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The first race of the opening weekend of the Belgian Spring Classics comes with the 207.3-kilometre long Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. For 2023, the race begins in Gent and ends in Ninove, with riders facing 12 steep climbs and nine cobbled sections.
In the first hour of racing, riders cross the cobbles of the Haaghoek at kilometre 36.2 closely followed by the first ‘berg’, the Leberg after 39.2km. But after those two difficulties, there is a 54km stretch of the route cobbles and berg-free.
The crunch time comes at kilometre 191.6 when the race hits the Muur-Kapelmuur – an iconic climb previously used in the Tour of Flanders – then crests the Bosberg with 11km to go.
It was here in 2022 that Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) made the race-winning move just before the Bosberg and then held off a chase group, led to the line by Sonny Colbrelli and Greg Van Avermaet.
The cobbles
- Haaghoek (36.2km)
- Lange Munte (93.2km)
- Holleweg (109.5km)
- Haaghoek (115.2km)
- Paddestraat (124.4km)
- Holleweg (151.1km)
- Kerkgate (157.3km)
- Jagerij (159.9km)
- Haaghoek (170.6km)
The climbs
- Leberg (39.2km)
- Kattenberg (108.7km)
- Leberg (118.3km)
- Hostellerie (135.3km)
- Valkenberg (143.2km)
- Wolvenberg (153.7km)
- Molenberg (166.1km)
- Leberg (173.6km)
- Berendries (177.7km)
- Elverenberg Vossenhol (180.1km)
- Muur-Kappelmuur (191.6km)
- Bosberg (195.5km)
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