At noon today I've spent half an hour on the meadow bordering the cobblestones of the Koppenberg. It's funny how many spectators there are already two days before the race!
A lot of amateur cyclists were doing the climb, each at their own pace, some of them bravely defying the hill, others not even reaching the top.
At 12.30 a group of Movistar women showed up. I think Cat Ferguson was in last position. Five minutes later there were three women from Lidl-Trek, with Shirin van Anrooij leading.
At 12.45 spectators were yelling, "There they are!" And suddenly someone in a rainbow jersey came flying up the climb, much faster than anyone else, swiftly pedaling, making it look easy. Yes, it was Tadej Pogacar! People were shouting his name. Fifty meters after him came Nils Politt. Another fifty meters further came Narvaez, Wellens and Morgado.
At 13.00 I was back down, just when a group of Cofidis riders reached the foot of the climb, led by Dylan Teuns.
Watching cycling can be a fun experience, even when there's no race. Of course I was lucky to stumble upon the world champion, but there was always a good chance of seeing some pros reconning the "Bulge of Melden".