Garmin-Barracuda are starting their own little Classics tradition of putting a guy in the breakaway with race favourites and crossing the line first! Today’s surprise winner of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad was Sep Vanmarcke, who outsprinted a super-strong Tom Boonen and Juan Antonio Flecha.
Daily Archives: February 25, 2012
Happy hopping birthday to Heinrich Haussler, the racing kangaroo!
That cheeky chappy Heinrich Haussler turns 28 today and we’re in the mood to celebrate. So what’s so special about HH? Well, he’s an Australian who moved by himself to Germany when he was 14 to hone his cycling skills. He’s also an Australian who prefers to ride in the cold and the rain. And even at 28, he still looks like he should be in a boyband (maybe Heinrich and the Hausslers?) But let’s make this multi-media, shall we? Here’s a little film for you all to enjoy.
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne previews
While the peloton’s far-flung excursions to such locales as Australia (the Tour Down Under), Qatar, Oman and Malaysia (the Tour de Langkawi) offer a taste of the exotic, there is nothing quite like the sight of professional cyclists toiling over rolling hills and mud-splattered cobbles in northern Europe to make the seasoned viewer feel that the cycling season has really begun. And if the Tour Down Under marked the official start of the season for the WorldTour, this weekend’s double-header of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne heralds the start of many fans’ favourite part of the year: the spring Classics.