The 74th edition of Dwars door Vlaanderen, to be raced on Wednesday 3rd April, serves up a familiar mix of cobbles and Flemish hills. The Belgian race starts in Roeselare and finishes 182.8km later in Waregem. In- between, the rides tackle 11 climbs and three stretches of pavé. Notable climbs include the Nieuwe Kwaremont after 80km; the Knokteberg, covered twice; and the 500m (5.7%) Nokereberg, which is the last ascent and is crested 9km before the finish line. On paper, it could play into the hands of Philippe Gilbert (Infinito R1 shoes) or these world-class riders… Movistar Team’s World Champion Alejandro Valverde (Infinito R1 Iride shoes and 00 Iride saddle) was building form at the recent Volta Ciclista a Catalunya, and lines up for the second successive year targeting Dwars door Vlaanderen in his build-up to the Tour of Flanders on Sunday 7th April. Team Sky’s Luke Rowe saw a strong performance at Sunday’s Gent-Wevelgem, making the elite 18-man breakaway along with a massive solo effort in the final 50km to bridge back to the leading four. Look out for the Welshman threatening the lead at Dwars door Vlaanderen. Danny van Poppel leads the Dutch Team Jumbo-Visma off the back of a fine ride at Gent-Wevelgem. The 25-year-old will look forward to an even stronger showing at Dwars door Vlaanderen, ably supported by the likes of Timo Roosen and Amund Grondahl Jansen. Oliver Naesen (Antares R1 saddle and Infinito R1 shoes) continued his impressive spring with second at Sunday’s Gent-Wevelgem to add to his podium at Milan-Sanremo. AG2R La Mondiale’s 28-year-old Belgian will be a strong contender to mount the top step of the podium on Wednesday. The renamed E3 BinckBank Classic, formerly E3 Harelbeke, takes place on Friday 29th March and begins 10 days of glorious racing in Flanders. The parcours features 15 punchy climbs – ‘helligen’ – which are mainly concentrated into the second part of the 203.9km route. A number of cobbled section also appear in the latter stages, with increasing frequency in the final 50km, providing opportunities and danger in equal measure. The last 19km are flat, offering other opportunities, as last year’s second-placed Philippe Gilbert (Infinito R1 shoes) discovered – can he go one better this year? An impressive peloton of WorldTour riders line up including… MOVISTAR TEAM Belgium’s Jürgen Roeland’s leads the Spanish team and is assisted by a mainly Spanish cast including José Joaquin Rojas, Carlos Barbero and Jorge Arcas. The 33-year-old has enjoyed a relatively modest start to 2019 but has a style proven to suit this terrain and may go under the radar in his new blue Movistar jersey. TEAM SKY Sky has several chances of victory in the form of Luke Rowe, Gianni Moscon, Ian Stannard and Owain Doull. Rowe already has 26 days of racing in his legs so will be physically and tactically primed to challenge. Moscon has far fewer race miles in his legs but will look to improve upon his eighth in 2018. And don’t rule out Doull and Stannard. Doull recorded the best result of his career to date with second at the recent Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, while at 31, Stannard’s strength is suited to the cobbles and climbs of E3. TEAM JUMBO-VISMA Three-time Cyclocross World Champion Wout van Aert leads the Dutch team, less than a month after joining. The 24-year-old Belgian’s certainly made an impressive impression, finishing third and sixth at Strade Bianche and Milan-Sanremo, respectively. Also look out for Danny van Poppel if E3 comes down to an albeit unlikely sprint finish. AG2R LA MONDIALE Oliver Naesen is one of the race favorites and with good reason. The 28-year-old Belgian finished second at last Saturday’s Milan-Sanremo and third and fourth at E3 in 2017 and 2018, respectively. Naesen (Antares R1 saddle and Infinito R1 shoes) is supported by a strong sextet including 2018 Paris-Roubaix runner-up Silvan Dillier. COFIDIS The French ProContinental team will look to the likes of experienced Belgian rider Dimitri Claeys to keep in contention of what’s sure to be a challenging opening to the main cobbles season. The 110th edition of La Primavera – “the spring” – is almost upon us. On Saturday 23 March, Milan-Sanremo, the first Monument of the year, will be contested by some of the world’s best riders from all of the world’s best teams. It’s a unique event that holds a special status for riders and fans alike. At 291km it’s the longest one-day race on the calendar, and after the classic sequence of the “Capi” – Capo Mele, Capo Cervo and Capo Berta – the last of its hill is the Poggio, at just 5km to go. The final 2km are on flat, smooth tarmac, allowing the ‘fast wheels’ opportunities ahead of the finish line on the Via Rome in San Remo. With or without help from the weather it tests all types of riders – and presents chances for all kinds of specialists. The last three editions have seen the winner decided by a solo breakaway, a group breakaway and a bunch sprint. So it’s understandable that the teams all take a different strategy, and a squad to reflect that. It’s often also a hugely interesting tactical battle, and a race where teamwork can pay off… Michal Kwiatkowski, for example, always considers his 2017 triumph to be a victory for Team Sky. Kwiatkowski won Strade-Bianche that year on the way to Milan-Sanremo and this year his preparation was being part of the successful Paris-Nice campaign that saw a podium 1-2-3 for Team Sky’s Egan Bernal, Movistar Team’s Nairo Quintana and Kwiatkowski. Elsewhere, the other ‘warm-up’ races saw Team Jumbo-Visma’s Wout van Aert claim a ‘White Roads’ podium spot and his teammate Primoz Roglic storm to his second stage race GC win of the year at Tirreno-Adriatico. Here’s who to look out for in the squads: Movistar Team lead with World Champion Alejandro Valverde and feature the experienced Classics specialist Jurgen Roelandts. Team Jumbo-Visma have drafted in sprinter Dylan Groenewegen (winner of the first two stages at Paris-Nice) in place of the injured Timo Roosen, alongside Belgain Wout van Aert. For Team Sky, look out for Kwiatkowski. And many people are excited to see what Romain Bardet can do at Milan-Sanremo after his steady GC 5th position at Paris-Nice for AG2R La Mondiale. Team Jumbo – Visma’s Primoz Roglic has won the 54th edition of Tirreno-Adriatico in style, with a final stage Individual Time Trial performance to remember. His near-perfect technique on the San Benedetto del Tronto 10km out-and-back course saw him overturn a 25-second deficit to his closest General Classification rival – with the winning margin, just 0.31 seconds! This year’s edition of The Race of the Two Seas was made even more difficult with the introduction of “muri” – short, sharp ‘wall’ climbs through the center of Italy throughout the seven-day stage race from Italy’s west coast to the east coast. And the promised spectacle didn’t disappoint. Roglic hit the first timecheck 10 seconds off the quickest time at 4.4km, and maintained his pace to finish just shy of the top 10 on the day. It was enough to give him the split-second advantage and see him awarded the famous ‘Neptune’s Trident’ trophy. The seven-day “Race of the Two Seas” is a hugely popular event, with the WorldTour’s best riders competing in the beautiful yet challenging race from Italy’s west coast to its east coast. This year’s edition – the 54th, running from 13 to 19 March – boasts a start list that’s a who’s who of current cycling greats set to fight for the Neptune’s Trident trophy. And this year’s race just got even harder with route modifications that include a series of tough climbs – “muri” (walls) – through central Italy. The traditional Tirreno-Adriatico time trials are retained – starting with a TTT and ending with an ITT – along with sprinter stages, but the new punchy climbs add another dimension to the stage hunters and the overall General Classification competition. Some of the riders will have competed Strade Bianche and many combine it with the long one-day Milano-Sanremo race the following weekend. Many use it as a springboard for the Giro d’Italia… Watch out for these riders Some commentators are so impressed with Primoz Roglic’s form – particularly at the UAE Tour right across TT, sprint, climbing and of course his convincing GC crown – that they have him as favorite for Tirreno-Adriatico. Of course it might not be that simple, but with a super Team Jumbo-Visma squad including the big Dutch engines Robert Gesink, Jos van Emden, German TT master Tony Martin and exciting young Belgian Laurens De Plus, the Dutch outfit could conceivably win on all fronts. Team Sky’s Tour de France champion Geraint Thomas will be looking for another podium, but won’t be looking up to Michal Kwiatkowski – the pole does not return to defend the title he won last year. Instead, look for stage wins and domestique support duties from Gianni Moscon and Wout Poels. Even without double Tirreno-Adriatico winner Nairo Quintana, who heads to Paris-Nice, the Movistar Team list includes Spaniard José Rojas, Ecuadorian climbing machine Richard Carapaz and Portuguese powerhouse Nelson Oliviera. AG2R La Mondiale’s seven-man squad includes the young German Nico Denz and the combative Swiss Silvan Dillier alongside Frenchmen Alexis Vuillermoz and Clement Venturini. Leading the line for Cofidis is French sprinter Nacer Bouhanni, with support from his compatriot Julien Simon amongst others including the Eritraen all-rounder Natnael Berhane and the Belgian Kenneth Van. The first Italian WorldTour race on the calendar, to truly open the 2019 campaign, Tuscany’s ‘emerging classic’, Strade Bianche has quickly become a fixture on the early season calendar that riders target and fans eagerly anticipate. This year’s edition is on Saturday 9 March. Amongst the Spring Classics that test riders and machines with their cobbles, Strade Bianche throws the curveball challenge of multiple gravel and sand sectors, along with climbs. These non-asphalt sectors are the “white roads” that give the race its name – and unmistakable appearance, as the harshness of the race is juxtaposed with the beauty of the Tuscan landscape. Along with the gravel, grit and sand under the riders’ tires the early March weather often plays a part in the story. Wind, rain, hail and even snow has helped Strade Bianche create not just a tough race, but the opportunity for images that last long on the retina and the camera lens… there’s simply nothing quite like it. Another image that the racers and fans alike all value is in the race’s host city, the unique charm of Siena. It’s not just the dusty, roads that make Strade Bianche iconic – it’s the close association with this very special start and finish location. After the riders climb the Via Santa Caterina, the finish at the world famous mediaeval square – the Piazza del Campo – is a selfie waiting to happen. First staged in 2007, Strade Bianche achieved UCI WorldTour status in 2017. The 2019 men’s route is 184km long with 11 gravel sectors, totalling around 63km. It’s hard race, so the teams pack talent into their squads: Who to watch Movistar Team blend experience with pace and power in their seven-rider men’s line-up, with explosive Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz and Colombian Classics danger-man Carlos Betancur flanked by Portuguese Nelson Oliviera and Spaniards José Rojas and Eduard Prades. In the 136km Women’s WorldTour race, featuring 31.4km of gravel, Movistar Women Team’s six riders are led by the experienced French road champion Aude Biannic and Spanish former cyclocross champ Alicia Gonzalez. Although Michal Kwiatkowski isn’t going for a record-equalling third Strade Bianche win this year, the Team Sky pack is filled with aces, with 2018 Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas looking to embellish his strong Classics record in his Strade Bianche debut, and in-form Gianni Moscon ready to impress on home soil. Team Jumbo-Visma have sent their new Belgian cyclocross ace Wout van Aert to Tuscany, where he was part of the exciting 2018 podium breakaway. The former CX World Champion feels at home on any surface, and expects robust support from Danny van Poppel amongst others. While there’s no Bardet this year for AG2R La Mondiale, their lead Frenchman is the hugely talented Tour de France White Jersey Pierre Latour. The squad includes Silvan Dillier – a real Swiss Army knife of a rider – who has what it takes to make an impact on the Classics. World Champion Alejandro Valverde – racing in his Infinito R1 Iride shoes and Antares 00 Iride saddle – was all smiles on the second step of the final GC podium at Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana. It’s a race the Spaniard has previously won three times – more than any other rider – and as recently as last year. It was an all-Spanish GC podium at Valencia on Sunday 10 February, with El Bala just 7 seconds off the lead, arriving home safely on the fifth and final stage despite a big crash in the main peloton on the short, fast stage. Out front though, it was the flying Dutchman Dylan Groenewegen (Arione 00 saddle), showing strong early-season form for Team Jumbo-Visma. Team Cofidis sprinter Nacer Bouhanni had looked good at the start of the sprint but Groenewegen used his wheel to jump Alexander Kristoff and Matteo Trentin in a tight sprint, and send a clear message to his fast-wheel competitors. As the teams use their season opening races to test and develop form, Valenciana saw podiums from Team Jumbo-Visma’s Tony Martin on the opening ITT, and both Bouhanni and Team Sky’s Ben Swift on stage 2 before Valverde took 2nd on stage 4 as part of his convincing wind-up towards the Classics. Meanwhile, in southern France it’s chapeau to Team Cofidis’ Christophe Laporte – he won the final ITT stage of the Etoile de Besseges to confirm the GC win, along with the Points competition victory. In the fourth and final stage, Laporte extended his overall lead with a strong time trial performance, despite the difficult conditions caused by intermittent rain in Alès.
The lead had changed hands early in the week-long race, but the former ski-jumper’s performances each day were consistent, and he remained in a podium position throughout, keeping the gap to the GC leader just within reach for him to overhaul on the short final time trial.
