Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Preview

Feb 22
cyclical

For those traditionalists among us, the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad might not be a name that trips off the tongue but it means one crucial thing … northern European racing, and the Classics, are back. For 2018, OHN comes with an iconic, throwback-style finishing section which should make for a fantastic race.

Why is it special?

OHN is a brilliant event, a potentially brutal opener to the Belgian calendar, where the spring contenders can set their stalls out for the months ahead. This 13th edition of the women’s OHN will have 13 national champions on the provisional start-list: D’Hoore (Belgium), Longo Borghini (Italy), Ritter (Austria), Pavlukhina (Azerbaijan), Gutierrez (Spain), Eric (Serbia), Heine (Norway), Radotic (Serbia), Batagelj (Slovenia), Majerus (Luxembourg), Klein (Germany), Penton (Sweden) and of course, world champion Chantal Blaak whose Netherlands champion’s jersey will be replaced by something in white with rainbow stripes.

The women’s teams will be presented on Saturday morning (just like the men) in the legendary ’t Kuipke, the spiritual home of cycling in Gent, and the team buses will be based in Hofbouwlaan and Jan Hoet Square.

A new initiative for the 2018 edition is that the elite Men and elite Women start at almost the same time and in the same place, by the ICC Ghent on the Emile Clauslaan. With start paddocks side-by-side, the women start their race eight minutes after the men, on the Hofbouwlaan.

Defending champion Lucinda Brand from Team Sunweb sees nothing but benefits fromt eh new arrangements: “The bringing together of the men’s peloton and the women’s peloton is an important evolution. You can see women’s cycling growing every year and this media attention makes it interesting for sponsors to invest. That’s how women’s cycling will get more professional. This is a very important step.”

The route

The women follow the same opening sequence as the men, for 52 kilometers, until taking a different tack from Nederzwalm, before heading back onto the same course for the last 61 kilometers. This means from the cobblestones of the Ruiterstraat in Mater all the way to the finish in Ninove.

The route is different this year, with a more ‘classic’ appearance, especially in the run-in. The first of the eight hellingen comes at almost 60kms, climbing the Katteberg, before hitting the cobbles at Rutierstraat. Climb 2 is the Molenberg at 69.4kms.

Next, its 2000 meters of ferocious cobbles of Haaghoek before heading into Zegelsam and the third climb, the Leberg. Climb 4, the Berendries is followed rapidly by the Valkenberg and Tenbosse ascents before the riders head into Geraardsbergen to tackle the iconic Muur-Kapelmuur. Straight after that, like a one-two punch comes the Bosberg, bringing to mind legendary finishes in the Tour of Flanders, having just 12 kilometres to race.

The Muur-Bosberg combination seems like the perfect set-up for a race-winning move, one which could make a career.

 

Contenders?

Brand heads a super-strong Sunweb squad backed by Ellen Van Dijk, Floortje Mackaij, Coryn Rivera and Juliette Labous. The team will have the experience of road captain Julia Soek calling the shots as the race unfolds.

Jolien D’Hoore will ride for Michelton-Scott, and Wiggle-High5 are likely to look at Elisa Longo Borghini. Cylance will have the likes of Sheyla Gutierrez, who had a breakthrough win in the Belgian spring of 2017 and seems suited to these types of races.

Boels-Dolmans will have a strong squad headed by Chantal Blaak, and Alé Cipollini will have Chloe Hosking and the powerful Janneke Ensing.