We are ready, again
Every year I rewatch the video “De Ronde Van Vlaanderen, We zijn er klaar voor” (“We are ready”, in English). The video is over 13 years old but gets me every time.
The video depicts how people in Flanders are getting ready the morning of the most important cycling race of the year: De Ronde, De Ronde van Vlaanderen, The Tour of Flanders.
I start my preparation about an hour after the Gent-Wevelgem race has crosses the finish line the week prior. I rewatch previous editions. I watch behind the scenes coverage from previous years. I catch every talkshow throughout the week about the race or racers. I read interviews. I am ready for tomorrow!
Wout Van Aert is also ready. Mathieu Van der Poel is ready as well. Julian Alaphilippe likely will be ready, although he was struggling a bit in earlier races. Peter Sagan makes you think he is not ready, but make no mistake, he is ready.
I am looking forward to see the tactics to beat the top favorites. If AG2R wants to win, with Van Avermaet or Naessen, they will need to play it smarter. That is also the case for Lotto-Soudal. Even Trek with Jasper Stuyven will need a better plan than “let’s go mano a mano.” I predict that also Deceuninck-Elegance-Quickstep will not want to bet it all on Alaphilppe: they will send Yves Lampaert ahead. Lampi will be extra motivated now that Paris-Roubaix has been postponed to the fall. He is not strong enough by himself, but with a few willing riders, who knows how far they will get.
My only wish for tomorrow is that the riders do not wait until the last passage on the Patersberg to attack.