This Wednesday, March 27, the 78th edition of the “Across Flanders” race will take place. The race will be a dress rehearsal before Sunday’s Tour of Flanders.
The Flemish classics season continues this Wednesday March 27 with the race “Across Flanders” (in Dutch “Dwars door Vlaanderen”). After Ghent-Wevelgem last weekend, one-day race specialists will once again have the opportunity to explain the “mini tour of Flanders” before the Monument, the “Ronde”, scheduled from Sunday March 31.
The course
On the program, 188.6 kilometers in the heart of the Flemish Ardennes, with a succession of climbs and cobbled sectors, some of which will also be used during the Tour of Flanders. In total, 11 listed climbs and 8 paved sectors. The first difficulty of the day will arrive after 52 kilometers of racing, with the Hellestraat (1.5 Km at 3.5%). But it is in the last 100 kilometers that the difference will really be made, in the Ardennes carousel without a single meter of flat ground until the finish. Most of the paved sectors will also be in this portion of the race, including the last passage on the Herlegemstraat (1100 m), 5 km from the finish, planned for Waregem.
Who are the favorites of “Across Flanders”?
The Flandrian classic, however, will have to do this year without its last two winners. Indeed, the Frenchman Christophe Laporte, ill, had to withdraw at the last minute. He will not start on Wednesday or Sunday for the Tour of Flanders. This news is a big blow for the Visma team | Lease a Bike and its leader Wout Van Aert. The Dutch team announced it this Tuesday on its social networks, even if the rumor of its withdrawal had been circulating since its abandonment during Milan-San Remo and its non-participation in E3 and in Ghent-Wevelgem.
Unfortunately Christophe Laporte will not start Wednesday and Sunday in Dwars door Vlaanderen and the Ronde van Vlaanderen.
He is not sufficiently recovered from a stomach flu and a saddle sore.
—Team Visma | Lease a Bike (@vismaleaseabike) March 25, 2024
The other big absentee from this tour “Across Flanders” is Mathieu van der Poel. The world champion showed his limits this Sunday at Gant-Wevelgem, beaten by “stronger than him” in his own words, leaving the victory to Mads Petersen. After having completed Milan-San Remo, E3 and therefore Ghent-Wevelgem in two weeks, MVDP is therefore skipping a race that it has already won twice (2019 and 2022) to recover and hope to lift a third time arms on the “Ronde” on Sunday.
Despite these absences, the competition will be fierce this Wednesday, with the return of Wout Van Aert, but also the presence of Mads Petersen and Jasper Philipsen. Among the outsiders, we will note the presence of Alberto Bettiol, winner of Milan-Turin this year, as well as the essential Stefan Kung, Tim Wellens and even Julian Alaphilippe.
Women’s race
This Wednesday March 27 will also be held the women’s race “Across Flanders”, won last year by Demi Vollering. The start will be given at 2:30 p.m. for a 129-kilometer route around Waregem which will include 9 climbs and seven cobbled sectors.
Where can you watch “Across Flanders” in France?
This year, the “Across Flanders” race will be broadcast live from 2:15 p.m. on Eurosport 1 and on the L’Equipe Channel.
The ranking of “Across Flanders” in 2023
- 1 – LAPORTE Christophe (Jumbo-Visma) the 183.7 km in 4:06:20 (44.7 km/h)
- 2 – LAZKANO Oier (Movistar Team) + 0:15
- 3 – POWLESS Neilson (EF Education-EasyPost) mt
- 4 – PHILIPSEN Jasper (Alpecin-Deceuninck) mt
- 5 – PEDERSEN Mads (Trek – Segafredo) mt
- 6 – DE LIE Arnaud (Lotto Dstny) mt
- 7 – BALLERINI Davide (Soudal – Quick Step) mt
- 8 – PASQUALON Andrea (Bahrain – Victorious) mt
- 9 – LE GAC Olivier (Groupama – FDJ) mt
- 10 – POLITT Nils (BORA – hansgrohe) mt