Cobblestones, wind, narrow roads, mountains. For those who love the next two weeks of Flanders classics, this Wednesday’s from Bruges-La Panne to next Sunday’s Flanders Tour – or “Round”.

In all, there are five events labeled the World Tour, and their organizers compare this period to “Holy Two Weeks” for experts in hard races caused by cobblestones, wind, and often small, steep Flanders Mountains.

The mountains – Mur de Grommond, Vuoks Queermond, Patterberg, Taigemberg, Tainberg, C ഡിte d’Ivoire, L ലെberg – are all kept secret or, for the most part, kept for the general public.

In a small area of ​​the East Flanders, this iconic game broke out the favorite playground of the “Flauhuts” who were having the best time of the series. In eleven days the Pelotons will measure each other and observe the state of each other’s form, before the final battle of the Pilgrimage, at Oudenard, where the Tour of Flanders arrives.

The first, from Three Days of the Pane, brings forward sprinter candidates, succeeding Irishman Sam Bennett. Follow E3 Classic and Gent-Welgem, the high-quality, A Traversees La Flandre, Slovenian Thaddeus Pogakar, winner of the Tour de France, before marking the approach of “Ronde”, a category of two races that convinced the Neophyte. Parts.

Van Ert and Van der Poyle meet in Ronde

For all those who follow the example of Belgian champion Vot van Ert, the menu is cart la carte, which he skipped on Wednesday in Bruges before becoming an inevitable favorite in the next two matches.

His best rival, the Dutchman Matthew van der Poyle, the author of a brilliant comeback in Milan-Santemo (third) on Saturday, remained faithful to his inaugural event for the Copy-Bartali week in Italy. His return is scheduled for next week for Across Flanders, the final Tour of Flanders of the season.

The first opus in favor of sprinters

Bruges-La Panne, who has a soft profile primarily to address sprinters, brings together all the top disciplines except Australian Caleb Ivan, patient and Dutchman Fabio Jakobusen, who was once selected for the Milan-Santremo. Benefit from his British teammate Mark Cavendish.

Last week’s winner of the Milan-Turin tournament, Kaw, passed the Test against Belgian teams (Tim Merlier, Arnaud de Lee), the French (Arnaud Demare, Nasser Bouhani) and the Germans (Pascal Ackerman). Irish (Sam Bennett), Dutch (Dylan Groenewegan, Olav Quiz).

If not the 2019 world champion, Dane Maddos Pederson will confirm his best form at the end of the 207km.

There will be no alfalfa

The route includes three passes through a folder called Les Moraes, located 2 meters below sea level on the Belgian-French border. .

World champion Julian Alfilipp (last year’s a traveler in La Flandre and tour of Flanders) learned that the Quickstep alpha vinyl team, which is accustomed to shining during this period, will be focusing on “Arnaises” in the second half of April.