2020 Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne: Ed Hood all the time cherished his journeys to the Flemish ‘Opening Weekend’, and the primary of the Spring Classics in Belgium. We glance again at his day roadside at Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne in 2020.
“I’m by no means happier than after I’m writing.”
~ Ed Hood, as spoken to Martin Williamson from the passenger seat, driving alongside a stage route on the Tour de France.
Expensive Readers – Our beloved colleague and pal Ed Hood suffered a severe stroke in February. We don’t anticipate Ed will make it again into our bunch, so we’ve began a GoFundMe web page to assist Ed together with his future. Learn the complete submit right here – and please contemplate donating.
** Click on this hyperlink to donate to the GoFundMe web page to assist Ed **
We’ll be posting a choice of Ed’s work from the previous 16 years, as a result of nice story-telling by no means will get outdated.
Ed Roadside in Belgium: From the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad on Saturday, Ed’s gang of ‘Race Chasers’ moved a bit down the street for the second race of the Belgian opening weekend – Sunday’s Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne and extra cobbled motion. A stunningly dry day for a northern Traditional, however that wouldn’t ‘dampen’ the environment.
# Learn Ed’s earlier day’s journey on the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad HERE. #
I really like the drive from Gent as much as Kuurne, staring out of the automotive window on the fields, the canals, tree lined avenues, the steeples, tiny concrete roads that might be nice to discover on the bike.
There was a bit rain on the way in which up however by the point we received to Kuurne it was a gentle, sunny morning, perfect for wandering down the primary drag the place the busses line up and trying out 2020’s new arduous ware. Deceuninck aside, entry to the busses and people shiny bicycles isn’t any trouble – albeit the patch does get busier with every passing 12 months. On the home windows and flooring boys encampment it’s completely different, the group of worshipers is thick around the bus as they pressure for a glimpse of their lupine idols in blue and white. Each group is effectively offered, particularly the large price range outfits like Trek – one other tough bus to get near with everybody determined to see Het Nieuwsblad winner, Massive Jasper.
We particularly appreciated the Cofidis De Rosas and the Wiliers of Complete Direct Energie.
We additionally appreciated Belgian champion Merlier’s (Alpecin – Fenix) white Canyon with understated pink, yellow and black bands on the chainstay. Discs: not all of the groups or on them, Ineos, AG2R, Vlaanderen and UAE all persist with the outdated devoted rim brake.
Ineos even give their riders alternative of the 28 mil tyre pleasant K10 or the ‘much more aero’ F12 – both one would do me – however each with rim brakes. For the Classics a number of the Shimano groups are changing the Dura Ace entrance discs with the heavier obligation Ultegra and even XTR mountain bike discs, saying that the Dura Ace disc isn’t sturdy sufficient. Nevertheless, the XTR discs can’t address the warmth build-up on lengthy mountain descents so aren’t a panacea. There’s additionally the difficulty of rotor dimension standardisation and axle clamping – some mechanics saying it’s superb to make use of energy instruments to safe the via axle and others saying it’s not, operating the chance of stripping the threads on the axle receiver. Briefly, there’s nonetheless growth to be achieved on disc brakes.
Bikes duly skeked we additionally noticed a couple of ‘names’ – just like the resurgent Bjarne Riis at one of many NTT vehicles and an inscrutable Marc Madiot navigating the FDJ group bus in.
And, after all, we’ve to snap one of many loopy bands; all that achieved we headed for our first spot, the highest of the Volkegemberg, the primary climb of the day, lengthy straight, cobbled on the prime and 32 kilometres in. As soon as we have been out of the shelter of the buildings in Kuurne the wind was way more noticeable.
There have been 5 away, with a minute plus; an Alpecin, a Brussels Wallonie, an Astana, an Uno X and a UAE.
Behind, while it wasn’t ‘a bloc’ they weren’t losing time both because the carbon rims ‘clacked’ throughout the cobbles.
The final time I snapped massive German ‘Classics Man’ Nils Politt (Israel Begin-Up Nation) he was zipping around the boards on the Bremen Six Day; the floor was a tad gnarlier as we speak. The second spot of the day was the highest of Bossenarstraat, the third climb of the day, 79K in, a nasty, steep concrete ramp. The home at prime was the place well-known Flemish panorama painter Valerus de Saedeleer lived and labored – that is the stuff you don’t get on different web sites.
Earlier than the Elites arrived, the junior Kuurne Brussels Kuurne streamed previous with nearly as a lot fanfare as the professionals and nearly as many motor bikes and autos concerned. Cian Uijtdebroeks would run out eventual winner overlaying the 122K in 2:59:39.
The 5 escapees had constructed their result in 5:30 and once more, while it wasn’t full on, there was no chatter within the peloton.
Mads Pedersen was effectively positioned, clearly not eager to miss his bottle and there have been a couple of massive names effectively to the fore; Trentin, Stuyven, Rowe, Degenkolb. . .
And who says males can’t multi-task; this CCC was driving up a steep hill within the gutter amid an enormous bunch, fingers free, taking off a layer while getting ready to munching an power bar – respect
Kuurne is a tough race to see various occasions because of the nature of the parcours and we plumped for our last sighting on the prime of the legendary Oude Kwaremont of Ronde fame, the tenth and penultimate climb with 58K to experience.
On the prime, simply earlier than it re-joins the primary street, the break was all the way down to 4 males with Astana main via.
Our boy Callum was snapping away and grabbed some good photographs; this one of many rear of the break as they crested the hill.
He additionally received a pleasant image of a struggling Merlier driving the graceful however difficult gutter line.
He additionally recorded that it wasn’t a great day for the fellows with the nicest jerseys within the peloton, with neither Merlier nor Pedersen ‘troubling the time keeper’ as they used to say in ‘Biking Weekly’ journal when somebody had a ‘bag of spanners’ day.
Ineos hardy Welshman is often at house in races like this – however not as we speak.
Nor was it a great day for Bora’s former Austrian Champion Lucas Pöstlberger who hit the deck – however did bounce again up; with due to Callum for some good photographs.
I used to be a bit additional down the hill and caught Matteo Trentin on level behind the break with Stuyven, GVA, Benoot and eventual winner, ‘Danish wolf’ Kasper Asgreen all handily positioned.
However not everybody who’s off the tempo is having a foul day – Iljo Keisse’s job was achieved after working arduous for Kasper for the primary 100K.
‘Einde Wedstrijd’ and the inexperienced flag means the race is previous and the roads are open.
However #115, Luis Mas Bonet had waved the car previous, he was getting off that bike on the prime of the hill. We headed all the way down to Ronse and our favorite bar, L’Escale the place the proprietor switches off the soccer and will get the pils poured when he sees us.
We have been organised in time to see Asgreen drop breakaway survivor Boris Vallée (Bingoal-Wallonie Bruxelles), who he had bridged as much as, maintain off the peloton by seconds and put a smile on Patrick Lefevere’s face.
All that was left was for us to say to our host; ‘au revoir, l’annee prochain, Monsieur.’ Or was it ‘tot ziens volgend jaar meneer.’
# Hold it PEZ for 2024 Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne report and consequence and extra information from Belgium in EUROTRASH Monday. #
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