Welcome to the Road Book’s fortnightly newsletter! This is a new initiative, designed to give our loyal readers a little bit extra, just to say thank you for their wonderful support.
Every couple of weeks you’ll get a bit of content, breaking down recent events in what is shaping up to be a fantastic season of cycling, a focus on a relevant previous edition of The Road Book, some beautiful photography, and maybe even the odd word from Ned.
The Last Week in Cycling
After a breathless weekend of racing in Belgium, we’ve finally got a moment to take stock before Strade Bianche on Saturday. Omloop Het Nieuwsblad’s 80th and 20th editions for the men and women respectively, served up a pair of surprise winners. Despite the best efforts of a series of breakaways, including a daring trademark effort from Stefan Küng (FDJ-Suez) with just 10km to go, the men’s edition ended in a chaotic bunch sprint. No team seemed capable of putting together a coherent leadout following their exertions on the Kapelmuur and Bosberg. Pre-race favourite Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) was boxed in whilst Jasper Philipsen, despite an impressive performance by his Alpecin-Deceuninck teammates, and Paul Magnier (Soudal-QuickStep) were pipped to the line in a photo finish by Uno-X Mobility’s last minute addition Søren Wærenskjold, who became only the second Norwegian to win the race after Thor Hushovd.
The first Classic of the season is a huge scalp for the Norwegian team, but certainly not the limit of their ambition or ability. Callum Devereux penned a fantastic in-depth breakdown of the team and their role as ‘humble aggressors’ for our 2023 edition, which is available now.
The 20th women’s edition of OHN also served up some fascinating racing and a surprise winner as Lotte Claes (Arkéa - B&B Hotels) beat Aurela Nerlo (Winspace Orange Seal) in a two-up sprint, the pair the only survivors from the day’s original breakaway. Despite having spent 126km out in front of the race, and in defiance of a spirited pursuit from the likes of Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez), Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck), Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon//SRAM - Zondacrypto) and Marlen Reusser (Movistar), Claes had enough in the tank to take a famous victory.
As with Kristen Faulkner’s Olympic Road Race victory in the lee of the Eiffel Tower last summer, it was a case of the big rider’s tactical complacency getting the better of them. Seemingly too concerned with marking each other out of the race and failing to successfully chase down a break which was allowed a 14-minute lead at points. The race certainly forms a reminder as to why the women’s sport can often be far more unpredictable than its male equivalent. The gap between the very best riders, and everyone else, is not as pronounced as that between the likes of Pogačar, Vingegaard and Evenepoel, and the rest of the peloton. Therefore tactical missteps are more likely to be swiftly, and resolutely, punished by riders from across the field.
In contrast, Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne the following day failed to provide a surprise victor, with Jasper Philipsen taking a gift-wrapped, but deserved, victory from a bunch sprint after his Alpecin-Deceuninck teammates pulled off the perfect leadout for the Belgian birthday boy. Wout van Aert tried to animate the race throughout the day, but his spirited attempts to shake off the thoroughbred sprinters were thwarted.
What does all this mean heading into the first Italian classic of the season at Strade Bianche?
The visually stunning, and sportingly stimulating would-be monument is a favourite of ours here at Road Book HQ, and we are certainly looking forward to it. Last year Tadej Pogačar put in a comprehensively crushing performance on the beautiful white gravel roads of Tuscany, launching an attack with 81km to go on Monte Sante Maria, and riding to victory with ominous ease. It was the Slovenian’s first race of the season, and with the benefit of hindsight, quite possibly telegraphed the Merckxesque dominance he went on to enjoy throughout 2024.
The Slovenian returns to the race this year, and with a victory at the UAE Tour already under his belt, the World Champion will no doubt be the man to beat. Those aiming to thwart his plans for a 3rd Strade Bianche title in four years include Matej Mohorič (Bahrain-Victorious), and Ben Healy (EF-Education EasyPost). Last year’s third place finisher Maxim van Gils returns with new team Red Bull – BORA – Hansgrohe, alongside Jan Tratnik who had a tough time attempting to defend his Omloop Het Nieuwsblad title last weekend. Young Brit Lewis Askey of Groupama-FDJ was impressive on opening weekend, finishing 10th followed by 13th on Saturday and Sunday respectively, and whilst unlikely to claim a win, will certainly be one to watch.
Tom Pidcock, on the other hand, is a rider who will be quietly confident in his new Q36.5 colours with a couple of victories under his belt this season, a 4th place finish last year, and a victory here in 2023. However, the British star has only once bettered Tadej Pogačar’s result in a one-day race that they both started: the 2023 edition of Liege-Bastogne-Liege which Tadej Pogačar crashed out of, breaking his wrist in the process. We will probably be treated to another dominant masterclass from the irrepressible Slovenian, but hopefully he’ll at least let someone else have a go first, just to keep us all entertained.
Written by Henrik Bassett
Images courtesy of Russ Ellis.
