Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
Tom Boonen at the start of the 2009 event
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| Race details | |
|---|---|
| Date | Late February |
| Region | Flanders, Belgium |
| Local name(s) | Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (Dutch) |
| Nickname(s) | The Omloop |
| Discipline | Road |
| Competition | UCI Europe Tour |
| Type | One-day |
| Race director | Wim Van Herreweghe |
| Men's history | |
| First edition | 1945 |
| Editions | 71 (as of 2016) |
| First winner |  Jean Bogaerts (BEL) |
| Most wins | Joseph Bruyère (BEL) Ernest Sterckx (BEL) Peter Van Petegem (BEL) (3 wins) |
| Most recent | Greg Van Avermaet (BEL) |
| Women's history | |
| First edition | 2006 |
| Editions | 11 (as of 2016) |
| First winner |  Suzanne de Goede (NED) |
| Most wins | Suzanne de Goede (NED) Emma Johansson (SWE)(2 wins) |
| Most recent |  Lizzie Armitstead (GBR) |
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, previously Omloop Het Volk, is a one-day cycling race in Belgium, held annually in late February. It is the opening event of the Belgian cycling season, as well as the first in Northwestern Europe, and holds significant prestige because of it.[1] It is ranked as a 1.HC event of the UCI Europe Tour and organized by Flanders Classics.
The race starts and finishes in Ghent, Flanders, and addresses the hills in the Flemish Ardennes, marking the start of the cobbled classics season in Europe. Due to its early calendar date, it is characterized by often cold weather, coming as a contrast to the early-season stage races in the Middle East and Southern Europe.[2] The day after the Omloop, Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne completes the opening weekend.
Since 2006, a women's edition of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad is held on the same day as the men's race, starting and finishing on the same location, of approximately 130 kilometres distance.
Contents
History
Omloop Het Volk
First held in 1945, the race was called Omloop van Vlaanderen ("Circuit of Flanders"). The event was initiated by Flemish newspaper Het Volk, in response to rivaling newspaper Het Nieuwsblad’s classic, the Tour of Flanders. Het Volk, of left-wing signature, wanted to start a new cycling event in Flanders as a rival race to what it saw as the Tour of Flanders' closeness to the nazis during World War II.[N 1][6] The Ronde's organizers protested that the name was too close to their own – there is little semantic difference between "Ronde" and "Omloop". The Belgian cycling federation demanded Het Volk to change the name of the event, prompting Het Volk to serve as title sponsor of their own race.[7][8] In 2009 the former rival newspapers Het Volk and Het Nieuwsblad merged, causing the event to be renamed Omloop Het Nieuwsblad for its 64th edition.[9][N 2]
Winter race
Due to its early-season calendar date, the race has occasionally been affected by cold and wintry conditions.[2] Three editions of the event were cancelled. Unrelated to the weather, the 1960 race was cancelled following a disagreement between the organizers and cycling's ruling body UCI. UCI had given better dates to other Belgian races, prompting Het Volk to call off the race in protest. In 1986 and 2004 organizers were forced to cancel the race, as snow and freezing temperatures had made the route too dangerous and riders' safety could not be guaranteed. The 1971 race was postponed due to snow and run three weeks later. In modern times, organizers rely heavily on weather forecasts and adjust the course if the cobbled climbs are deemed unsafe.
Belgian opening race
Traditionally the opening event of the Belgian cycling season, the race holds particular importance for Belgian cyclists. Throughout its history, Belgian riders, comfortable with cold weather and aided by large, supportive crowds, have dominated the race. Belgians have won 55 of 71 editions, although, exemplary for the growing international status of the race, they have only won three of the last ten editions. In 1948 Italian cycling icon Fausto Coppi won the race, but was disqualified for receiving an illegal wheel-change.[N 3]
The record for wins is three, shared by Joseph Bruyère, Ernest Sterckx and Peter van Petegem. Bruyère holds the fastest average (43.35 km/h) for his 1975 win. Other notable winners include Eddy Merckx, Roger De Vlaeminck, Freddy Maertens, Johan Museeuw, Philippe Gilbert and Thor Hushovd.
Route
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad starts in Ghent, East Flanders, and addresses the Flemish Ardennes in the south of the province, featuring numerous short climbs, before returning to Ghent.[10] From 1996 until 2007 the finish was in Lokeren, 20 km east of Ghent.
At 200 kilometres and with 13 climbs in the hill zone, the course is challenging and arduous. Additionally, there are several flat stretches of cobbles.[2] Despite annual changes, some of the regular climbs in the Omloop are the Leberg, Berendries, Taaienberg, Muur van Geraardsbergen, Eikenberg and Molenberg. Due to its hilly course in the Flemish Ardennes, the race is similar in nature to the Tour of Flanders, and is often used in preparation for the bigger event five weeks later. The 2016 race featured one new climb, Boembekeberg, as a replacement for the Molenberg, which was skipped because of road works.[10]
Both the official start and finish are traditionally on Ghent's largest square, Sint-Pietersplein. Every seven years however, when Easter comes early in the year, the square is booked for the annual Mid-Lent fair and organizers need to find different locations. In 2016 the Citadel city park, next to the Kuipke velodrome, served as start location. The finish was on the Emile Clauslaan thoroughfare, near the starting place.[11]
Men's winners
The following riders have won the race:[12]
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Multiple winners
Riders is italics are active
| Wins | Rider | Editions |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Ernest Sterckx (BEL) |
1952, 1953, 1956 |
| Joseph Bruyère (BEL) |
1974, 1975, 1980 | |
| Peter Van Petegem (BEL) |
1997, 1998, 2002 | |
| 2 | Jean Bogaerts (BEL) |
1945, 1951 |
| André Declerck (BEL) |
1949, 1950 | |
| Frans Verbeeck (BEL) |
1970, 1972 | |
| Eddy Merckx (BEL) |
1971, 1973 | |
| Freddy Maertens (BEL) |
1977, 1978 | |
| Roger De Vlaeminck (BEL) |
1969, 1979 | |
| Fons De Wolf (BEL) |
1982, 1983 | |
| Eddy Planckaert (BEL) |
1984, 1985 | |
| Johan Capiot (BEL) |
1990, 1992 | |
| Wilfried Nelissen (BEL) |
1993, 1994 | |
| Johan Museeuw (BEL) |
2000, 2003 | |
| Philippe Gilbert (BEL) |
2006, 2008 | |
| Ian Stannard (GBR) |
2014, 2015 |
Wins per country
| Wins | Country |
|---|---|
| 55 | Belgium |
| 4 |  Italy, Netherlands |
| 2 | United Kingdom |
| 1 |  Germany,  Ireland,  Norway,  Spain |
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad for Women elite
Since 2006 there is a women's version of the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. Held on the same day as the men's event, it uses much of the same roads and equally opens the women's cycling season in Northern Europe. In recent editions the route is 122 km, featuring eight climbs and six sections of cobbles.[13] Dutch rider Suzanne de Goede and Sweden's Emma Johansson have won the race twice.
Notes
- ↑ The Tour of Flanders is the only cycling classic in Europe that was organized on German-occupied territory during the Second World War and in full agreement with the German command.[3] The Germans not only allowed and enjoyed the race but helped police the route as well.[4] This led to accusations of collaboration with Nazi Germany.[5]
- ↑ Het Nieuwsblad, as the bigger newspaper, became the name-bearer of the merge.
- ↑ Belgian Walschott had given Coppi his wheel, but rules allowed assistance only from team-mates
References and footnotes
- European Cycling - The 20 Greatest Races by Noel Henderson (1989) ISBN 0-941950-20-4.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Bicycling, USA, undated cutting
- ↑ Konrad, Gabe and Melanie (200), Bikelore, On The Wheel Publications (USA), ISBN 1-892495-32-5, p101
- ↑ SBR, Stay the Course, Tour de Flanders, April 7th, 2007 by Christophe Vandaele
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Vanwalleghem, Rik, Het Wonder van Vlaanderen, Pinguin, Belgium, ISBN 90-73322-09-X, p69
- ↑ Vanwalleghem, Rik, Het Wonder van Vlaanderen, Pinguin, Belgium, ISBN 90-73322-09-X, p72
- ↑ Cyclingnews.com.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. |
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- Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
- Cycle races in Belgium
- Classic cycle races
- UCI Europe Tour races
- Recurring sporting events established in 1945
- 1945 establishments in Belgium
- Sport in Ghent
- Omloop Het Nieuwsblad – Women's race
- Women's road bicycle races
- Omloop Het Nieuwsblad – Men's race
- Annual sporting events in Belgium
