The Ronde van Vlaanderen. Always a special atmosphere and 2018 was no different.
Tour of Flanders: Antwerp to Oudenaarde 264.7km (men). Oudenaarde to Oudenaarde, 153.3km (women)
In the men’s race a dominant Quick-Step Floors shuffled their deck stacked with aces and Niki Terpstra popped out of the pack on the Kruisberg and sealed the deal on the Kwaremont. Riding in alone to take victory by 12secs from a downright determined Dane Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) with Philippe Gilbert (who else?) joining teamie Niki on the podium.
It was a day for storming solo rides as Anna van der Breggan added the Tour of Flanders to her glittering palmares. The Olympic champion soaked up the cheers at the finish line a full minute and eight seconds ahead of the sprint for podium places. Teammate Amy Pieters made it a one-two for Boels-Dolmans with Annemiek van Vleuten (Mitcheton-Scott) rounding out the podium for a Dutch clean sweep.
Our race review is here and it’s a corker!
Videos…
OUCH!!!!!!
Dislocated shoulder, popped back in, finish on the podium. All hail Annemiek.
It was a horrible to see Mitch snarled up in barbed wire, very relieved to hear he was alright
Four first times
There are always so many stories to tell, here’s my pick.
Ivan Garcia Cortina made the break of the day and lead the way over the Muur.
Wout Van Aert continues to give his all and impress
The Shark of Flanders
Embed from Getty ImagesVincenzo Nibali relished his Flanders debut if his post race quotes in Cycling News are anything to go by: “It was like being in a washing machine” .
and straight from Oudenaarde on Sunday to line up at the Vuelta Pais Vasco on Monday. Only the five categorised climbs to get over!
And of course, OF COURSE Mads Pedersen
Me tooooooo
Pretty sure I was yelling something similar to Trek Segafredo’s Dirk Demol too “We were yelling into his ear piece: ‘The podium is waiting for you!'”
Flanders fans
https://www.instagram.com/p/BhC5O6GBjGk/?hl=en&taken-by=karenm.edwards
One last photo – LOVE
Header image: Tim de Waele/Getty Images