Ronde van Vlaanderen - Tour des Flandres 2023, one day monument, April 2 (men's)

[Lequack]

The old gang is back, fresh from E3 race. Wout, Pog and MVDP will battle it out again. Can anyone stop Wout winning this?
Last year it was MVDP who rode with Pogacar to the line and outsrpinted him.

Notable all-rounder: Pogacar, Wout, MVDP, Powless, Kung, Laporte, Pidckock, Teuns, Girmay, Mohoric, Benoot, Van Baarle, Sheffield
Notable sprinters: Pedersen, Ewan, Kristoff, Sagan, Wright

Preview statistics for Ronde van Vlaanderen - Tour des Flandres 2023

Top competitors for Ronde van Vlaanderen - Tour des Flandres 2023 are Tadej Pogačar, Wout van Aert and Mads Pedersen.

www.procyclingstats.com

Tour of Flanders

The Tour of Flanders, also known as Flanders’ Finest, is the cycling highlight of the Flemish spring. On Sunday 2 April, Flanders will be the epicentre of cycling. W...

www.rondevanvlaanderen.be

Live video stream available on Eurosport/GCN.

Full startlist (not yet final):

Startlist for Ronde van Vlaanderen - Tour des Flandres 2023

Competing teams and riders for Ronde van Vlaanderen - Tour des Flandres 2023. Top competitors are Peter Sagan, Greg Van Avermaet and Alexander Kristoff.

www.procyclingstats.com

Map/Profile:

In 2023, the Ronde van Vlaanderen returns to Bruges for the first time since 2016. This also means that the route to the Flemish Ardennes is changing. The duo Oude Kwaremont - Paterberg will once again serve as a major obstacle in the full finale. The finish does not change either. Mathieu van der Poel's successor may raise his arms in the air on the Minderbroedersstraat in Oudenaarde.

Start: Grote Markt in Bruges - 10:00
Finish: Minderbroedersstraat in Oudenaarde - around 16:29
Distance: 273,4 km

 

[tobydawq]

I'm currently preparing a De Ronde Jeopardy quiz for my friends I'll be watching with on Sunday.

One of the best days of the year.

Bring it on!!

Oh, and Van der Poel will win again.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Definitely one of the most anticipated days of the year. The Big3 should be firing on all cylinders on Sunday and deliver a great battle (plus there are guys like Pidcock or Laporte). MVP's form is there, WVA is getting close to his best and Pog's spring peak is possibly planned for this race. But how can he achieve a historic success if the big boys are faster than him? Expect fireworks on the cobbles and we will see what happens at the end.

 

[red_flanders]

Don't know who to root for! I generally like rooting for MVDP, but I'd rather not see him win again just to keep it more interesting. Would be great to see WVA get another monument, but kind of tired of Jumbo/Visma. Torn on that. I think maybe I'll be rooting for Pogačar, would love to a GT guy get this one. I guess we'll see when the race starts how I'm feeling, kind of a tossup.

 

[Lequack]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4i8c9BKv39U

 

[Blanco]

So it's basically Van Der Poel vs Pogacar vs Van Aert vs Movistar

 

[Lequack]

So it's basically Van Der Poel vs Pogacar vs Van Aert vs Movistar

Not if Pidcock attacks with 50km to go.

 

[tobydawq]

Pogacar with the lead (highest number) in just two categories.

Not as clearcut as the Remco vs Roglic sheet we saw before Catalunya.

 

[Nick2413]

If it comes down to it, I think the other guys including Pogacar will be best off letting MVP do the attacking on Kwaremont/Paterberg, then counter attack if possible.

With Wout in it this year VDP’s not going to want it to come to a sprint and will try pulling a MSR, they can’t lead him out on the climbs.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4i8c9BKv39U

Pogacar's surge last year on the first Oude Kwaremont (from 1:10) was not too shabby, wow. On Sunday he can make his first move there.

 

[Blanco]

Not if Pidcock attacks with 50km to go.

That's late, it's not Strade. Van Der Poel will already destroy the bees, and Lazkano will be in the break up front for hours...

 

[gunara]

With all the Movi recent surprises and his good work in E3, I still think García Cortina is one of the most overrated, overmentioned WT riders, he'd better do something memorable quick.

 

[tobydawq]

With all the Movi recent surprises and his good work in E3, I still think García Cortina is one of the most overrated, overmentioned WT riders, he'd better do something memorable quick.

Isn't it a bit weird to criticise him just after he finally has clocked a good classics result?

 

[Red Rick]

Wind prediction seems to be big headwind after the final Pater?

 

[Elos Anjos]

I hope Pogi wins it one day. But now the suprise effect is over. I was astonished at last year's RVV when I saw Pogi attacking along a line of riders that seemed to be just still. By now everyone knows how dangerous he is and what his resources are.

 

[Lequack]

Join Patrick and Benji as they preview the 2nd monument of the season, De Ronde van Vlaanderen. #RVV23

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BCU0Nh4JHI

 

[Panda Claws]

Only 1 Belgian among the last 10 winners... crazy!

 

[Lequack]

Well MVDP is almost Belgian.

 

[Valv.Piti]

The best day of the year without question!

If youre an outsider, you better come up with an idea of how to be relevant in the finale. The best tactics in that scenario would be the Mads Pedersen-approach and try to anticipate the big 3 and get in a good group before second Kwaremont, so I expect a very lively race from 100-50 to go because lots of guys are doomed if they wait. That includes the whole QS squad as well! Lefevre would want something other than just a good breakfast on a Michelin restaurant on sunday, otherwise particularly Kasper Asgreen should expect a public spanking.

I don't think they will be able to drop Wout, so I think he wins this one. He needs it, and I think his team is ready to go 100% for that outcome, but that can also compromise their tactics.

 

[tobydawq]

One thing we know is that Van Baarle will not win. Stupid of him to win Omloop when he says Flanders is his big dream.

 

[topcat]

MVDP will win the sprint, so tune in for the last 10 minutes.

 

[Red Rick]

The best day of the year without question!

If youre an outsider, you better come up with an idea of how to be relevant in the finale. The best tactics in that scenario would be the Mads Pedersen-approach and try to anticipate the big 3 and get in a good group before second Kwaremont, so I expect a very lively race from 100-50 to go because lots of guys are doomed if they wait. That includes the whole QS squad as well! Lefevre would want something other than just a good breakfast on a Michelin restaurant on sunday, otherwise particularly Kasper Asgreen should expect a public spanking.

I don't think they will be able to drop Wout, so I think he wins this one. He needs it, and I think his team is ready to go 100% for that outcome, but that can also compromise their tactics.

Yeah I feel like the finale has moved really to starting with the 2nd Kwaremont. That section with Kwaremont-Pater-Koppen-Taaien is super hard. If you're gonna anticipate the moves of Pogacar and MvdP you have to be away before that Kwaremont.


Just like Sanremo, the most importnat determinant of how the race plays out is when Pogacar starts launching, but it's not about which hairpin this time.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Yes it has, and the race has become a lot 'cleaner' in the sense that the finale is so hard that its a lot easier for the best guys to dominate the race. Thats one of the reasons for the route change being really good, and the race has become better as a result as it essentially really starts with 55 to go at worst as well.

The downside is its less of a tactical race for the guys that cannot follow the best, and there's only one antidote for that. I guess you can try to anticipate between the climbs as well after the 2nd Kwaremont, but generally the best bet would be to attack before I think.

 

[Pantani_lives]

For the twentieth year in a row it will rain on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, but not on Sunday.

 

[Lequack]

For the twentieth year in a row it will rain on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, but not on Sunday.

Moist cobbles are no fun. Unless it's Paris Roubaix.