We’ve just gone through our first Classics weekend of the season – and oh what a group of races they were! We had the eternal second finally go one better, we had an audacious solo win, and a world champion taking their first win of the year. Plus, Dan Wuori was back and tweeting and that’s cause enough for celebration in my book.
It begins …
For a lot of us, the season hasn’t properly started until we’ve had a peloton pounding over the Belgian cobbles.
That said, looks like Ann’s going to have a tough season if she’s already sick of the Velvet Samurai.
It’s that time of year when #clambitchen trends.
A few pre-race pics.
And of course the UCI were there, checking for those pesky motors.
Just remember: don’t cross the streams!
And cycling fans everywhere are ready to leap into action when a fellow fan can find a live feed.
The first victory of the day on Saturday went to World Champion Lizzie Armitstead – caught by Jered Gruber!
Then the men decided to get racing and Jasper Stuyven tried to bridge to the break, which included Ann’s favourite, Peter Sagan.
But nope.
There were also no Etixx riders in that front group with Sagan and GVA. What is it about Omloop that makes the Etixx riders have the head staggers when it comes to tactics?
Everyone on Twitter expected Sagan to win. His hair – on both head and legs – should have given him Samson-like power!
But nope.
No Etixx riders were in the top ten.
Niki Terpstra decided to get philosophical on us. I guess because the alternative (as in ‘we f***ked it up’) was too painful.
No double rainbow for Dan though.
Surely Lidl Champagne is an oxymoron?
While Jasper Stuyven got himself back on his bike and still made it into the top 10.
It’ll all end in a bunch sprint…
KBK, the Sprinter’s Classic, didn’t turn out the way everyone thought either. But first, the riders talk to their fans. You can just hear Niki saying, ‘Well, there are only ten riders who could make the top ten, you know…’
And one of the best race plushies, a donkey with a stylish scarf. I WANT.
The rainbow jersey, again, rode pretty big and bad for most of the race.
Nacer Bouhanni, for some reason, had to make his own dossard.
But it was young Jasper who stole the entire show.
It was one tough day, however.
The Hurt Locker
Poor Bas Tietema suffered a broken collarbone in Brussels-Opwijk but he kindly documented it all for us. (He’s SO boy band, no?)
This is just terrifying. It’s a wonder Arnold Fiek wasn’t killed.
And it’s a wonder Stig Broeckx wasn’t killed by the medical moto that hit him at speed and didn’t even stop to check if he was okay. He obviously wasn’t okay …
The Gruppetto
Saturday was sure packed – we even had a new Hour Record from Evelyn Stevens.
Baby Blackbird was out and about for a training ride.
Obligatory Fabian picture.
Unfortunately, Fabs deleted the picture before I could screensave it. But it’s good advice all the same.
Lordy.
Another throwback picture – Juan Antonio Flecha winning Omloop. Let’s hope we see him on our Eurosport screens again this year.
Speaking of Sky, we still haven’t seen Mikel Landa, due to illness, nor have we really seen KwiatKrush! What’s going on? I’m starting to think Sky is actually doing a Stepford Wives number on the two of them.
We like the sound of that too.
Mon Dieu!
I think Peloton magazine is over-reaching on this tweet. Personally, I can’t imagine Porte being any threat to Blackbird if AC is racing to win.
It’ll only cost you £547.50. Style don’t come cheap, kids.
Bib etiquette.
Zdenek Stybar has his priorities straight. What a little charmer!
Yep, cycling is all glamour.
I love this photograph.
Uncanny.
The Last Word
