Photo – Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2020
The OTRL is back for 2020, will we see a changing of the guard this year or will age and treachery win over youth and skill – though I’d hardly count some of the current generation as lacking in skill! Somehow I doubt we will be seeing as much dust on this year’s Classics as in previous years. So we could be in for some classic photo shots.
The OTR Classics season starts on Saturday 29th February with the 75th edition of the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. With the Pro Peloton moving North back to Europe from the warmer climes of the Southern Hemisphere, Omloop is the first race of the Belgian cycling calendar and includes a number of climbs from the Tour of Flanders. Starting in Ghent, the race is over roughly 200 Km and finishes in Ninove.
2019 saw Zdenek Stybar take the win with Greg van Avermaet second after taking the honours in 2017 and 2016. Top 5 from last year were as below (Event results from 2019 can also be found on the Peloton page).
- Zdenek Stybar
- Greg van Avermaet
- Tim Wellens
- Alexey Lutsenko
- Dylan Teuns
Full details of 2020 entrants can be found here.
This year we also have what will be the 15th edition of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Femmes. The race is over a distance of a little over 125 Km also starting in Ghent and finishing in Ninove taking in many of the same climbs as the men.
Annemiek van Vleuten looks to aim to hit the cobbles at maximum as apparently she had done more training miles this year than anyone else in the Peloton Femmes. So she seems to be aiming to better her 4th place last year.
Best list of Femme’s riders I can find here.
The top 5 from 2019 were as below
- Chantal Blaak
- Marta Bastianelli
- Jip van den Bos
- Annemiek van Vleuten
- Alexis Ryan