Van der Poel can go the distance at Tour of Flanders
Dutch rider Mathieu van der Poel says he is peaking ahead of the 19 cobbled climbs of the Tour of Flanders in the Flemish Ardennes on Sunday.
The epic 273km-long course and those punishing cobbled ascents can be counted on to whittle down a competitive field to its core talent on Belgium's biggest sporting day out of the calendar.
History suggests a two or three-man sprint following a late escape is the most likely scenario.
Defending champion Van der Poel, who also won in 2020, triumphed at Milan-San Remo two weeks ago and warned the pinnacle of Flemish cycling was his next target.
"I'm riding into form," Van der Poel insisted after coming second to his eternal rival Wout van Aert at the E3 cobbled classic a week ago.
"I can live with second today. But hopefully next week I can win, I want to turn things round next week."
Van Aert lost teammate Dylan van Baarle to injury this week but still appears to have the strongest back-up.
He missed the race with Covid last season and is seeking a first win here.
"The best tactics will be aggressive ones," said Van Aert, hoping to give Belgium its 70th win in the 107th edition of a race first staged in 1913.
Philippe Gilbert, in 2017, is the only Belgian to win the Tour of Flanders over the past decade.
Van Aert, however, can usually be counted upon to beat any likely rival if it comes to a sprint.
Double Tour de France winner Tadej Pogacar knows he needs to drop the two great classics riders if he is to have any chance. And with nine wins from 15 days of racing so far this season the Slovenian cannot be discounted.
Belgian one-day specialists Quick-Step are struggling for wins this season. Their two-time world champion Julian Alaphilippe has been racking up extreme levels of training, even adding two hours on to a day where he races, in order to reverse that trend.
"It's going to be much longer and certainly much harder than usual," Alaphilippe said of the longest edition for 25 years and one which starts at the Bruges market rather than in Antwerp.
Tom Pidcock believes the two final climbs, a long one to Kwaremont and a short but brutally steep one at Paterberg, will be where the war of attrition is decided.
"I'll have to get past the point where they have the raw power and get into the more attritional part of the race. I think that's the important bit," said Pidcock, who is coming off a concussion lay-off.
"I always need plenty of racing to get in my best shape."
The race should be very well attended in cycling-mad Belgium. After snow this time last year, the event should be contested in the relative warmth of 9 degrees Celsius (48 degrees Fahrenheit) in overcast, but dry conditions.
下一篇:LG Display starts production of advanced OLED displays for gaming
- ·Apple Watch bands: 5 favorites to consider as Apple Watch 10 looms
- ·青岛联通“智慧教育”再添“金石”硕果
- ·食品+二次元?又一个万亿级产业正在崛起!
- ·鍗庢収娉借崳鑾风鍏眾涓浗鎶€鏈競鍦洪噾妗ュ鍏堣繘闆嗕綋濂朹涓浗灞变笢缃慱闈掑矝
- ·Table tennis star Shin Yu
- ·到2020年青岛休闲农业经营收入将达200亿元
- ·雅安动植物基因库之斑背潜鸭
- ·娴峰皵涓撳崠搴?0骞达細21%閫嗗娍澧為暱鎴愯涓氭渶闀垮
- ·N. Korea test
- ·娴峰皵涓撳崠搴?0骞达細21%閫嗗娍澧為暱鎴愯涓氭渶闀垮
- ·青岛联通与青岛市高新区签署战略合作协议
- ·信托行业增速放缓 转型发展引热议
- ·Elon Musk's AI facility is reportedly operating gas turbines without a permit
- ·雅安市举行“爱助事实孤儿”秋季助学金 发放活动
- ·故意高空抛物 最严重者将以故意杀人罪论处
- ·如何保护好个人信息?
- ·17 Spectacular Outdoor Staircases
- ·高校特派员联袂,为西牛镇麻竹笋病害防控提供助力
- ·联合开展督导食品安全整治工作
- ·万亩梅林、花开成海!汕尾陆河良辰“梅”景待君来
- ·Abrar Ahmed returns as Pakistan names squad for second Test against Bangladesh
- ·走“丢”的烟瘾 市民刘常平的戒烟小心得
- ·雅安动植物基因库之斑背潜鸭
- ·青岛个险经纪人达7.7万 寿险保费收入同比涨67%
- ·PS5 Pro: There are new whispers that the release date is fast approaching
- ·青岛联通与青岛市高新区签署战略合作协议