The 65th edition of Dwars door Vlaanderen which takes place on March 24th next year has made several significant changes to its route. A new traffic circle forced organizers to omit the traditional finishing circuits where Kevin van Impe (Quickstep) won the 2009 race ahead of Niko Eeckhout (Sean Kelly) in a sprint a-deux.
“After leaving Roeselare the peloton will first race 105 kilometers over flat, wide roads before reaching the first of the 12 climbs of the day, the Katterberg. Another change is that we are no longer including the two finishing loops,” explained organizer Guy Delesie to Het Laatste Nieuws.
The finale of next year’s edition of the Flemish classic is expected to be a more memorable occasion. “The finale of our race will be much more spectacular than years past,” said Delesie of the changes.
Race organizers have now included the famous Nokereberg, a difficult 400 meter long cobbled climb with a 5.7% gradient, just seven kilometers from the finish. The new addition could make the ideal launching pad for a gutsy solo ride to the line.
Like previous years, the semi-classic will serve as test for many of the top classics riders including Stijn Devolder, Tom Boonen, and Alessandro Ballan, as they hone their form for the Ronde van Vlaanderen two weeks later.
America’s BMC is expected to receive a wild-card entry, which will bring Ballan and teammates George Hincapie and Marcus Burghardt to the line. Despite being the new kids on the block, the American team has managed to bring on proven veterans that could challenge Quick Step’s domination of the cobbles.
The twelve climbs for the 65th edition of Dwars door Vlaanderen:
Katteberg (105 km), Leberg (116 km), Berendries (122 km), Valkenberg (127 km), Eikenberg (141 km), Knokteberg (159 km), Oude Kwaremont (163 km), Kalkhoveberg (165 km), Patersberg (167 km), Vossenhol (180 km), Holstraat (184 km), Nokereberg (193 km)