We're almost there and the cycling festival in Belgium is about to raise its curtain. This is the Tour of Flanders, the Ronde, the Monument Classic stretching 271 km, which manages to bring almost a million people along its entire route. It will start again from Antwerp, because the organizer Flanders Classics has opted for an alternation with Bruges for the next 6 years, but it remains to be seen whether Antwerp will continue to be the starting point in the future. The contract is expiring and there seems to be great interest from other cities. Van Den Spiegel, CEO of Flanders Classics, announced at his press conference that requests have arrived from many cities that would like to replace Antwerp and Bruges.

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This does not mean that the two cities will no longer be starting points after 2027, but that they will have to invest more than 500,000 euros to secure the start again. "There are already many cities that have applied to host the start. Many always do, but only a few are chosen for the start of the Tour of Flanders – said Van den Spiegel - Certainly, in the coming years the Tour of Flanders will also conclude in Oudenaarde".

Last year the start was from Bruges, so this year it's Antwerp's turn again. At 10:00 AM the riders will depart from the Grote Markt. Compared to previous editions, there are some minor modifications: Marlboroughstraat replaces Steenbeekdries, but the route will still be characterized by 16 climbs.

In the first hundred kilometers of the race, the riders passing west of Antwerp, will enter the municipalities of Zwijndrecht, Kruibeke, Sint-Niklaas, Dendermonde, Temse, Erpe-Mere and Herzele. The latter city can boast this year the title of "City of the Ronde". Shortly after, after 110 kilometers, the riders will encounter the first obstacle with the cobblestones, these are the sectors of Lippenhovestraat and Paddestraat. Then there will be the first of three passages over the Oude Kwaremont. Having reached this point, the race will heat up and the riders know they must remain focused until the end.

When 120 kilometers remain to the finish, the climbs will follow in rapid succession, with the Eikenberg, the Wolvenberg, the Molenberg, the Marlboroughstraat, the Berendries and the cobblestone sections of Holleweg, Kerkgate and Jägerij, all within just thirty kilometers. There will still be a long way to go to reach Oudenaarde, but here will begin the part where riders can mentally prepare themselves for the finale.

At approximately 85, 75 and 65 kilometers from the finish, the riders will find respectively the Valkenberg, the Berg Ten Houte and the Hotond, interspersed with flat sections of about ten kilometers. With the exception of Berg Ten Houte, these climbs have no cobblestone sections. From this moment on, it will already be possible to understand who could win the Ronde and who will arrive behind. The group of favorites is approaching the most explosive points of the race and will have started thinking about the Oude Kwaremont and the Paterberg, the two iconic climbs, characterized by the cobblestones that riders will encounter again 55 kilometers from the finish.

The passage over the Paterberg always produces sparks that presage the spectacle that will arrive shortly after, when it's the turn of the Koppenberg. Having reached the Bult van Melden, the favorites will begin to change pace, also taking advantage of the Taaienberg, which will arrive shortly after. After the Taaienberg the group, or what remains of it, will face the Hotond, after which there will still be ten kilometers to reach the last passage over the Oude Kwaremont.

This last cobblestone section is 16.7 kilometers from the finish. Certainly by this point, the small group of favorites will have already begun their escape and to see the last and cruel battle, one will only have to wait a few minutes. Reaching 13.2 kilometers from the finish there will also be the Paterberg, a climb just under 400 meters long, which could favor the most explosive riders.

After a short descent, there will be several flat kilometers towards Oudenaarde. For those thinking of going solo to the finish, they should know that their feat will not be easy, because there will still be 13 kilometers to the finish line and there will also be wind-exposed sections, which will make the final stretch even more difficult. It rarely happens, but if a large group should be in front, tactics will be fundamental and it won't be easy to break away and go solo in the last 5 kilometers, so we should prepare ourselves to see a sprint on the Minderbroedersstraat entering Oudenaarde.

Climbs
1. Oude Kwaremont (2,200 meters at 4%) – Around 1:30 PM
2. Eikenberg (1,200 meters at 5.1%) – Around 1:50 PM
3. Wolvenberg (645 meters at 7.9%) – Around 1:55 PM
4. Molenberg (460 meters at 7%) – Around 2:15 PM
5. Marlboroughstraat (2,040 meters at 3%) – Around 2:20 PM
6. Berendries (940 meters at 7%) – Around 2:25 PM
7. Valkenberg (540 meters at 8.1%) – Around 2:35 PM
8. Berg Ten Houte (1,100 meters at 6%) – Around 2:50 PM
9. Hotond/Nieuwe Kruisberg (2,500 meters at 5%) – Around 3:05 PM
10. Oude Kwaremont (2,200 meters at 4%) – Around 3:15 PM
11. Paterberg (360 meters at 12.9%) – Around 3:20 PM
12. Koppenberg (600 meters at 11.6%) – Around 3:30 PM
13. Taaienberg (530 meters at 6.6%) – Around 3:40 PM
14. Hotond/Oude Kruisberg (2,700 meters at 4%) – Around 3:15 PM
15. Oude Kwaremont (2,200 meters at 4%) – Around 4:10 PM
16. Paterberg (360 meters at 12.9%) – Around 4:15 PM

Cobblestone Sections
1. Lippenhovestraat (1,300 meters) – Around 12:45 PM
2. Paddestraat (1,500 meters) – Around 12:50 PM
3. Holleweg (700 meters) – Around 1:50 PM
4. Kerkgate (1,400 meters) – Around 2:00 PM
5. Jagerij (800 meters) – Around 2:05 PM
6. Mariaborrestraat (2,400 meters) – Around 3:35 PM

THE STARTERS

UAE Team Emirates - XRG
1. POGACAR Tadej
2. OLIVEIRA Rui
3. BJERG Mikkel
4. COSNEFROY Benoit
5. POLITT Nils
6. MORGADO Antonio
7. VERMEERSCH Florian

Alpecin-Premier Tech
11. VAN DER POEL Mathieu
12. DILLIER Silvan
13. GEENS Jonas
14. PLANCKAERT Edward
15. GOGL Michael
16. RIESEBEEK Oscar
17. SENECHAL Florian

Bahrain - Victorious
21. MOHORIC Matej
22. SEGAERT Alec
23. BORGO Alessandro
24. GOVEKAR Matevz
25. GRADEK Kamil
26. MIQUEL Pau
27. ERZEN Zak

Decathlon CMA CGM Team
31. BISSEGGER Stefan
32. BOL Cees
33. PEDERSEN Rasmus Sojberg
34. DE PESTEL Sander
35. DEWULF Stan
36. HOOLE Daan
37. NAESEN Oliver

EF Education - EasyPost
41. ASGREEN Kasper
42. VALGREN Michael
43. HONORE Mikkel Frolich
44. LAMPERTI Luke
45. SCHWARZBACHER Matthias
46. SIMMONS Colby
47. WALKER Max

Groupama - FDJ United
51. GREGOIRE Romain
52. MADOUAS Valentin
53. JACOBS Johan
54. BARTHE Cyril
55. GRUEL Thibaud
56. HUENS Axel
57. RUSSO Clement

INEOS Grenadiers
61. TARLING Joshua
62. HEIDUK Kim
63. SHEFFIELD Magnus
64. SWIFT Connor
65. WELSFORD Sam
66. WATSON Samuel
67. SHMIDT Artem

Lidl - Trek
71. PEDERSEN Mads
72. KRAGH ANDERSEN Soren
73. SUNEKAER NORSGAARD Mathias
74. VACEK Mathias
75. WALSCHEID Max
76. TEUTENBERG Tim Torn
77. THEUNS Edward

Lotto Intermarché
81. BERCKMOES Jenno
82. AERTS Toon
83. VAN BOVEN Luca
84. BEULLENS Cedric
85. GRIGNARD Sebastien
86. BRAET Vito
87. RUTSCH Jonas

Movistar Team
91. GARCIA CORTINA Ivan
92. BARRENETXEA Jon
93. CANAL Carlos
94. MILESI Lorenzo
95. MACIEJUK Filip
96. AULAR Orluis
97. TORRES Albert

NSN Cycling Team
101. GIRMAY Biniam
102. ASKEY Lewis
103. SMITH Dion
104. LOUVEL Matis
105. VAN TRICHT Floris
106. SHEEHAN Riley
107. VAN ASBROECK Tom

Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe
111. EVENEPOEL Remco
112. VERMEERSCH Gianni
113. DRIZNERS Jarrad
114. PITHIE Laurence
115. TRATNIK Jan
116. VAN DIJKE Mick
117. VAN DIJKE Tim

Soudal Quick-Step
121. VAN BAARLE Dylan
122. MAGNIER Paul
123. STUYVEN Jasper
124. REINDERINK Pepijn
125. VAN DEN BOSSCHE Fabio
126. VAN GESTEL Dries
127. VERVENNE Jonathan

Team Jayco AlUla
131. DE BONDT Dries
132. DE POOTER Dries
133. DONALDSON Robert
134. DURBRIDGE Luke
135. MEZGEC Luka
136. O'BRIEN Kelland
137. SUTTERLIN Jasha

Team Picnic PostNL
141. NABERMAN Tim
142. MARKL Niklas
143. FLYNN Sean
144. RENARD-HAQUIN Henri-Francois
145. CORKERY Dillon
146. VAN DEN BERG Julius
147. PEACE Oliver

Team Visma | Lease a Bike
151. VAN AERT Wout
152. AFFINI Edoardo
153. BRENNAN Matthew
154. DOULL Owain
155. HAGENES Per Strand
156. LAPORTE Christophe
157. ZINGLE Axel

Uno-X Mobility
161. ABRAHAMSEN Jonas
162. BYSTROM Sven Erik
163. INGEBRIGTSEN Storm
164. BLUME LEVY William
165. RESELL Erik Nordsaeter
166. TILLER Rasmus
167. WAERENSKJOLD Soren

XDS Astana Team
171. BETTIOL Alberto
172. BALLERINI Davide
173. FEDOROV Yevgeniy
174. GATE Aaron
175. LIVYNS Arjen
176. ROMELE Alessandro
177. TEUNISSEN Mike

Cofidis
181. TEUNS Dylan
182. ALLEGAERT Piet
183. ANIOLKOWSKI Stanislaw
184. BIERMANS Jenthe
185. PAGE Hugo
186. RENARD Alexis
187. ZAMPERINI Edoardo

Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team
191. DE GENDT Aime
192. FRISON Frederik
193. LIEPINS Emils
194. MALECKI Kamil
195. VAN MOER Brent
196. WRIGHT Fred
197. ZUKOWSKY Nickolas

Tudor Pro Cycling Team
201. TRENTIN Matteo
202. HALLER Marco
203. KLUCKERS Arthur
204. LIENHARD Fabian
205. FROIDEVAUX Robin
206. MOZZATO Luca
207. PLUIMERS Rick

Burgos Burpellet BH
211. ALLENO Clement
212. CAVIA Daniel
213. DE LA CALLE Hugo
214. FAGUNDEZ Eric Antonio
215. BOUGLAS Georgios
216. MACIAS Cesar
217. SAINBAYAR Jambaljamts

Team Flanders - Baloise
221. DEMAN Brem
222. LAMBRECHT Michiel
223. LANHOVE Milan
224. VAN HEMELEN Vincent
225. VANDENSTORME Dylan
226. VANHOOF Ward
227. VERCOUILLIE Victor

TotalEnergies
231. TURGIS Anthony
232. BOULAHOITE Rayan
233. BRUNEL Alexys
234. DAUPHIN Florian
235. DUJARDIN Sandy
236. GACHIGNARD Thomas
237. LEROUX Samuel

Unibet Rose Rockets
241. KUBIS Lukas
242. BLOEM Joren
243. DE VRIES Hartthijs
244. KOPECKY Matyas
245. KOPECKY Tomas
246. RASENBERG Martijn
247. LARSEN Niklas