Wet cobbles possible at Tour of Flanders with rain forecast in coming days

Salvatore Puccio pushes his bike up the steep slopes of the Koppenberg

(Image credit: Yuzuru Sunada)

published 30 March 2017

Riders at the Tour of Flanders on Sunday could face tricky conditions and wet cobbles with rain expected to hit the bergs in the coming days.

While last week's E3 Harelbeke and Ghent-Wevelgem saw the rider's enjoy glorious sunshine and temperatures in the high teens, the weather for Sunday's big race could be less than perfect.

Rain is forecasted for the Flemish Ardennes on both Friday and Saturday, meaning that the cobbles could still be wet by the time the peloton hits them on Sunday afternoon.

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That might not mean a repeat of the floods that hit the race in 1985, but could cause problems on some of the steeper climbs, where the cobbles could be lubricated to make riding out of the saddle tricky, and maybe even forcing riders off their bikes on the infamous Koppenberg.

But unfortunately we're unlikely to see echelons as only light winds are forecast, with a slight cross-headwind for the final flat run to the finish.

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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.