2012 Tour of Flanders
Encyclopedia
The 2012 Tour of Flanders
cycle race will be the 96th edition of this monumental classic
and will take place place on 1 April. The course was 254.4 kilometres (158.1 mi) long and was held between Brugge
and Oudenaarde
.
to Oudenaarde
due to the result of a changed final of the classic. Famous hills like the Muur van Geraardsbergen
and the Bosberg were the final two hills in almost every edition since 1975 but have now been removed from the course. The new final features the Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg, both will be climbed three times. Also included in the final are the infamous Koppenberg
(climbed after the first passage of the Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg), the Steenbeekdries and the Kluisberg.
2010 winner Fabian Cancellara
stated in the Belgium TV show 'De Laatste Show' that he liked the new final of the Ronde. He said that he disliked the dead moment from Tenbosse until the Muur in the old route and also the flat kilometers after the final hill (de Bosberg) until the finish.
While Cancellara liked the new Ronde, some riders expressed negative feelings about the new route. Two time winner Stijn Devolder
stated that: "This is no longer the Ronde van Vlaanderen". Former Belgian cyclist and three time winner Johan Museeuw
stated that the course maybe is made too hard: "Three times up the Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg can blow you away. The course didn't really need to be made harder, I think."
Many cycling fans (and especially the Belgian) also expressed against the changes in the route and thinking that the changes are only made due to commercial reasons. Especially the ommision of the "Muur" is not received well by the fans and is like "removing the Poggio from the final of Milan - San Remo. The "Muur" is included in the first world-tour edition (2012) of the E3 Prijs Vlaanderen
.
Tour of Flanders
The Tour of Flanders is a Flanders Classics road cycling race held in Belgium every spring, a week before the Paris–Roubaix road race. It is part of the UCI World Tour and one of the so-called monuments of the European professional calendar. It is the most important cycling race in Flanders...
cycle race will be the 96th edition of this monumental classic
Classic cycle races
The classic cycle races are one-day professional cycling road races in the international calendar. Most of the events, all run in western Europe, have been fixtures on the professional calendar for decades and the oldest ones date back to the 19th Century. They are normally held at roughly the same...
and will take place place on 1 April. The course was 254.4 kilometres (158.1 mi) long and was held between Brugge
Brügge
Brügge is a municipality in the district of Rendsburg-Eckernförde, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.Its small church and market square are noted for their beauty....
and Oudenaarde
Oudenaarde
Oudenaarde is a Belgian municipality in the Flemish province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Oudenaarde proper and the towns of Bevere, Edelare, Eine, Ename, Heurne, Leupegem, Mater, Melden, Mullem, Nederename, Welden, Volkegem and a part of Ooike.From the 15th to the 18th...
.
Course Change
The course of the classic was changed drastically. The finish was changed from MeerbekeMeerbeke
Meerbeke is a village in the Denderstreek in the province of East Flanders in Belgium. Administratively it is part of the municipality of Ninove. This rural community is located along the Dender River on the western border of what is known as "Pajottenland". With a total surface of 1047ha it is the...
to Oudenaarde
Oudenaarde
Oudenaarde is a Belgian municipality in the Flemish province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Oudenaarde proper and the towns of Bevere, Edelare, Eine, Ename, Heurne, Leupegem, Mater, Melden, Mullem, Nederename, Welden, Volkegem and a part of Ooike.From the 15th to the 18th...
due to the result of a changed final of the classic. Famous hills like the Muur van Geraardsbergen
Muur van Geraardsbergen
The Muur van Geraardsbergen is a steep narrow road with cobblestones located in Geraardsbergen, Belgium. It is also known as Kapelmuur, Muur-Kapelmuur or simply Muur. The hill starts near the river Dender at 18 m and reaches the top of the Oudenberg at 110 m...
and the Bosberg were the final two hills in almost every edition since 1975 but have now been removed from the course. The new final features the Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg, both will be climbed three times. Also included in the final are the infamous Koppenberg
Koppenberg
Koppenberg is a high hill in Oudenaarde, the Flemish Ardennes, Belgium...
(climbed after the first passage of the Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg), the Steenbeekdries and the Kluisberg.
2010 winner Fabian Cancellara
Fabian Cancellara
Fabian Cancellara is a Swiss professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam . A time trial specialist, he is a four-time World Time Trial Champion and is the current Olympic gold medalist...
stated in the Belgium TV show 'De Laatste Show' that he liked the new final of the Ronde. He said that he disliked the dead moment from Tenbosse until the Muur in the old route and also the flat kilometers after the final hill (de Bosberg) until the finish.
While Cancellara liked the new Ronde, some riders expressed negative feelings about the new route. Two time winner Stijn Devolder
Stijn Devolder
Stijn Devolder is a Belgian professional road bicycle racer. He rides for UCI ProTeam , having ridden for Discovery Channel between 2004 and 2007 and from 2008 to 2010. Devolder won his first professional race at the 2004 Four Days of Dunkirk, winning stage 4...
stated that: "This is no longer the Ronde van Vlaanderen". Former Belgian cyclist and three time winner Johan Museeuw
Johan Museeuw
Johan Museeuw is a retired Belgian professional road bicycle racer. He was a professional from 1988 to 2004 and was particularly successful in the classic cycle races in the nineties....
stated that the course maybe is made too hard: "Three times up the Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg can blow you away. The course didn't really need to be made harder, I think."
Many cycling fans (and especially the Belgian) also expressed against the changes in the route and thinking that the changes are only made due to commercial reasons. Especially the ommision of the "Muur" is not received well by the fans and is like "removing the Poggio from the final of Milan - San Remo. The "Muur" is included in the first world-tour edition (2012) of the E3 Prijs Vlaanderen
E3 Prijs Vlaanderen
The E3 Harelbeke is an annual cycling race in the Flanders area of Belgium. The race starts and finishes in Harelbeke over 210 kilometres. The event is organised by the Hand in Hand Cycling Club of Harelbeke and is ranked 1.HC on the UCI Continental calendar....
.
Hills in the 2012 Edition
| 1 | Nokereberg | 7 | Valkenberg | 13 | Oude Kwaremont |
| 2 | Taaienberg | 8 | Oude Kwaremont | 14 | Paterberg |
| 3 | Eikenberg | 9 | Paterberg | 15 | Hoogberg-Hotond |
| 4 | Molenberg | 10 | Koppenberg Koppenberg Koppenberg is a high hill in Oudenaarde, the Flemish Ardennes, Belgium... |
16 | Oude Kwaremont |
| 5 | Rekelberg | 11 | Steenbeekdries | 17 | Paterberg |
| 6 | Berendries | 11 | Nieuwe Kruisberg |
Participating Teams
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Rabobank (cycling team) Rabobank is a professional bicycle racing team, sponsored by the Rabobank. The team consists of three sections: ProTeam , Continental , and Cyclo-cross... Radioshack Nissan Trek Pro Cycling Team RadioShack-Nissan-Trek Professional Cycling Team is a cycling team is a professional road bicycle racing team licensed in Luxembourg. The team were formerly known as Leopard Trek. For the 2012 season, the team will be renamed Radioshack Nissan Trek Pro Cycling Team, following a merger with US based... Team Katusha Team Katusha is a Russian road bicycle racing team which participates in the UCI World Tour, using Focus bikes.- History :At the beginning of the 2009 season, the Tinkoff Credit Systems squad was renamed to Team Katusha. It is organised by the Russian Global Cycling Project foundation, which... |
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