‘Opening weekend’: Six things we learned from the first classics races
The four races that make up the men's and women's opening classics delivered plenty of action and provided lots of talking points.
The four races that make up the men's and women's opening classics delivered plenty of action and provided lots of talking points.
The former classics specialist watched ‘opening weekend’ and shared his exclusive thoughts on the dominance of Jumbo-Visma and the tough questions facing Quick-Step.
VeloNews speaks to Sheffield's friend and mentor Franky Van Haesebrouck about the American's first races in Europe.
'I feel really pleased with the guys and how quickly that they’ve come together' says sports director.
McNulty and Kuss go one-three in France to stamp status as leaders of pack of rising U.S. talent.
'A race I’d like to forget quickly.' Patrick Lefevere's 'Wolfpack' undone by poor positioning and subpar performances.
The Belgian comes back from a crash and mechanicals to finish fifth.
The Movistar rider adds victory at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad to her win at the Setmana Ciclista Volta Comunitat Valenciana last week.
'Celebrating the win with wild gestures wouldn’t have been appropriate' Belgian says as he shows support for Ukraine
The 19-year-old American is ready for more after a solid start to his classics campaign as he builds up to Paris-Roubaix.
'I’m surprised about the result as well because I didn’t have high expectations coming into this race' says veteran rider.
'I was late to the start and didn’t feel prepared or relaxed enough but I feel more comfortable on the cobbled climbs' Ineos rider says after first cobbles race of the season.
Van Aert attacks over Bosberg before holding off 19-rider chase.
For the first time in two years, spectators have been allowed to watch the team presentation at 't Kuipke and watch at the roadside at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.
VeloNews is on the ground at the 'opening weekend' – we caught up with some of the biggest stars on the Omloop startline Saturday.
Opening cobblestone classic of 2022 loses two top riders after Wellens and Vanmarcke come down sick overnight.
'It doesn’t really work if you have one leader for these races,' says teammate Ethan Hayter.
'At this team, we’re just all normal guys. There’s not too many egos,' says Belgian classics specialist.
The Trek-Segafredo racer has been training at altitude in February ahead of his season debut at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.
The 'opening weekend' double-header delivers huge kudos and a prize place on the palmarès – but beware, the road to Roubaix is long.
Israel-Premier Tech rider finished off 2021 in a flourish, winning the national title and posting Canada's best Paris-Roubaix finish in a generation.
Czech superstar will skip Strade Bianche and try to hit form when it counts during the spring classics.
'It was easy to decide to retire:' Belgian star isn't feeling nostalgic yet, and brings big ambitions into his 20th and final season in the pro peloton.
Peter van Petegem maybe wasn't one of the biggest winners in his era, but he was always a player in the spring classics, winning Omloop a record-tying three times.
'It should no longer be the intention that I am alone in the run-up to the final,' says Belgian on Jumbo-Visma's new classics depth.
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl confirm Kasper Asgreen and Fabio Jakobsen will lead across Belgium's 'opening weekend.'
What Belgium's 'opening weekend' can tell us, and why the results sheet isn't always the best barometer of classics success.
Perennial spring classics favorite heads to altitude camp in March after off-season knee problems delayed preparation.
The double whammy of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne will whet the palette as the cobbled classics ramp up.
WorldTour rookie is fine-tuning his form at this week's Ruta del Sol ahead of his debut in the spring classics at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne.
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl not intimidated by rising strength of rivals as new 'packs' come to the cobblestone party.
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl boss comes out fighting, says he’s not afraid of Jumbo-Visma ahead of classics campaign.
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl anxiously waits to see if Asgreen develops symptoms as cobblestone-crusher misses vital tune-up races.
What single race should we be stoked for in 2022? VeloNews' European team picks the races they won't be missing.
Team officials are hopeful the three-time world champion can return to form in time for the major northern classics this spring.
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne will not have VIP tents as organizers prepare for extended COVID measures in Belgium.
Here's the news making headlines for Friday, November 5.
With a bold, outspoken attitude and a run of top results in his neo-pro year, the 21-year-old Brit is bigger than his altercation with Nacer Bouhanni.
Jason Gay of The Wall Street Journal believes Wout van Aert vs. Mathieu van der Poel among the greatest rivalries in pro sports.
Riders agree that Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert have enormous influences on the classics — no matter if they're present or not.
Deceuninck-Quick-Step vows to 'isolate' the budding classics stars in bid to take them down.
From van der Poel's two-hour attack to SD Worx's daylong stranglehold, the 'opening weekend' shone a light on the classics season to come.
Annemiek van Vleuten, Julian Alaphilippe, Tom Pidcock and more key players gnash teeth or take quiet confidence after curtain-raising classic Saturday.
Julian Alaphilippe backed Italian for the win before the race: 'When the world champion says something like that, it gives extra strength.'
Opening classic of the season finishes with a rare bunch sprint after Deceuninck-Quick-Step controlled most of the day.
An uneven runway to the Belgian classics and off-season moves see the 2021 edition harder than usual to gauge.
Will Julian Alaphilippe continue Deceuninck-Quick-Step's winning start? Will Mathieu van der Poel dominate? And what can Tom Pidcock do?
Dutch supremo's presence – and absence – could change the way both Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne are raced.
Kitschy music, muddy hills, and punishing racing. Here's James Startt's account of Peter Van Petegem's victory at Omloop Het Volk in 1998.
Here's what's making headlines on Thursday, February 25.
Dutch star was forced to leave UAE Tour due to a COVID-19 case among one of the team staffers, and will race Sunday in Belgium.
Strong Belgian opening weekend bodes well for the monuments, but Omloop Het Nieuwsblad winners don't often come out on top at Flanders or Roubaix.
Here's how to watch the men's and women's Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, as well as Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, this weekend.
Here's the news making headlines for Wednesday, February 24.
Iván García Cortina leads men's team with renewed push in northern classics.
Dutch star would need to clear more rounds of controls ahead of Saturday's race.
Here's what's making headlines on Tuesday, February 23.
Here's the news making headlines on Monday, February 22.
Here's the news making headlines for Monday, February 15.
Organizers confirm wildcards for 'Belgian opener' as optimism grows that classics will be contested as scheduled this spring.
Organizers hint that racing without fans or VIP tents is only economically viable for one more year.
Recently retired Brit's unlikely triumph in 2015 at Omloop marked a rare occasion when everyone cheered for Team Sky.
On the day he should have defended his title, Štybar speaks of the importance of last year's E3 victory and how the race unfolded.
Simmons knows he has the horsepower to make it count in the WorldTour, the next step is to hone the racecraft.
Two Belgians battled it out for bragging rights in the season's first major one-day race
The Faun Ardèche Classic and the Royal Bernard Drôme Classic offer muscular terrain that suits puncheurs and climbers alike.
Mathieu van der Poel will miss Saturday's Omloop Het Nieuwsblad due to a fever and the flu, his team announced.
The Belgian's return to the spring classics is sooner than expected, as teams adjust to possible race cancellations in Italy.
Classics stars like Zdenek Stybar, Chantal Blaak, and Mads Petersen will be in Gent this coming weekend for Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.
Have you always wondered why major cycling races are held in the Middle East? We explain. Plus, analysis of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and more.
After a last-minute call-up to race Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Alex Howes makes the breakaway in "a different universe" of pro cycling.
Though he is a perennial favorite on the cobblestones, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2019 is Zdenek Stybar's first big win in the northern classics.
Could Van Avermaet have won Omloop if he'd played the tactics differently? We debate an exciting classics opener and look ahead to the spring season.
With back-to-back wins in Belgian opener, Deceuninck-Quick-Step puts classics rivals on notice.
Stybar attacks from select lead group to go solo over the line, punishing Van Avermaet's earlier aggression.
As the spring classics begin in earnest, all eyes are on Deceuninck-Quick-Step to see if it can again dominate on the cobbles.
It is opening weekend in Belgium as cobbled classics kick off with Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Saturday and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne Sunday.
We are approaching one of the most exciting times of the cycling season — spring classics. Here is what to expect on opening weekend in Belgium.
Saturday's Omloop Het Nieuwsblad marks the start of the 2019 classics season.
Movistar's leader for the Giro d'Italia finds himself in the hospital after breaking collarbone in first day of Mallorca Challenge.