2020 Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne: Ed Hood all the time liked his journeys to the Flemish ‘Opening Weekend’, and the primary of the Spring Classics in Belgium. We glance again at his day roadside at Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne in 2020.
“I’m by no means happier than after I’m writing.”
~ Ed Hood, as spoken to Martin Williamson from the passenger seat, driving alongside a stage route on the Tour de France.
Expensive Readers – Our beloved colleague and pal Ed Hood suffered a severe stroke in February. We don’t anticipate Ed will make it again into our bunch, so we’ve began a GoFundMe web page to assist Ed together with his future. Learn the total put up right here – and please contemplate donating.
** Click on this hyperlink to donate to the GoFundMe web page to assist Ed **
We’ll be posting a collection of Ed’s work from the previous 16 years, as a result of nice story-telling by no means will get outdated.
Ed Roadside in Belgium: From the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad on Saturday, Ed’s gang of ‘Race Chasers’ moved a bit down the street for the second race of the Belgian opening weekend – Sunday’s Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne and extra cobbled motion. A stunningly dry day for a northern Basic, however that wouldn’t ‘dampen’ the ambiance.
# Learn Ed’s earlier day’s journey on the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad HERE. #
I like the drive from Gent as much as Kuurne, staring out of the automobile window on the fields, the canals, tree lined avenues, the steeples, tiny concrete roads that might be nice to discover on the bike.
There was a bit rain on the way in which up however by the point we obtained to Kuurne it was a gentle, sunny morning, preferrred for wandering down the principle drag the place the busses line up and testing 2020’s new exhausting ware. Deceuninck aside, entry to the busses and people shiny bicycles isn’t any trouble – albeit the patch does get busier with every passing 12 months. On the home windows and flooring boys encampment it’s totally different, the gang of worshipers is thick around the bus as they pressure for a glimpse of their lupine idols in blue and white. Each crew is nicely offered, particularly the large finances outfits like Trek – one other tough bus to get near with everybody determined to see Het Nieuwsblad winner, Large Jasper.
We particularly favored the Cofidis De Rosas and the Wiliers of Whole Direct Energie.
We additionally favored Belgian champion Merlier’s (Alpecin – Fenix) white Canyon with understated pink, yellow and black bands on the chainstay. Discs: not all of the groups or on them, Ineos, AG2R, Vlaanderen and UAE all stick with the outdated trustworthy rim brake.
Ineos even give their riders alternative of the 28 mil tyre pleasant K10 or the ‘much more aero’ F12 – both one would do me – however each with rim brakes. For the Classics a number of the Shimano groups are changing the Dura Ace entrance discs with the heavier obligation Ultegra and even XTR mountain bike discs, saying that the Dura Ace disc isn’t strong sufficient. Nevertheless, the XTR discs can’t deal with the warmth build-up on lengthy mountain descents so aren’t a panacea. There’s additionally the problem of rotor measurement standardisation and axle clamping – some mechanics saying it’s superb to make use of energy instruments to safe the via axle and others saying it’s not, working the chance of stripping the threads on the axle receiver. In brief, there’s nonetheless improvement to be executed on disc brakes.
Bikes duly skeked we additionally noticed a number of ‘names’ – just like the resurgent Bjarne Riis at one of many NTT vehicles and an inscrutable Marc Madiot navigating the FDJ crew bus in.
And, after all, we’ve to snap one of many loopy bands; all that executed we headed for our first spot, the highest of the Volkegemberg, the primary climb of the day, lengthy straight, cobbled on the prime and 32 kilometres in. As soon as we have been out of the shelter of the buildings in Kuurne the wind was rather more noticeable.
There have been 5 away, with a minute plus; an Alpecin, a Brussels Wallonie, an Astana, an Uno X and a UAE.
Behind, while it wasn’t ‘a bloc’ they weren’t losing time both because the carbon rims ‘clacked’ throughout the cobbles.
The final time I snapped massive German ‘Classics Man’ Nils Politt (Israel Begin-Up Nation) he was zipping around the boards on the Bremen Six Day; the floor was a tad gnarlier right this moment. The second spot of the day was the highest of Bossenarstraat, the third climb of the day, 79K in, a nasty, steep concrete ramp. The home at prime was the place well-known Flemish panorama painter Valerus de Saedeleer lived and labored – that is the stuff you don’t get on different web sites.
Earlier than the Elites arrived, the junior Kuurne Brussels Kuurne streamed previous with nearly as a lot fanfare as the professionals and nearly as many motor bikes and automobiles concerned. Cian Uijtdebroeks would run out eventual winner masking the 122K in 2:59:39.
The 5 escapees had constructed their result in 5:30 and once more, while it wasn’t full on, there was no chatter within the peloton.
Mads Pedersen was nicely positioned, clearly not desirous to miss his bottle and there have been a number of massive names nicely to the fore; Trentin, Stuyven, Rowe, Degenkolb. . .
And who says males can’t multi-task; this CCC was driving up a steep hill within the gutter amid a giant bunch, palms free, taking off a layer while getting ready to munching an power bar – respect
Kuurne is a tough race to see various instances because of the nature of the parcours and we plumped for our last sighting on the prime of the legendary Oude Kwaremont of Ronde fame, the tenth and penultimate climb with 58K to trip.
On the prime, simply earlier than it re-joins the principle street, the break was right down to 4 males with Astana main by way of.
Our boy Callum was snapping away and grabbed some good pictures; this one of many rear of the break as they crested the hill.
He additionally obtained a pleasant image of a struggling Merlier driving the sleek however tough gutter line.
He additionally recorded that it wasn’t an excellent day for the fellows with the nicest jerseys within the peloton, with neither Merlier nor Pedersen ‘troubling the time keeper’ as they used to say in ‘Biking Weekly’ journal when somebody had a ‘bag of spanners’ day.
Ineos hardy Welshman is often at residence in races like this – however not right this moment.
Nor was it an excellent day for Bora’s former Austrian Champion Lucas Pöstlberger who hit the deck – however did bounce again up; with due to Callum for some good pictures.
I used to be a bit additional down the hill and caught Matteo Trentin on level behind the break with Stuyven, GVA, Benoot and eventual winner, ‘Danish wolf’ Kasper Asgreen all handily positioned.
However not everybody who’s off the tempo is having a foul day – Iljo Keisse’s job was executed after working exhausting for Kasper for the primary 100K.
‘Einde Wedstrijd’ and the inexperienced flag means the race is previous and the roads are open.
However #115, Luis Mas Bonet had waved the car previous, he was getting off that bike on the prime of the hill. We headed right down to Ronse and our favorite bar, L’Escale the place the proprietor switches off the soccer and will get the pils poured when he sees us.
We have been organised in time to see Asgreen drop breakaway survivor Boris Vallée (Bingoal-Wallonie Bruxelles), who he had bridged as much as, maintain off the peloton by seconds and put a smile on Patrick Lefevere’s face.
All that was left was for us to say to our host; ‘au revoir, l’annee prochain, Monsieur.’ Or was it ‘tot ziens volgend jaar meneer.’
# Maintain it PEZ for 2024 Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne report and consequence and extra information from Belgium in EUROTRASH Monday. #
Like PEZ? Why not subscribe to our weekly e-newsletter to obtain updates and reminders on what’s cool in street biking?
Supply hyperlink
