Miss the old Tour of Flanders? Omloop Het Nieuwsblad returns to Muur van Geraardsbergen finale
Final 60km of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad will be identical to old Flanders route
Such was the strength of feeling when the Tour of Flanders route was changed in 2011 that locals held a mock funeral for the Muur Van Geraardsbergen, but now the famous finale is back... although not in the same race.
Starting from 2018, the finish line of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad will be in the town of Ninove, where Flanders used to finish until 2011, rather than in Ghent where it has been located for recent editions of the race.
This will mean that race organisers Flanders Classics - which also organises the Tour of Flanders - is able to use exactly the same route as the final 60km of the old Tour of Flanders route, including climbing the Muur Van Geraardsbergen and the Bosberg in the final 15km.
>>> The Muur van Geraadsbergen: cycling's iconic places
"The last 60 km are identical to the last Tour of Flanders with the finish in Ninove," race organiser Wim van Herreweghe told Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad, after which the race is named.
"This finale, with exactly the same succession of climbs, is engrained in the memory many riders and cycling fans. The fact that the finish line will be painted in exactly the same place as in the past coul hardly be more symbolic.
The Tour of Flanders finished in Ninove for the final time in 2011, moving the finish line to the outskirts of the much larger town of Oudenaarde for 2012 and including the Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg climbs as the crucial moments at the end of the race, rather than the Muur and the Bosberg.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
For Peter Van Petegem, who won the Tour of Flanders in 1997 and 2003 and is now the route director of Omloop Het Niieuwsblad, the chance to return to the Muur/Bosberg finale is a chance to please fans and riders, and also to create exciting racing.
"For many cycling fans, it is a happy reunion with the familiar final kilometres", Van Petegem, said. "The final with the Muur and the Bosberg and the arrival in Ninove appeals to everyone."
"The new generation of riders, who have never ridden on the old course of the Tour of Flanders, are eager for this finale. De Omloop has always had a great media appeal as an opener of the new season and that will not be less with this finale. It promises to be a spectacle."
The 2018 edition of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, the traditional opener of the Classics season, will take place on February 24, with Greg Van Avermaet being the defending champion.
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Henry Robertshaw began his time at Cycling Weekly working with the tech team, writing reviews, buying guides and appearing in videos advising on how to dress for the seasons. He later moved over to the news team, where his work focused on the professional peloton as well as legislation and provision for cycling. He's since moved his career in a new direction, with a role at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
-
'Our costs are going up but customers can’t pay more': Community bike shops are making cycling affordable, but can they afford to keep the doors open?
Not-for-profit setups designed to make cycling accessible are feeling the pinch - but the communities they're designed to serve can keep them alive
By Isobel Duxfield Published
-
Small Cost, BIG Features | Is This Indoor Training Platform Worth The Switch?
icTrainer costs 9x less than the market leader but this indoor training platform is still jam packed with features
By Sponsored Published
-
Elisa Longo Borghini pips Kasia Niewiadoma on the line to win second Tour of Flanders
In-form Italian praises Lidl-Trek team after repeating feat she achieved in 2015
By Tom Davidson Published
-
'It's one of the hardest races I've ever done' - Mathieu van der Poel on his historic Tour of Flanders victory
World champion becomes seventh man in history to win the race three times
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Mathieu van der Poel wins record-equalling third Tour of Flanders with 45km attack
Dutchman pulls off audacious long-range coup to claim Monument victory
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Wout van Aert’s Classics dreams go up in smoke, but all is not lost for Visma-Lease a Bike
Attention turns to another promising squad member after their talisman is ruled out of Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix and Amstel-Gold Race with 'several fractures'
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Wout van Aert 'in a good place' ahead of Tour of Flanders despite Visma-Lease a Bike illness and injury crisis
Loss of Christophe Laporte and Dylan van Baarle 'a big blow' says DS Grischa Niermann as team builds for Monument double header
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Five things to look out for ahead of the Tour of Flanders
Lidl-Trek's impressive form and Mathieu van der Poel's explosive start to the Classics season could make for quite the contest this weekend
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Wout van Aert gears towards career-defining fortnight in new, enlightened mindset
Belgian admits pressure has weighed heavily on his shoulders in the past as the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix come around once more
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Tour of Flanders, Giro d'Italia, Paris-Roubaix Femmes: Cycling Weekly's races of the year for 2023
Our writers pick their best moments from an enthralling 2023, what do you think?
By Adam Becket Published