The Spring Classics are in the air

If this is April we must be in Belgium!
April is here and that means some of the best one-day races of the season are upon us:

The Classics’ 2009

• Sun April 5 Tour of Flanders - “Vlaanderens mooiste” ("Flanders's finest") The race starts in Brugge. Last year’s winner: Stijn Devolder
• Wed April 8 Gent- Wevelgem – “sprinters' classic” due to its flat finishing terrain. The race start in Deinze. Last year’s winner: Oscar Freire
• Sun April 12 Paris Roubaix – “the hell of the north”, also has been called “A Sunday in Hell”, “Queen of the Classics” or “La Pascale” (the Easter race). The race starts in Compiegne. Last year’s winner: Tom Boonen
• Sun April 19 Amstel Gold - Last year’s winner: Damiano Cunego
• Wed April 22 Fleche-Wallone - Last year;s winner: David Rebellin
  
• Sun April 26 Liege Bastogne Liege - La Doyenne ("the oldest") Last year’s winner: Alejandro Valverde

About the Races
Early-season dates mean that riders are often tested by cold, wind and rain. Spectators (Schloogs) by the hundred’s of thousands line the route to cheer on their favorite heroes, while inside, those watching on TV, hope for brutal weather conditions to add to the drama of the race. The races are long, cobbled, and have stopped only for two world wars, and the occasional train (Boonen was not happy about the train)!

Some Links
2009 Tour of Flanders, preliminary start list
2009 Ghent-Wevelgem preliminary start list
Five Reasons Why You Must Not Miss The Tour of Flanders
Pez Does Flanders: Day zero
www.Cycling.tv - preview of the course

Which climbs are in which race:
Tour of Flanders: Murr de Grammont, Koppenberg, Eikenberg, Taaienberg.
Gent- Wevelgem: Kemmelberg
Paris-Roubaix: forest of Arenberg pave, Carrefour the l’Arbre, velodrome in Roubaix.

You could do it too:
Citizen rides / Cyclosportifs:
Sat April 4 Citizens Ride: Tour of Flanders Cyclosportif ; 140km or the 70km.
Sat April 18 Citizens Ride: Tourversion Amstel Gold Race - Nederlands

Some fun facts
Yes Gent is the same as Ghent, same city, 2 names: Ghent – French, Gent - Dutch

How to pronounce Gent- Wevelgem
Gent Wevelgem = ghent vay-vul-gum

How to pronounce Paris Roubaix
Paris Roubaix = Pah-ree Roo-bay

How to pronounce Ronde van Vlaanderen
Have a few Belgium beers and give it your best try.

Koppenberg Circuit Race

Good luck to the Vic’s Espresso racers in the Koppenberg Circuit Race this Sunday March 29, 2009 in Superior, CO. More info at 2009 Koppenberg Circuit Race. Our local race is named after the famous 22% cobbled climb in Belgium, although here the 17% climb is on dirt - race viewing should be fun.

KOPPENBERG

What is Koppenberg? – a steep hill in Belgium

In Dutch, Koppenberg means Heading Mount, it is a 77m high 600m long hill in Oudenaarde, the Flemish Ardennes of Belgium.

The climb is part of the Ronde van Vlaanderen or Tour of Flanders which takes place this year on April 5, 2009 from Brugge to Meerbeek 261.5Km to the south. Strategically the climb typically has little importance in the race, other than sometimes splitting the field and increasing the effort during the 22% climb and the crosswinds encountered at the top. Too far from the finish, the drama and effort are the attraction, plus it is the rare race when you will see a pro walking his bike up a hill. Koppenberg is known for its rutted cobbles, dirt gutters and narrow steepness.

What makes Koppenberg so famous? - a little history

Koppenberg was first used in the Tour of Flanders in 1975 and annually until 1987, when an incident involving a Danish rider Jesper Skibby halted the climbs inclusion for 15 years. What happened? Well Skibby was in the lead by 2 minutes but fell onto the cobbles half way up the climb. The race commissaire was forced to make a quick decision as the peloton approached rapidly behind his car. He decided to drive forward and over poor Skibby. He hit only Skibby’s wheel, destroying it, (with Skibby still in his pedal clips) but it could have been far worse. The words "Remember Skibby" traditionally painted on the road at the summit of Koppenberg is a reminder of 1987.

Here you can see Graham Watson’s poster version of Skibby toppling. I’m not sure what came first the car or the topple.

Road improvements in 2002 resulted in widening the road 10 feet and re-paving it allowing the climb to be re-introduced once again, this time until 2006. Following further resurfacing in 2007, it was again included in the 2008.

The Koppenberg hillside is also used for the annual Cyclo-cross Koppenberg race.

What is our local Koppenberg?

Course: Koppenberg Circuit, a 5.5 mile road race circuit (3-8 laps), 300 ft elevation gain per lap including 2 miles of dirt road. Also includes a very short, but very steep dirt climb, 17%.
Date: March 29, 2009, 8:00am
Location: Superior, CO

I couldn’t find any other race in the USA using the name Koppenberg, so here in the United States it looks like we are the next best thing to being in Belgium.

See the Gradient of the real Koppenberg climb at Climb by Bike - that's a lot of red on that graph.

See a Pro walk a bike up a hill on the Koppenberg 2006, Belgium – “Get On Your Bike!” This is when being a fan is so much more fun then riding a bike. (video)


Also this Sunday 3/29/09 is the Criterium International – for any of you Jens Voigt fans.