Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne 3 march 2019 201 km

[Robert5091]

Thread for all things Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne 2019!

Race starts at 11:45am CET (5:45am U.S. Eastern)

Finish at around 4:40pm CET (10:40am U.S. Eastern)

Live video from 2:30pm CET (8:30am U.S. Eastern)

offical website at https://www.kuurne-brussel-kuurne.be/elite

offical Twitter feed for latest news at https://twitter.com/kuurnebxlkuurne

startlist at https://www.kuurne-brussel-kuurne.be/elite

edit - more info - https://www.cyclingstage.com/kuurne-brussels-kuurne-2019/route-kbk-2019/

Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne has been named a sprinter’s classic, but two out of the last three editions didn’t see a peloton sprint finish. In 2016, Jasper Stuyven took the win solo style, while Peter Sagan won a five-up sprint in 2017. Last edition was a traditional sprint finish with Dylan Groenewegen outgunning the field.

As always, the race sets off at Kuurne’s hippodrome and heads for the first climb of the day, the Volkegemberg, which is crested after some 30 kilometres. The route continues via climbs up the Eikenmolen and Onkerzeleberg to a series of six hills in quick succession – La Houppe, Kanarieberg, Kruisberg, Hotond, Cote du Trieu and Oude Kwaremont.

Often, things start to move on Oude Kwaremont, which is a 2.2 kilometres climb with its crest 85 kilometres before the line. The route continues to the last four hills – Kluisberg, Tiegemberg, Holstraat and finally Nokereberg. At merely 350 metres, Nokereberg is the last ‘helling’ of the day.

The last 50 kilometres are pan-flat, while Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne concludes with two laps of 15.3 kilometres around Kuurne.

 

[ecw445]

Danish commentators said there should be worse weather than for today's Omloop. Van Avermaet not racing? Groenewegen should be huge favorite

 

[RedheadDane]

Right, everybody, here's the plan!

We need to get Scarponi drunk! Then make him place a bet, and we'll know the winner.

 

[Robert5091]

Not so sure about this poster for the race - looks like they're cycling in milk -

No GvA -
http://www.cyclingfans.com/kuurne-brussels-kuurne/live

Valerio Piva (directeur sportif, CCC Team): "Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne is more of a sprinters’ Classic so we have made the decision that Greg (Van Avermaet) won’t race and instead the other riders will have an opportunity to go for a result. Paweł Bernas, Kamil Gradek and Josef Černy will line up on Sunday to replace Greg, Michael, and Łukasz, so between the seven riders, we have good options for all race scenarios. As we have seen in recent years, it can be difficult to avoid a bunch sprint at Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne so we will aim to race aggressively and be part of a small group that goes to the line."

Wet and windy conditions forecasted -
https://weather.com/weather/today/l/BEXX0258:1:BE
Cloudy with rain ending in the afternoon. High 14C. Winds SSW at 25 to 40 km/h. Chance of rain 90%.

 

[Koronin]

Why is GVA not racing?

I'll still go with someone from D-QS as a favorite along with Groenewegen.

 

[GenericBoonenFan]

FYI: that poster above is of the 2016 race.
The 2019 poster is an hommage to Nesten, the famous cycling "caricaturist" (is that a word?) that was born in Kuurne and passed away recently.

 

[Kwibus]

Re:

Why is GVA not racing?

I'll still go with someone from D-QS as a favorite along with Groenewegen.

Forecast doesnt suggest it will be a sprint. Shane gva doesnt race.

 

[the delgados]

Nice prelude to the race, Robert.
Just wondering if you or anyone can suggest a web site to watch it.
I used to be able to access races on Steephill, but it now seems every option requires a subscription.
YouTube used to a good outlet as well, but I cant get the highlights of Het Volk, never mind the race itself.

 

[GenericBoonenFan]

Nice prelude to the race, Robert.
Just wondering if you or anyone can suggest a web site to watch it.
I used to be able to access races on Steephill, but it now seems every option requires a subscription.
YouTube used to a good outlet as well, but I cant get the highlights of Het Volk, never mind the race itself.

Tiz-cycling?

 

[the delgados]

Thank you! Never heard of it, but fingers are crossed.

 

[movingtarget]

Re:

Thank you! Never heard of it, but fingers are crossed.

Omloop Highlights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DegiJIpi0nU

 

[CTQ]

Van Baarle out for KBK and will miss some of the spring classics:
He said: "It was a really small crash around the 144km mark, with maybe five or six guys involved. "We just got around the corner, started to pick up speed and then we crashed, I hit some bikes - I actually didn't hit the deck at all. "Then I saw that my finger was not in the right position. I pulled it back into place and kept on riding.
"I don’t know what it was, but I heard a pop and I kept on riding, but I now know I have injured the my hand as well as my finger, the fifth metacarpal.”I will fly to Manchester on Monday to see a specialist and probably have an operation."

 

[Velolover2]

Please let it rain. Even a sprinter's race like KBK can be turned into a real hard classics if it is wet.

 

[The Barb]

Forecast looks like reasonable wind throughout, about 40km/h, and a decent chance of rain, which would make it hard for Jumbo-Visma to control for Groenewegen.

With Van Baarle out, and especially if the weather gets even worse than predicted, Ian Stannard should be a strong chance.

 

[WheelofGear]

Carlos Betancur will win this bike race. Solo!

 

[Robert5091]

Van Baale (a.k.a.He that rides into officals) tweet on hand injury
https://twitter.com/TeamSky/status/1101962734319689728

Team Sky to have only 5 men then?

Early season, bad weather, if it was a bit more up and down at the finish, I'd have a guess at a strong breakaway winning it.

 

[Jagartrott]

Not many real (and on form) sprinters, so I'm guessing chances for a smaller group to ride away are better than last year.

 

[tobydawq]

Re:

Carlos Betancur will win this bike race. Solo!

Yeah, well, obviously solo, he isn't beating Ackermann and Groenewegen in a sprint.

 

[Anderis]

Re: Re:

Carlos Betancur will win this bike race. Solo!

Yeah, well, obviously solo, he isn't beating Ackermann and Groenewegen in a sprint.

But he could possibly beat Vandenbergh in a sprint from a two-men breakaway.

 

[Tim Booth]

#KBK19 Unfortunately, illness will keep @Jasperstuyven from starting @KuurneBxlKuurne today. Join us in wishing him a speedy recovery!
https://twitter.com/TrekSegafredo/status/1102132227121577984

Pascal Ackermann & Nathan van Hooydonck also DNS

 

[search]

#KBK19
Pascal Ackermann is also a DNS

he'll start, despite crashing yesterday

https://www.radsport-news.com/sport/sportnews_113959.htm

 

[staubsauger]

Groenewegen the outright favorite!?

 

[Tim Booth]

#KBK19
Pascal Ackermann is also a DNS

he'll start, despite crashing yesterday

https://www.radsport-news.com/sport/sportnews_113959.htm

seems he will start, but will he finish?

 

[GenericBoonenFan]

Living next to the parcours (literally), I can tell you that the angels haven't stopped weeing all over South-West-Flandres for the last three hours. Conditions will be great if this keeps going.

 

[GenericBoonenFan]

DNS: Van Hooydonck (CCC), Schmidt (Katjoesja), Van Baarle (Sky), Stuyven (Trek), Molano (UAE) en Waeytens (Cofidis).