes
-Nokere focuses more on having a lot of cobbles than specifically having the most dificult hills of the region -----> finishing northwest of the flemish ardennes
-Hareldbeke will have the monopoly of having a Patersberg/Kwaremont combo in the final ---------> finishing (north)west of the flemish ardennes
-Kuurne focus more on the hills of the Pays des Collines and the (very) small hills around Kortrijk (maybe they should even move the finish to Kortrijk) ----> finishing (south)west of the flemish ardennes
-Dwars door Vlaanderen is a bit more tricky to gave an own identity, maybe the should try to avoid using the very well known climbs and use some lesser know hills in the Flemish Ardennes. ---------> finishing (north)west of the Flemish Ardennes

 

[CyclistAbi]

Congratulations to Tiesj Benoot for taking the win.

Nice to see Tratnik blowing up the race and Mohorič contesting till the end. JV having the numbers enabled them to take the win. Laporte on top of that just making sure JV wins in bunch sprint too.

 

[zlev11]

I agree, that the omloop should finish in Gent. I think there just is a little bit of a disbalance since De Ronde moved to Oudenaarde in the variety of the classics. I mean:
E3 Harelbeke en Kuurne are finishing less than 5 k from eacht other. Then there is Waregem (dwars door Vlaanderen) en Nokere koers that are finishing very close to each other and just 15k more to the north than Harelbeke and Kuurne. Then there is De Ronde now finishing in Oudenaarde which is close to all the 4 finishing places of the other classics. And then there is the Omloop who took over the old final of the RVV.

So, I think it make sense those smaller races are looking for some variety. For me personal especially the E3 has lost a bit of his charms with not having the monopoly anymore on the Paterberg/Kwaremont combo as final.

I terms of variety I think all those races could have a bit more of there own identity if:
-De ronde moves back to finish somewhere east (Ninove) as it used to finish (although routewise more is possible around Oudenaarde) and having the monopoly on using the Koppenberg and having the Muur in the final. ------> finish east of the flemish ardennes
-Omloop moves back to Gent ----------> finishing north of the flemish ardennes
-Nokere focuses more on having a lot of cobbles than specifically having the most dificult hills of the region -----> finishing northwest of the flemish ardennes
-Hareldbeke will have the monopoly of having a Patersberg/Kwaremont combo in the final ---------> finishing (north)west of the flemish ardennes
-Kuurne focus more on the hills of the Pays des Collines and the (very) small hills around Kortrijk (maybe they should even move the finish to Kortrijk) ----> finishing (south)west of the flemish ardennes
-Dwars door Vlaanderen is a bit more tricky to gave an own identity, maybe the should try to avoid using the very well known climbs and use some lesser know hills in the Flemish Ardennes. ---------> finishing (north)west of the Flemish Ardennes

yeah there's a lot of changes I would make as well but it'll never happen because Flanders Classics needs to make as much money as possible at the cost of everything else. they have ruined almost everything they've touched and also murdered the 3 days of De Panne race.

 

[CyclistAbi]

If i remember correctly there was a huge haybale positioned above the road on this race. Riders made to ride under it.

I was a bit nervous watching that.

 

[Sciatic]

yeah there's a lot of changes I would make as well but it'll never happen because Flanders Classics needs to make as much money as possible at the cost of everything else. they have ruined almost everything they've touched and also murdered the 3 days of De Panne race.

I think the appropriate verb for De Panne would be “decapitated.”