TOUR OF FLANDERS

German road racer Steffen Wesemann climbing the Muur (wall) of Geraardsbergen in the 2004 edition of the Ronde van Vlaanderen.

The race was initiated in 1913 by Karel Van Wijnendaele, a former cyclist. Initially not a big success, the race was interrupted by World War I, but continued in 1919. In the 1920s and 1930s, the race became more popular, and is currently considered to be the most important race in Flanders, where road cycling is very popular. The nickname of the race is Vlaanderens mooiste, or "Flanders's most beautiful". The town of Oudenaarde, through which the Ronde habitually passes, has a museum - the Centrum Ronde van Vlaanderen - dedicated to the race.

Course

The course of the race contains many steep hills, often paved with cobblestones. While it is often compared to the Paris-Roubaix race in that both contain many cobbled sections, de Ronde's inclusion of many steep, and often cobbled, short hills make racing very different compared to the flat Paris-Roubaix.

The exact route of the race does not change much from year-to-year. The last major change was the inclusion of the steep Koppenberg climb in 2003, having been refurbished from its previous state of disrepair. Spectators make a sport called couperen out of trying to watch de Ronde pass by in as many points as possible [1].

Comments

Belgian cyclist Roger De Vlaeminck riding the Koppenberg in the Tour of Flanders race. De Vlaeminck won Paris-Roubaix 4 times.

• "Only those who are in top condition can say that the Ronde is not hard. For everyone else, it's the Way of the Cross." -Andrea Tafi

Riders who win both races (Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix) in the same year are guaranteed eternal fame:

1. 1923 Heiri Suter  Switzerland
2. 1932 Romain Gijssels  Belgium
3. 1934 Gaston Rebry  Belgium
4. 1954 Raymond Impanis  Belgium
5. 1957 Fred De Bruyne  Belgium
6. 1962 Rik Van Looy  Belgium
7. 1977 Roger De Vlaeminck  Belgium
8. 2003 Peter Van Petegem  Belgium
9. 2005 Tom Boonen  Belgium

The most famous climb is arguably the Koppenberg climb, where the steep grade, narrow pass and (previously) poor cobblestone conditions have forced many racers to climb it on foot instead of on their bikes. An incident in 1987 where Jesper Skibby—who was leading the race at this point and was followed by the race official's car—fell over due to loss of momentum and was almost crushed by the official's car, put a stop to the inclusion of this climb until 2003 when it was extensively repaired. It should be noted that while Skibby's foot was not crushed by the car, his bicycle was.

The day before the actual race sees the cyclosportif (open) race version of de Ronde where amateur cyclists regularly participate in large numbers.

Winners

2006 - Tom Boonen  Belgium 2005 - Tom Boonen  Belgium 2004 - Steffen Wesemann  Germany 2003 - Peter Van Petegem  Belgium 2002 - Andrea Tafi  Italy 2001 - Gianluca Bortolami  Italy 2000 - Andrei Tchmil  Belgium 1999 - Peter Van Petegem  Belgium 1998 - Johan Museeuw  Belgium 1997 - Rolf Sørensen  Denmark 1996 - Michele Bartoli  Italy 1995 - Johan Museeuw  Belgium 1994 - Gianni Bugno  Italy 1993 - Johan Museeuw  Belgium 1992 - Jacky Durand  France 1991 - Edwig Van Hooydonck  Belgium 1990 - Moreno Argentin  Italy 1989 - Edwig van Hooydonck  Belgium 1988 - Eddy Planckaert  Belgium 1987 - Claude Criquielion  Belgium 1986 - Adri van der Poel  Netherlands 1985 - Eric Vanderaerden  Belgium 1984 - Johan Lammerts  Netherlands 1983 - Jan Raas  Netherlands 1982 - René Martens  Belgium 1981 - Hennie Kuiper  Netherlands 1980 - Michel Pollentier  Belgium 1979 - Jan Raas  Netherlands 1978 - Walter Godefroot  Belgium 1977 - Roger De Vlaeminck  Belgium

1976 - Walter Planckaert  Belgium 1975 - Eddy Merckx  Belgium 1974 - Kees Bal  Netherlands 1973 - Eric Leman  Belgium 1972 - Eric Leman  Belgium 1971 - Evert Dolman  Netherlands 1970 - Eric Leman  Belgium 1969 - Eddy Merckx  Belgium 1968 - Walter Godefroot  Belgium 1967 - Dino Zandegu  Italy 1966 - Edouard Sels  Belgium 1965 - Jo de Roo  Netherlands 1964 - Rudi Altig  Germany 1963 - Noel Foré  France 1962 - Rik Van Looy  Belgium 1961 - Tom Simpson  United Kingdom 1960 - Arthur De Cabooter  Belgium 1959 - Rik Van Looy  Belgium 1958 - Germain Derijcke  Belgium 1957 - Alfred de Bruyne  Belgium 1956 - Jean Forestier  France 1955 - Louison Bobet  France 1954 - Raymond Impanis  Belgium 1953 - Wim van Est  Netherlands 1952 - Roger Decock  Belgium 1951 - Fiorenzo Magni  Italy 1950 - Fiorenzo Magni  Italy 1949 - Fiorenzo Magni  Italy 1948 - Briek Schotte  Belgium 1947 - Emiel Faignaert  Belgium

1946 - Rik Van Steenbergen  Belgium 1945 - Sylvain Grysolle  Belgium 1944 - Rik Van Steenbergen  Belgium 1943 - Achiel Buysse  Belgium 1942 - Briek Schotte  Belgium 1941 - Achiel Buysse  Belgium 1940 - Achiel Buysse  Belgium 1939 - Karel Kaers  Belgium 1938 - Edgard De Caluwé  Belgium 1937 - Michel D'Hooghe  Belgium 1936 - Louis Hardiquest  Belgium 1935 - Louis Duerloo  Belgium 1934 - Gaston Rebry  Belgium 1933 - Alfons Schepers  Belgium 1932 - Romain Gijssels  Belgium 1931 - Romain Gijssels  Belgium 1930 - Frans Bonduel  Belgium 1929 - Jef Dervaes  Belgium 1928 - Jan Mertens  Belgium 1927 - Gérard Debaets  Belgium 1926 - Denis Verschueren  Belgium 1925 - Julien Delbecque  Belgium 1924 - Gérard Debaets  Belgium 1923 - Heiri Suter  Switzerland 1922 - Léon De Vos  Belgium 1921 - René Vermandel  Belgium 1920 - Jules Van Hevel  Belgium 1919 - Henri Van Lerberghe  Belgium 1914 - Marcel Buysse  Belgium 1913 - Paul Deman  Belgium

External link

• The official Tour of Flanders website
• The Centrum Ronde van Vlaanderen website - available in English