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RONDE

The sun shone.

By Gruber Images

April 6^th, 2015

the start.

One of my favorite walks all year is from the Brugge train station to the Grote Markt. It’s a couple kilometers, it’s early, it’s quiet, and it’s beautiful. Then you get to the race course and the starting area, and it’s crazy, so those few quiet minutes winding through the still sleeping side streets is hugely appreciated.

Early going.

For Sunday - Ashley was with Yoeri in the party van, while I was by myself on the scooter. My day didn’t start until the first trip up the Kwaremont, which made for a nice, peaceful morning after driving back from the start in Brugge. Meanwhile, Ashley probably had a solid six spots under her belt by the time I turned on the scooter.

roadside.

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first time up the kwaremont.

The break was away, and Sky had control of the front. Nothing else to report on, save for an over-zealous police officer who wouldn’t let photographers inside the barriers.

eikenberg.

Nothing too spectacular happening here. The race passed, people cheered, and when the green flag rolled by, the mad dash to make it a kilometer down the road to the Holleweg began. The road was clear for the briefest of moments, and then the scooters (me included), bikes, walkers, cars, vans, trucks, motorcycles, and anything else that moved hit the road at once in both directions and traffic instantly ground to a halt, which led immediately to much honking, and even a Sky car hitting me from behind. I turned around to a soigneur gesticulating wildly, certainly not apologetically, and I wondered what I was supposed to do…fly? Bike races - they bring out the best in people.

race pictures.

If I’m supremely honest, there was a lot of quiet time in yesterday’s race. Is that a fair assessment? The problem is - it doesn’t feel like quiet time when you’re chasing the race. Ashley saw the race 18 times with Yoeri, and I saw it eight times on the scooter in the final 140k - each spot felt like the most important spot ever, but when we look back at the images now, it’s kind of crazy to think about how many of these moments were kind of…forgettable. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed all of my spots, same with Ashley, but it’s the harsh truth of a full gas day.

post-molenberg pretty.

I love this spot. Ashley and I shot within 200 meters of each other, and we didn’t know it.

Greipel attacks, part I.

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The break.

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flanders is beautiful.

Exhibit A.

bird's eye view.

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single file down the n8.

A Tinkoff rider attacked, followed by an Etixx rider, and that incited a response from Sky, which turned the race into single file pain in less than a minute.

Greipel attacks, part II.

Andre Greipel attacked in the wide open fields just before the Koppenberg. He eked out a little gap and earned the chance to tackle the Koppenberg, solo, off the front. That had to have been pretty cool, even in the heat of the moment, right?

from the koppenberg.

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The walk.

Matthieu Ladagnous was forced to shoulder his bike and walk up the Koppenberg after his chain stuck in his spokes.

the winning break goes

Over the top of the Kruisberg, Terpstra and Kristoff accelerated, the rest watched, and the duo were off to the races.

the final time up the Kwaremont.

Terpstra led a wincing Kristoff with the chasing group only a couple dozen seconds back. Terpstra looked great, Kristoff in pain - could Terpstra drop the Norwegian?

Jens debusschere

If there’s one rider we’ve grown to watch out for and get excited about, it’s Jens, the Belgian champion from Dadizele. That’s where Yoeri is from, and that’s where our friend on the left is from - that’s Jelle.

Kristoff flexes.

Terpstra must have thought he still had a chance when they hit the base of the Paterberg - I certainly did. If he could drop Kristoff on the short, wickedly steep climb, he could turn this into a pursuit match and solo to victory. Unfortunately, Kristoff was more than a match for Terpstra and put him into noticeable difficulty - a big change in fortune considering Kristoff’s apparent suffering on the Kwaremont only a few minutes before. After the Paterberg was crested with Kristoff firmly in command, it was hard to imagine anyone else winning.