Flanders Cycling Classics - Dress rehearsal for the Ronde

This weekend all pretenders for the win in next week's Ronde van Vlaanderen (Tour of Flanders) will be testing their legs in the E3 Prijs Harelbeke and/or Gent-Wevelgem. Both semi-classics are now held on the same weekend, with UCI ProTour event Gent-Wevelgem replacing la Fleche Brabanconne, which has been moved to the wednesday following Paris-Roubaix.

It is quite a controversial issue in Flanders. The E3 has long been the ultimate preparation for the top riders, as the race course can be described as a mini-Tour of Flanders. But because Gent-Wevelgem is part of the ProTour the race risks losing importance, as sponsors may prefer their star riders to start in the globally better-known race in Gent rather than in Harelbeke, or... in both. Belgian champion Tom Boonen, looking for his third victory in the Ronde next week, has been indirectly told by his Quick-Step team sponsors to do both races this weekend. Further evidence of the ever increasing impact of business in professional cycling. But this is short-sighted: these two races are tough, and if Boonen were smart he would choose to go all out in one and pull the brakes halfway through the other. He has been riding at peak level for several weeks already, whereas his biggest rival next week, Fabian Cancellara, has just reached his top form and should, logically, have more reserves in the tank.

There will be pressure on the Belgian riders in general this weekend. The past couple of races have not exactly been successful. Watch out for Greg van Avermaet (photo) on Saturday. It was in the E3 two years ago he made a name for himself, and he will be keen to repeat that feat after a lacklustre 2009 season. My pick for Gent-Wevelgem, which is supposed to have a tougher course than before, is last week's winner of Milano-Sanremo, Oscar Freire. If the Spaniard kept his focus during the week, he is going to be very hard to beat!

Links

E3 Harelbeke
Gent-Wevelgem