The “Lockdown Edition” of the race will take place this Sunday.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, all races haven been scrapped until at least the beginning of June. One of these events is the legendary Ronde van Vlaanderen, one of cycling’s five Monuments and a race our team has won on seven occasions – 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2017, and 2018 – with four different riders.
But the organisers, together with Deceuninck – Quick-Step, have found a way to hold Flanders, albeit in a different format, on its scheduled date, April 5, when 13 riders – including Remco Evenepoel, Yves Lampaert and Zdenek Stybar – will tackle the final 32 kilometers, and with them, the famous Kruisberg, Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg climbs, online and from the comfort of their homes.
“I never thought I would make my Monument debut this way, but it’s still better than nothing. I guess I’m the first rider in history to race a Monument for the first time on a smart trainer, and as strange as it may sound, I am looking forward to it. From what I understood, it will replicate the conditions of Flanders, so it should be quite a tough test”, 20-year-old Evenepoel said of the race which will be live streamed on our website this Sunday.
“It’s a difficult time for everyone, but we really hope this project will bring some happiness and a glimmer of hope to all the fans in Belgium and around the world, who will have the possibility to watch us live as we race the final part of Flanders”, added two-time Dwars door Vlaanderen winner Yves Lampaert.
Photo credit: ©Maximiliano Blanco / Getty Images
