What to expect from the BK course in Zottegem? “Both sprinter and climber can win”

• Thursday, June 20, 2024 at 7:30 AM

Interview For the first time in history, Zottegem in East Flanders is hosting the Belgian road championship. A difficult course awaits the riders, but one that is still unknown to the general public. ‘Local hero’ Luca Van Boven, rider at Bingoal WB, takes us over the various obstacles and outlines his expectations for the title battle.

Zottegem – which organizes the championship in collaboration with Sint-Lievens-Houtem and Herzele – has a strong cycling tradition. As a municipality in the heart of the Flemish Ardennes, this is not illogical. The Three Days De Panne-Koksijde was always a guest there for a difficult opening stage, and the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad for promises and GP Stad Zottegem also had their home base there for years.

However, the start of the championship is a few kilometers further north. “In my village, Sint-Lievens-Houtem,” Van Boven proudly guides us. “During the first loop we even pass my own front door. I know the area quite well, and the BK course is part of my training routes. The least I can say is that they made it super tough. Twisting, turning, constantly up and down. The course is not even one meter flat and it almost never comes to a standstill. I expect the peloton to constantly sit on a line, to really race. That makes it challenging.”

First, big loop
After the start in Sint-Lievens-Houtem, the riders ride via the climb of the Diepestraat (1200 meters at 3.5%) towards Oombergen, where they start two larger loops through Herzele and Zottegem of 48.2 kilometers. These are seasoned with three obstacles each: the Klemhoutstraat (1800 meters at 3%), Hostelry (1300 meters at 4.3%) and the cobblestones of the Paddestraat (2300 meter).

“I don’t expect much movement in that first loop,” says Van Boven. “Be careful, the Hostellerie is an intimidating climb that is really difficult. But the loop is not yet suitable for attacks. Especially the part of the loop that goes towards Herzele, where I see the race coming to a standstill for a while. It is only in those short laps that you will see the first real actions of the day.”

Explosive loops
This is what the regional stage on the 22.9 kilometer long local laps in and around Zottegem, which are scheduled five times. Here too there are three obstacles each time, but they are shorter together and closer to the finish than those in the first, larger loop. It’s about the Grotebergstraat (800 meters at 3.6%) which is located at the very beginning of the circuit and furthermore the cobblestones of the (negligible) Kruiswaterplein (200 meters) and the more interesting one Lippenhovestraat (1200 meters). The latter is also a regular in the Tour of Flanders and is now only 5.5 kilometers from the finish in Zottegem, which is also increasing slightly.

“It starts off quickly with the Grotebergstraat, which should not be underestimated. Immediately afterwards it may come to a standstill on the Langestraat. For the rest, that won’t happen much, so it will be important to sit well at the front. The door will be open at the back. If a team takes the lead for a few laps, things at the back will also go a few kilometers per hour faster. All that acceleration after the corners will make riders creak and suffer if you are too far. It’s always twisting and turning, especially on the roads towards the center of Zottegem. There it is constant acceleration, sometimes from a standstill. That makes it a very tough round.”

What should be the referee of this Belgian championship? “The Lippenhovestraat is enough to make a difference. Those cobblestones bulge quite well, but they also rise well. From the center of Velzeke it is immediately difficult, and even after the cobblestones, on the road to the right, it is again ascending: that is an ideal moment to anticipate in the first laps or to risk a late exit in the last lap. At that point it is only three to four kilometers from the finish. It is a beautiful loop, but I think the neighboring Berendries could also have been included. That would have been challenging.”

Lots of contenders
Conclusion: “Everyone can win here,” says Van Boven. “A sprinter can survive the obstacles and win, a classic driver can win. I even see a climber winning here. Especially when you see that Remco Evenepoel won on a flat course in Izegem last year. A BK is always difficult anyway. It is the biggest fair of the year, and the race is often very uncontrolled. You will only find the strong men in the first ten, no surprises. If I had to mention one name, for me it would be Yves Lampaert.”

2024-06-20 07:59:29
#expect #Zottegem #sprinter #climber #win