Strava stats show what it takes to compete in the final of Tour of Flanders 2019
A glimpse at the huge efforts it takes to compete for the win
This is what it takes to compete in the Tour of Flanders (Photo by Tim de Waele/Getty Images)
The Tour of Flanders is described by many the hardest race in the world.
Covering 270km of relentless cobbled climbs, only the most experienced and toughest riders can battle for victory.
With Alberto Bettiol riding solo to victory, Greg Van Avermaet missing out on another chance at Flanders glory and Alexander Kristoff taking the bunch sprint for third, there were plenty of stories to take away from the 2019 edition.
But how hard is Flanders really?
Well thanks to the wonders of Strava, we can get a unique insight into the monumental efforts riders put in.
>>> Five talking points from the 2019 Tour of Flanders
Sadly, Alberto Bettiol hasn’t uploaded his data to the social media for athletes but we can still see the data for other riders who featured in the final.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Alexander Kristoff (UAE Team Emirates) finished third on the day, having made it to the final in the front group and taking the bunch sprint behind Bettiol and Kasper Asgreen (Deceuninck – Quick-Step) who finished second.
Winner of the 2019 Ghent-Wevelgem Kristoff averaged 41km/h over the 270km and almost seven hours on the bike.
The Norwegian also hit a maximum speed of 82km/h.
Unfortunately Kristoff didn’t upload his power to Strava, but the site estimates he hit 1,200 watts in the sprint for the line.
Greg Van Avermaet (CCC Team) finished 10th on the day as part of the front group, and was one of the main animators in the final.
>>> Greg Van Avermaet: ‘It’s not my job to pull the fast guys to the line & let them win Flanders’
The Belgian claimed the King of the Mountain on the final ascent of the Kruisberg around 30km from the line, matching the previous best time of 3-56.
He held an average speed of 27.3km/h over the 2km climb, holding 381w over the distance and hitting 928w maximum.
This is what it takes to compete in the Tour of Flanders (Photo by Tim de Waele/Getty Images)
One of the most aggressive riders in the early part of the day was Bahrain-Merida’s Matej Mohorič.
The Slovenian’s efforts didn’t pay off as he finished 41st, but he was still a major animator.
Mohorič averaged an estimate 376w over the course of the day, hitting a maximum 1,300w.
Alejandro Valverde was another notable story from the cobble Monument, as the Spaniard raced Flanders for the first time at 38 years old.
The Movistar rider does publish his power to Strava, as he averaged 232w over the day.
He temporarily took the KoM for the Koppenberg-Steenbeekdries-Taaienberg segment, before loosing it to Yves Lampaert (Deceuninck- Quick-Step) and Dylan van Baarle (Team Sky).
Over the 14-minute effort, Valverde averaged 300w and hit a maximum of 907w.
Ag2r La Mondiale's Oliver Naesen recovered from illness to finish seventh, cementing his strong performance so far in the Classics.
The Belgian took four KoMs over the course of the day, all on flat and fast segments.
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
Alex Ballinger is editor of BikeBiz magazine, the leading publication for the UK cycle industry, and is the former digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter, then as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output, and now as the editor of BikeBiz. Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) Alex covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers. Away from the desk, Alex can be found racing time trials, riding BMX and mountain bikes, or exploring off-road on his gravel bike. He’s also an avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.