Greg Van Avermaet: "Kuurne has become harder than the Omloop, is that what we want?"

Last year, we saw a reduced bunch sprint in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, and this year the fast men remain among the top favorites despite the participation of Mathieu van der Poel. In the new HLN podcast, close friends Greg Van Avermaet and Oliver Naesen point out that the course is no longer as challenging compared to the past.

Naesen, who is racing the Omloop representing Decathlon CMA CGM, refers to the route change where the Elverenberg in the pre-final section was replaced by the Vossenhol and Parikeberg. "That climb was the exact spot where you could really drop the others, because it came right after the Berendries, an effort of two minutes. Now there are many more moments to recover. I don’t rule out that we might ride into Ninove with a large group."

Naesen emphasizes that he doesn’t think the course designers made a mistake, as the change was due to roadworks. According to Van Avermaet, there is a structural problem. "Ideally, I want to see a small group riding to the finish and a tactical battle between the big names like in my era, but the course is no longer ideal for making a real difference. The route should be changed.”

“The finish should definitely stay in Ninove, there are plenty of obstacles nearby," says the former winner. "But before that, the climbs should be closer together. With this route, the Omloop stays locked up for too long. Flanders Classics should definitely work on that.”

The Omloop doesn’t need to be as tough as the Tour of Flanders, but it should be a race where you can make a difference, Van Avermaet believes. "Kuurne has become harder than the Omloop. Is that where we want to go? You also see more and more sprinters coming down to the Omloop. That makes it difficult for breakaway riders to get away because many teams from the team car are setting everything up for a sprint.”