Belgium celebrates its unofficial bank holidays with the Tour of Flanders. For the first time since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, a large number of spectators will be lining the route. German riders can finish in the top ten if everything goes to plan.
The route
After the start in Antwerp, the route covers 272.5 kilometres to Oudenaarde. The first part of the race will be used for rolling in, and only after the first passage through Oudenaarde will the cobbled climbs get down to business. As always, the grand finale is expected at the combination of Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg, after which there are just over ten kilometres to the finish. While fresh snow on Friday was still a problem for the teams during the route inspection, it should be cool and dry on Sunday.
The favourites
The biggest question mark was behind Wout van Aert. On Friday evening, his team Jumbo-Visma informed him that this year's Classics dominator was coronavirus positive and therefore unable to race. As a result, Mathieu van der Poel slipped to the position of favourite for the race, which he already won in 2020. Last year's winner Kasper Asgreen from Denmark is also on the list. And of course Tadej Pogacar. The Slovenian is supposedly only racing in Flanders to prepare for the cobbled stage of the Tour de France. But his performance on Wednesday at Quer durch Flandern showed that he wants to compete for the win.
The German drivers
John Degenkolb and Nils Politt are the two big German names at the start. Especially after Politt's fifth place at Quer durch Flandern, a place in the top ten seems possible, maybe a little more. Degenkolb, who had to skip Milan-Sanremo due to illness, certainly doesn't have Politt's form yet. In any case, the duo are focussing on Paris-Roubaix, which takes place in a fortnight' time.
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