The world of cycling is preparing to host one of the great events on the cycling calendar this week: the Tour of Flanders, the second monument of the season and the first of the two to be held on cobblestones. A week in which the Flanders pavés will monopolize all the spotlights within the peloton.
Through Flanders (March 29): The last big test on the cobblestones before the Tour of Flanders will take the riders through a total of 11 hills and up to eight cobbled sections with the climbs to Knoktenberg, Berg Ten Houte, Ladeuze or Nokere, which could break the race before the Waregem’s goal. Riders of the stature of Jasper Philipsen, Mads Pedersen, Dylan Groenewegen, Arnaud de Lie or Stefan Küng will be some of the favorites for victory.
Miguel Indurain Grand Prix (April 1): The Navarrese classic will serve as a prelude to many of the riders who, starting next Monday, will take part in Itzulia, the Tour of the Basque Country. A Miguel Indurain Grand Prix that will have a route of 203 kilometers and 3,500 meters of positive elevation gain with the double ascent to Eraul and the ascents to Guirguillano and Lezaun, as well as four passes through the Alto de Ibarra, in which the last one could decide the winner of the test.
Tour of Flanders (2 April): The peloton is already preparing for the second monument of the year, the Tour of Flanders. ‘De Ronde’ will have a 273.4-kilometre route that will be absolute hell for runners with a total of 19 levels, many of them cobbled, and another six flat sections of pavés. The first pass through the Oude Kwaremont and the Paterberg will toughen the race before the climbs to the mythical Koppenberg, Taaienberg and Kruisberg completely break the peloton before the second pass through the chain of the Oude Kwaremont and the Paterberg, which will be the last opportunity for the favorites to prevent the Tour of Flanders from being decided by the sprint in Oudenaarde. Great figures from the peloton such as Tadej Pogacar, Wout Van Aert, Mathieu Van der Poel, Mads Pedersen, Christophe Laporte, Alexander Kristoff or Stefan Küng start as main favorites to win the second monument of the year.
The women’s peloton will also have its big date on the cobblestones of Flanders on April 2 in a 158-kilometre route in which, as in the men’s event, they will have to face the climbs to Koppenberg, Taaienberg and Kruisberg, before the chain of Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg, where those favorites who want to go solo will have to jump to avoid the sprint in Oudenaarde. Runners of the stature of Annemiek Van Vleuten, Lorena Wiebes, Lotte Kopecky, Demi Vollering, Elisa Longo Borghini, Marlene Reusser, Elisa Balsamo or Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig start as great favorites to win.
other races
Bantrab Tour (March 29 – April 2)
Oceania Road Championships (March 30 – April 1)
The Route Adélie de Vitré (31 March)
Internationale Cottbuser Junioren-Ettapenfahrt (31 March – 2 April)
Volta Limburg Classic (1 April)
Bolivian National Championships (April 1-2)
The Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorns Cup Tour of Thailand (April 1-6)
Piva Trophy (2 April)
34 Ronde Van Oploo (2 April)
Clue
Oceania Track Championships (24-28 March)
Greece National Omnium Championships (March 29 and March 31 – April 2)
Schweizermeisterschaft 2023 (March 30 – April 1)
U17 Canadian Track, Junior and Para-Cycling Championships (March 31 – April 2)
Silk Road Namangan II (March 31 – April 2)
South African National Championships (1-5 April)
MTB
Colombia MTB II Cup (March 31 – April 2)
Chilean National Championships (March 31 – April 2)
XCO Premantura Rocky Trails (1 April)
Czech MTB Cup (1-2 April)
Marlene Südtirol Sushine Race 2023 (1-2 April)
Portugal Cup XCO – Abrantes (1-2 April)
UCI World Cup EDR (1-2 April)
US Pro Cup presented by Orange Seal (April 2)
Spanish Cup XCO Cofidis GP Zaragoza (April 2)
Corró d’Amunt International Catalan Cup (2 April)
Argovia Vittoria-Fisher Cup (2 April)
Sapucai XCM Express (April 2)
Croatian XCM National Championships (2 April)
UCI Santa María International Cup (2 April)