Nokere Koerse 2025, March 19th

[Berniece]

Nokere Koerse

Always a fun race, with a decent startlist. I copy/pasted the profile explanation of Wielerflits and translated it into English for those interested. Thanks Wielerflits.

Last year

Profile
Nokere Koerse will be 188.2 kilometres long in 2025. The start will remain on the "Markt" in the cycling city of Deinze. The finish is completely new and is on a different flank of Nokereberg; via the Waregemsestraat, which also rises slightly. The organisation made this choice because the previous finish was sometimes tricky with the descending line towards Nokereberg and the sprint on the cobblestones of the slope.

First there is a run-up of 87.8 km that takes the cyclists past well-known racing villages such as Nazareth, Gavere, Zwalm, Zottegem, Oudenaarde, Horebeke, Maarkedal, Anzegem and Wortegem-Petegem towards Nokere. After 22 kilometres, the Paddestraat is the first cobblestone section of the day, 18 kilometres later the Jagerij and Holleweg are the next obstacles.

After passing Brouwerij Roman, we will continue via the Kokkerellestraat to Oudenaarde and from there to Anzegem with the cobblestones of the Varent, the slopes of Hellestraat and Holstraat and in Wortegem-Petegem the lesser known Petegemberg (500 metres at 7.6%), with a magnificent view of the Flemish Ardennes at the top.

It goes without saying that these obstacles will only serve as a warm-up. After the riders first encounter Nokereberg (350 metres at 5.7%, maximum 7%), there will be 2 local laps of 31.3 km and a more extensive final lap of 37.8 km.

The local laps are peppered with numerous cobblestone sections: the Herlegemstraat, the Lange Aststraat, Kloosterstraat, Doorn, Lededorp and the Huisepontweg, which follow each other very closely. That is where the differences must be made. Otherwise we will face a treacherous sprint on the Waregemsestraat, a final km with an average gradient of 4%.

Notable hills

Startlist
Top competitors according to the PCS ranking

Complete startlist

 

[Netserk]

 

[Berniece]

Thanks, completely forgot that

 

[search]

According to Belgian press, Safe Cycling did an assessment of the old finish and gave it a 1 out of 10 security score .

Tim Merlier won't turn up defend his title as he thinks the new finish is too hard for him. "People around Merlier say that he did not consider winning impossible, but that he gave himself very little chance. At the old finish, Merlier could use the speed in the descent until halfway to Nokereberg — about 65 to 70 kilometers per hour — and then really have to sprint for another 150 meters. At the new finish, the sprint will start at a lower speed and last much longer."

edit: the finish looks pretty easy on street view, & climfinder though. And also has no cobbles at all anymore.

Waregemsestraat - Profile of the ascent

Waregemsestraat is a climb in the region Flemish Ardennes. It is 1.1km long and bridges 38 vertical meters with an average gradient of 3.5%, resulting in a diff

climbfinder.com

 

[tobydawq]

According to Belgian press, Safe Cycling did an assessment of the old finish and gave it a 1 out of 10 security score .

Tim Merlier won't turn up defend his title as he thinks the new finish is too hard for him. "People around Merlier say that he did not consider winning impossible, but that he gave himself very little chance. At the old finish, Merlier could use the speed in the descent until halfway to Nokereberg — about 65 to 70 kilometers per hour — and then really have to sprint for another 150 meters. At the new finish, the sprint will start at a lower speed and last much longer."

edit: the finish looks pretty easy on street view, & climfinder though. And also has no cobbles at all anymore.

Waregemsestraat - Profile of the ascent

Waregemsestraat is a climb in the region Flemish Ardennes. It is 1.1km long and bridges 38 vertical meters with an average gradient of 3.5%, resulting in a diff

climbfinder.com

Well, the old finish was really dangerous, I'll give them that. And Merlier had absolutely perfected it and was almost unbeatable.

 

[Potomac]

A race I knew nothing about, until I saw it will be aired on Max.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

I mean, if you want real, actual races to be able to score on either extreme of your scoring system, then the old Nokere finish would be my single first candidate for the 1/10. I will miss the cobbles themselves but on the whole it's a change for the better.

 

[Berniece]

SOQ has a special jersey for this race. Ekopak (a sponsor) is from the area, and they recycle water hence the bubbles.

 

[scribers]

I don’t even know how to say this race name

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

SOQ has a special jersey for this race. Ekopak (a sponsor) is from the area, and they recycle water hence the bubbles.

Could I ask people to let me know whether you can see the images that Berniece posted, or simply two clusters of letters. There seems to be an issue for at least some, but I suspect not all, users, in the last 24 hours or so. I have informed the admins, but some evidence gathering as to the scope of the problem might help them.

Rather than sending this thread off topic, please respond here.

Thanks

EDIT: All seems to be working again, don't know if there is an explanation to follow.

 

[search]

I did see the pics yesterday, now not anymore. Those in the opening posts are still there

 

[E_F_]

I don’t even know how to say this race name

Finnish phone brand, Danish word for vagina.

 

[Heston]

De Lie is riding today, but is out of MSR due to illness? Do I have that right?

 

[tobydawq]

De Lie is riding today, but is out of MSR due to illness? Do I have that right?

You don't.

 

[Samamba]

That last cobble stone section will be interesting. Small road and more than a km. Definitely possible to shred the peloton already there. Yes it's safer than the old parcours, but I still have to see how the downhill part towards that cobble stone section will go. Wide straight downhill road with everyone knowing you have to be in the top 15 there already, we'll see.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

That last cobble stone section will be interesting. Small road and more than a km. Definitely possible to shred the peloton already there. Yes it's safer than the old parcours, but I still have to see how the downhill part towards that cobble stone section will go. Wide straight downhill road with everyone knowing you have to be in the top 15 there already, we'll see.

It didn't seem very influential in the women's race: it's wide (although the crown is obviously advantageous), and stretched things for a bit, but the bunch came out of it about the same size as it went in. Maybe has a fatiguing effect, as a lot of riders drifted off the group in the last km, which looked like a sprint through treacle.

 

[proffate]

Merlier has the snappiest acceleration in the crop of top sprinters at the moment, and no lack of ability to go from far. Not sure why he would underrate his chances on the new finish. Plus, it's still cobbled and right next to his house. In hindsight this seems like gamesmanship.

The only way he loses these days is bad positioning or a h2h with Milan, which is roughly a coin flip.

 

[Sciatic]

They should have handed the rider the Allen wrench to secure his brake hood himself while on the fly for higher technical score

 

[Netserk]

Good try, Alpecin. But it should calm down again.

 

[E_F_]

This race needs more barriers.

 

[Netserk]

Crosswinds!

 

[SafeBet]

Philipsen insanely strong.

 

[Sciatic]

Philipsen insanely strong.

He fractured the peloton

 

[Samamba]

And that's why De LIe isn't in MSR lol, he's awful.

 

[E_F_]

The return of the de Lie-cam!!