2023 Ronde van Vlaanderen Race Preview
The details of this year's 2023 Ronde van Vlaanderen are falling into place. Find the latest route profiles and maps below, followed by our strategic preview of the race.
The cobbles and climbs of Flanders are ready once again to separate the champions from the pretenders as cycling's most beloved monument prepares to unfold across the Flemish countryside. The 107th edition of the Ronde van Vlaanderen promises to be every bit as brutal and unpredictable as its storied predecessors, with a route that continues to challenge even the finest riders in the world.
The race covers 273 kilometres from Bruges to Oudenaarde, a journey that takes in the iconic and unforgiving climbs that define this part of Belgium. The Oude Kwaremont and the Paterberg once again feature prominently in the finale, appearing multiple times in the closing kilometres and virtually guaranteeing that only those with exceptional strength and tactical intelligence will be in contention when it truly matters. The Koppenberg, the Wolvenberg, and the Taaienberg are among the other fearsome ascents that will wear down the peloton throughout the afternoon.
Defending champion Mathieu van der Poel arrives as the overwhelming favourite and the man every other team will be watching. The Dutchman delivered one of the great performances in the race's long history twelve months ago when he dramatically caught and dropped Wout van Aert on the Paterberg before soloing to victory. He has looked sharp in the build-up and there is every reason to believe he can add a second Ronde victory to his palmares.
Van Aert himself is always a threat here and will be desperate to go one better than his runner-up finish last year. The Belgian has the power, the technical ability on the cobbles, and the nous to win this race, and his presence alone will complicate matters enormously for van der Poel's Alpecin-Deceuninck team.
Tadej Pogacar represents perhaps the most intriguing presence in the field. The two-time Tour de France champion has shown enormous appetite for the classics in recent seasons and rode superbly at Strade Bianche and Milan-San Remo in the weeks prior. Whether his climbing ability and raw power can translate into a result at the highest level of the cobbled classics remains one of the most compelling questions of the spring.
Tom Pidcock will be among those looking to trouble the top three. The Yorkshireman won Strade Bianche in 2021 and has displayed an adventurous and confident racing style that suits this kind of demanding terrain. Jasper Stuyven brings local knowledge and considerable talent to a race that Lidl-Trek will hope he can use to maximum effect. Kasper Asgreen, who won this race in 2021 and has the strength and timing to repeat that feat, cannot be overlooked either.
The weather looks set to play its usual complicated role in proceedings. A cold and potentially wet afternoon in Flanders could add another layer of difficulty and danger to an already punishing course, and crashes on the greasy cobblestones remain an ever-present concern for teams and riders alike.
Ultimately this race tends to come down to a small group of elite riders surviving the relentless attrition of the climbs, and then one decisive moment of acceleration or tactical brilliance that the greatest riders in the peloton have at their disposal. Van der Poel looks the man to beat, but in a race this unpredictable, the final answer will only come somewhere on the road between Oudenaarde and the cobblestones of the Paterberg.
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