Belgian Week

This week, counting yesterday, is the biggest week in the cycling mad country of Belgium. Two classics book-ends a semi classic, and there is no bigger race in Belgium than this trifecta.

The Tour of Flanders kicked the weekend off (last night) followed by Gent-Wevelgem this Wednesday and then finally the Queen of the Classics, the race everybody hates but everybody wants to win, Paris Roubaix, on Easter Sunday.

There is a contrast in the parcours of Flanders and P-R. Flanders is dotted by short and steep cobbled hills from 300m to more than 2km. since these roads are hardly used by motorized traffic, it is slippery. When it’s wet, then the race could be epic! The terrain for P-R is basically flat but there are cobbled sections, called sectors. There are more than 20 sectors which can range from a few hundred meters to more than 2km and about 50km total. Weather plays an important factor. When it’s hot, it’s dusty and it gets into the riders eyes and lungs. When it rains, it’s slippery and crashes are more common. This race is not for the faint hearted and definitely not for those who are looking to win the Tour de France. There’s no Lance Armstrong here, baby. Too dangerous!

Both races are more than 250km in distance and it usually takes about 6 hours for the winning rider to arrive home. Both races pass through narrow, medieval roads therefore positioning is very important. And when they have 200 riders racing along 2m wide roads, it always pays to be attentive and to be always near the front of the peloton. The irony in P-R is that the race ends in the smooth surface of a velodrome. A velodrome is a banked track used for bicycle races which is usually made of wooden flooring.

Winners of both Flanders and P-R have a bigger than average physique than the typical cyclist. A large body is needed to take the abuse from the cobbles and if you are climber-thin, then you better stay as far away as you can from Belgium.

Not all the great riders love P-R. Five-time TdF winner Jaques Anquetil refused to ride it. The last TdF winner to do this race was Greg Lemond. After winning the event in 1981, five-time TdF champion Bernard Hinault said, “Paris-Roubaix est une conneri” (P-R is bull —t!) and he refused to ride it again. In that race, Hinault crashed when he hit a dog. This made him angry enough to win the race. When he was criticized for not doing the race again, he said: “I don’t go into offices and tell people to work harder, yet people ask me to be the strongest on the cobbles.” Hahaha!

Favorites for Flanders are also favorites in P-R. Tom Boonen (QUICK STEP), Heinrich Haussler (CERVELO) and Filippo Pozatto (KATUSYA). Leif Hoste (SILENCE-LOTTO) is the current heartbreak kid, coming in second three times. American George Hincapie (COLUMBIA) used to be a favorite in this race but at 35yo, people have forgotten him, but he could pull a surprise if he gets aggressive. Rounding up the contenders are teammates Sylvain Chavanel and defending champion Stijn Devolder but the duo currently works for team captain Boonen so it would be interesting how QS can work this out.

Yellow Ribbons

The mayor has left for abroad. Yet, the ubiquitous yellow ribbons that greeted him a few weeks ago are still around, catching dust by the minute and making the city, already in a dire need of a makeover, dirtier. I was in Manila last February and it was amazing how they can keep the city (at least in the Baclaran Area) of 12 million speckless. Hopefully, the officials of the 2 million inhabitants here can correct this problem soon.

Chapeau!

Congratulations to Miguel Flores, Jun Omero and Tata Ty for winning their respective categories at the Mandaue Rekla Crit last weekend. -  THE FREEMAN