The cobbled classics season has reached its peak as the peloton races into the first of back-to-back iconic events at the Tour of Flanders Women on April 2, followed by Paris-Roubaix Femmes on April 8.
It’s been one of the most exciting one-day racing seasons this spring and even if one team, SD Worx, has had a tight hold over most of the victories, there is still everything to play for at the two biggest events of the year.
The Belgian fans will undoubtedly be out in numbers just as they have been for Classic Brugge-De Panne, Gent-Wevelgem and Dwars door Vlaanderen. Whether they are watching the women’s race via prime time broadcasts or roadside on the famed ascents Koppenberg, Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg or on the finishing straightaway into Oudenaarde, the cheers are likely to be that little bit louder if they get another home-nation rider taking victory in 2023.
Just days away from the 20th edition, Cyclingnews highlights five of the biggest talking points ahead of the 2023 Tour of Flanders Women.
Learn more about the Women’s WorldTour in Cyclingnews’ definitive guide for 2023, and join Cyclingnews for live coverage of the 2023 Spring Classics. Also check in after each race for our full reports, results, galleries, news and features.
Anticipation, tension runs high
Cycling fans have been treated to an engaging Spring Classics season so far, complete with unruly spring weather conditions, strong winds and echelons, crashes, full-throttle racing, and a range of tactical scenarios that have kept us on the edge of our seats.
The three most recent cobbled classics alone have captivated audiences through Pfeiffer Georgi’s cagey jump on a sprinter-heavy breakaway to win Classic Brugge-De Panne, Marlen Reusser’s solo performance under the rain to win Gent-Wevelgem, and Demi Vollering’s attack over the top of Nokere to net the win at Dwars door Vlaanderen.
These performances all lead up to the peak of the cobbled classic at Tour of Flanders on April 2 and Paris-Roubaix Femmes on April 8, and the peloton and fans alike can always expect to see a spectacle of racing at these iconic events.
SD Worx might have a strong hold on the one-day spring races up to this point, and also be entering Tour of Flanders with Lotte Kopecky as defending champion, but what we know about the cobbled classics is that unpredictability often trumps expectation.
Anything can happen in these events and across such challenging terrain, and the racing directly leading up to Flanders…
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