Race Preview Omloop Het Nieuwsblad: It feels just like the 2024 season began a very long time in the past in Australia, however the ‘actual’ season solely begins with the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. This Saturday, February twenty fourth, the peloton hits the Belgian cobbles and the followers can be out to cheer on their favourites: Wout van Aert, Jasper Philipsen, Christophe Laporte, Arnaud De Lie and lots of others will do battle within the ‘opening weekend’.
Dylan van Baarle – 2023 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
The Final 10 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Winners:
2023: Dylan van Baarle (Ned)
2022: Wout van Aert (Bel)
2021: Davide Ballerini (Ita)
2020: Jasper Stuyven (Bel)
2019: Zdeněk Štybar (CZ)
2018: Michael Valgren (Den)
2017: Greg Van Avermaet (Bel)
2016: Greg Van Avermaet (Bel)
2015: Ian Stannard (GB)
2014: Ian Stannard (GB).
If you’re of a sure age you’ll nonetheless say ‘Het Volk’ – Jan Raas in 1983
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2023 Outcome:
1. Dylan van Baarle (Ned) Jumbo-Visma
2. Arnaud De Lie (Bel) Lotto Dstny at 0:20
3. Christophe Laporte (Fra) Jumbo-Visma
4. Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Uno-X
5. Tom Pidcock (GB) INEOS Grenadiers.
Dylan van Baarle once more in 2023?
The Route
After the groups are introduced in Gent’s Kuipke velodrome, the riders make their strategy to the official begin in Merelbeke. The peloton may have greater than 200 kilometres forward of them, 5 kilometres lower than final yr. Within the first 100 kilometres of the Omloop, the riders go by means of the Zwalmstreek and Oudenaarde. The Leberg and the Lange Munte are the one difficulties on this first a part of the race. After 100 kilometres the climbs come one after the opposite, about each 10 kilometres the riders can be confronted with a tricky climb. The Katteberg and the cobbles of the Holleweg are the primary on the menu, then the Haaghoek-Leberg, Paddestraat, Hostellerie and Valkenberg are on the route.
Omloop Het Nieusblad’24 map
With 45 kilometres to go, the finale begins. The Wolvenberg comes first, it doesn’t have cobbles, so it’s not too troublesome, subsequent is the cobbles of the Holleweg after which after the Wolvenberg the cobbles of the Kerkgate and Jagerij comply with. The Molenberg has been lacking in recent times however it’s again once more. Then it’s the Haaghoek, Leberg and Berendries. From the highest of the steep Berendries there may be solely 27.5 kilometres to the end in Ninove. Just a few kilometres later there may be the Vossenhol, after which there’s a brief break earlier than essentially the most well-known climb in Flanders: the Muur van Geraardsbergen. This iconic cobbled climb is simply 16 kilometres from the end. If the race has not been selected the Muur, there may be nonetheless the Bosberg and the 12 kilometres to the marginally uphill end line of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad on Elisabethlaan in Ninove.
Omloop Het Nieusblad’24 profile
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2024 Climbs:
Leberg (162.8km)
Kattenberg (98.6km)
Leberg (89km)
Hostellerie (72km)
Valkenberg (64.1 km)
Wolvenberg (53.6 km)
Molenberg (41.2 km)
Leberg (one other 33.7km)
Berendries (29.6km)
Vossenhol (27.km)
Muur van Geraardsbergen – Kapelmuur (15.7km)
Bosberg (11.8km).
Cobbled Sections:
Haaghoek (165.8 km)
Lange Munte (114.1 km)
Holleweg (97.8 km)
Haaghoek (92.1 km)
Paddestraat (82.9 km)
Holleweg (56.2 km)
Kerkgate (50 km)
Jagerij (47.4 km)
Haaghoek (36.7 km).
The primary actual Traditional of 2024 – Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
The Favourites
There are numerous favourites for the primary basic of the yr, however many of the prime Classics riders don’t have a lot competitors kilometres of their legs but. They could have ridden a stage race someplace within the solar, however that might have been only for coaching, a Belgian Traditional is a unique plate of Stoofvlees (Flemish beef stew). The Omloop Het Nieuwsblad can have completely different eventualities. Riders can assault on the climbs and/or on the cobbles for a courageous solo, a small group might maintain off the peloton, or there could possibly be a bunch (giant group) dash end.
Wout van Aert on the Bosberg
Visma | Lease a Bike has the strongest staff on paper: Wout van Aert, final yr’s winner Dylan van Baarle, Christophe Laporte, Tiesj Benoot, Jan Tratnik, Matteo Jorgenson and Edoardo Affini. Affini and Tratnik will in all probability be on domestique work, however you by no means know. Dylan van Baarle proved final yr that he can win races and needs to be the ‘second in cost’ if the possibility comes his means. In fact all eyes can be on Wout van Aert, however he can win in that scenario. Two years in the past, Van Aert rode everybody off his wheel on the Muur van Geraardsbergen, to then solo to victory. This yr Van Aert has raced much less cyclo-cross this yr and has had a extra regular build-up to the Classics season, however he did lately win a stage of the Volta ao Algarve. For European champion Christophe Laporte, the Omloop can be his first race of the season, however you’ll be able to’t rule him out.
Jasper Philipsen – Greater than a sprinter?
This season Alpecin-Deceuninck has Jasper Philipsen on its roster, however Omloop Het Nieuwsblad will not be his greatest race. In his three earlier participations, Philipsen was by no means within the prime 30. Though the Limburg sprinter has solely actually tried to attain ends in the cobbled Classics since final yr. He was second within the 2023 Paris-Roubaix and rode properly in Dwars door Vlaanderen, so he’s one other attainable.
De Lie as much as first place
Arnaud De Lie is one other energy sprinter and had a surprising Omloop in 2023 had been he climbed the Muur van Geraardsbergen with the very best after which fought laborious with the Jumbo-Visma pair of Van Baarle and Laporte to complete second. Lotto Dstny’s prime rider continues to be solely 21, however the Belgian staff needs him to begin profitable. Victor Campenaerts and Brent Van Moer can be there for again up.
Flanders winner – Kasper Asgreen
Soudal Fast-Step was at all times the staff to look at within the cobbled Classics, however these days may be behind the Belgian tremendous staff. Their final victory in a cobbled basic, that was the Tour of Flanders in 2021. The winner was Kasper Asgreen and he nonetheless has what it takes. Patrick Lefevere’s boys can’t be ignored, Julian Alaphilippe additionally needs to take his likelihood on the cobbles once more after virtually three years. Yves Lampaert and Gianni Moscon are additionally no slouches.
Jasper Stuyven – Het Nieuwsblad winner in 2020
Lidl-Trek is normally a staff for the Classics, and though they don’t have Mads Pedersen, however they’ll depend on Jasper Stuyven who gained Het Nieuwsblad in 2020. Then there may be the Italian teenager Jonathan Milan. Within the 2023 version, Milan put in a number of assault makes an attempt, displaying for the primary time that he’s greater than only a sprinter and he mentioned that he likes the Classics, the Omloop can be a primary essential check. Belgian, Edward Theuns is aware of the roads and together with his assist, Milan needs to be a younger man to look at.
Always remember Tom Pidcock
Tom Pidcock (INEOS Grenadiers) and Matej Mohorič (Bahrain Victorious) are each attackers and prime bike handlers. If both of them escape they aren’t possible to offer an inch on the winding, undulating roads to the end in Ninove. Add within the power-house Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ).
Tim Wellens for UAE
Tim Wellens (UAE Group Emirates) is normally in good type early within the season and he has Nils Politt at his facet. Matteo Trentin (Tudor), Søren Wærenskjold and Alexander Kristoff (Uno-X Mobility) are additionally early performers, as is Tom Van Asbroeck (Israel-Premier Tech). Ide Schelling (Astana Qazaqstan) and his teammates Florian Sénéchal and Alexey Lutsenko might additionally shake issues up.
Prime outsider – Biniam Girmay
Amongst the outsiders there are Biniam Girmay and Mike Teunissen, each of Intermarché-Wanty, Jordi Meeus and Bob Jungels (BORA-hansgrohe), Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious), Axel Zingle (Cofidis), Alberto Bettiol (EF Training- EasyPost) and Oier Lazkano (Movistar).
One other Omloop for Wout?
The Favorites:
- Prime: Wout van Aert
- Second: Christophe Laporte, Arnaud De Lie
- Potential: Matej Mohoric, Dylan van Baarle, Jasper Philipsen
- Outdoors guess: Kasper Asgreen, Tom Pidcock, Stefan Küng, Jonathan Milan.
Deliver on the cobbles
Keep PEZ for the race report on Saturday and all of the information in EUROTRASH Monday.
# Due to WielerFlits and Professional Biking Stats for the details and figures. #
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