Omloop het Nieuwsblad is fast approaching on March 1st, Strade Bianche goes off the next weekend; finally, ladies and gentlemen, we have a season. For me the racing season really has to start in cold, wet Europe. I like the Tour Down Under just fine, I watch it, but it’s too early, too sunny and too hot to signify the start of the racing season. The races in the desert, though I’m sure they are windy and tough, hold no interest for me. Camels and embrocation do not compute. The endless speculation about Faboo’s lack of perfect February form only means every reporter is bored and has no real stories to write.
The most interesting thing about the racing in the Middle East was seeing that Tom Boonen is whippet thin and ready to bring the pain in 2014. Knowing that Boonen is back lets me sleep better at night. He is lining up for Omloop, his team is ready to rumble on the Taaienberg, all is right with the cycling world. Please let it rain, but don’t let Tommeke get hurt.
I need to see some racers with every bit of wet weather gear on, riding into a hell storm off the North Sea. Cold and wet and in Belgium; that is the way we start the season.
The other thing that is great with the cycling world is the Strade Bianche the following week. A gravel race for the professionals? The race is new, not even ten editions have been raced, but it seems so right. San Gimignano to Siena, rolling up and down across the Tuscan countryside, many secteurs of white gravel, this is a stroke of Italian genius.
Another reason to be excited is Peter Sagan. The wheelie poppin’ curb jumpin’ bad boy comes into this season a year wiser. He has watched both Fabs and Tommeke ride away from him in different editions of the Ronde but they aren’t getting any younger and Sagan is only getting better. The younger generation of riders would like to topple the reigning twin kings of the Spring Classics but Boonen and Cancellara are still there because they are the two best Spring Classic riders of their generation. They aren’t going to go without a battle.
If no one breaks bones in the feed zones or gets infected elbows, this all portends a beautiful spring.
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Image of Strade Bianche looks like an artist's painting.
The best 6 weeks of racing of the year are about to start.
http://fuckyeahcobbles.tumblr.com/
Even though this winter was unusually cold and snowy for this region, the hope of spring cycle racing still made it seem pretty short.
Rode on Saturday, three hour solo loop on the #1, warm enough to get away with just bibs, baselayer, and jersey. Damn, after pulling on all the winter gear for a few months, how damn nice is it to pull on three things and head out?
Both of those photos are incredible. They make my skin tingle with anticipation for many great races, and a spring and summer of long rides!
Agree, even though the TDU is our own home grown race, theres nothing like the smashfest that cobbles, rain and white dirt bring to table.
Mr Boonen appears to be on a mission and Fab and Co best be on guard.
This past Saturday I was as cold as I have ever been on a bike. I don't even know why; I've ridden further, colder, and, if possible, wetter, but for some odd reason a mere 50 k in 1C got to me on Saturday.
The cover photo above gave me an involuntary shiver.
Ah yes, two months of late starts on Mondays thanks to the consumption of 7%+ Belgian brews late on a Sunday night hunched over some dodgy internet stream of men destroying themselves on the other side of the world. Giddy up!
@Jamie
Last weekend was a suckfest over here. I've been colder and I've been wetter, but I've never been colder and wetter.
Gianni, you forgot to mention my man Stybar who is on a roll even before the cobbling season has started and is about to put all kinds of shame in the game that Boonen's got.
Did I mention that he turned down €800,000 to ride CX so he could train for the Spring Classics instead?
http://www.cxmagazine.com/stybar-turns-down-million-dollars-cyclocross-steve-tilford
@G'rilla +1