Omloop Het Nieuwsblad

23.02.2013 Official Site

Paterberg, max. gradient 20.3%. Sounds tough? Imagine
trying to do it in the rain after more than 60km - and with
an entire peloton trying to do it at the same time

Belgium, Road Race, One-Day Classic, 123.1km
UCI 1.2

The new season is well underway and brings with it the first of the great Flanders Classics - the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. The women's Omloop is of far more recent vintage than the men's race, having begun in 2006 after organisers found themselves in agreement with the idea that one way to promote women's cycling is to run women's races in conjunction with men's races, thus allowing them to benefit from the large crowds, infrastructure and TV crews; that women's cycling is now more popular in Belgium and the Netherlands than anywhere else is proof that the concept works.

Loes Gunnewijk

Like all the Flemish Classics, the Omloop is all about the climbs and the cobbles. Flanders isn't known for its mountains but, although the hills are low, many are knee-breakingly steep and have earned their positions among the most famous, feted and feared placenames in cycling - Nokereberg (28.1km), Kluisberg (51.4km, gradient average 8%, maximum 13%), Côte de Trieu (58.8km), the frankly inhumane  Paterberg with its slippery cobbles (62.4km, av. 12.9%, max. 20.3%), Edelareberg (72.1km), Kattenberg (79.1km, av. 5.9%, max. 8.2%) and Molenberg (82.2km, av. 7%, max.14.2%). Cobbled sections are at Holleweg (79.9km, 1,500m long), Paddestraat (92.6km, 2,300m), Lippenhovestraat (95.1km, 1,300m), Lange Munte (102.1km, 2,500m) and Steenakker (120.5km, 700m).

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Depending on who takes part, several riders are well worth watching; especially Argos-Shimano's Kirsten Wild, who won the third edition of this race back in 2008 and earlier this month became the only woman to have won three editions of the Tour of Qatar, and Orica-AIS star Emma Johansson, one of only two women to have won the Omloop twice (2010 and 2011) - she'd no doubt like to have a historic and record-breaking third victory on her palmares. Last year's winner Loes Gunnewijk, whose speciality is cobbled races, has shown every indication that she's on excellent form again this season and would therefore be another one to watch. So too are all the Rabo Women, as well as Lotto-Belisol's tough Marijn de Vries (who, being a journalist, will also publish one of her excellent and witty race reports afterwards. Marijn is excellent value!). Don't forget to keep an eye on the not-so-well-known riders too: anything can and does happen in a race as tough as a Flemish Classic and up-and-coming stars of the future will grab any opportunities that come their way in an effort to please sponsors and make a name for themselves.

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Start List


ORICA-AIS

1 GUNNEWIJK Loes
2 JOHANSSON Emma
3 MACLEAN Jessie
4 CROMWELL Tiffany
5 SPRATT Amanda
6 ELVIN Gracie
7 EDMONDSON Annette
8 GILLOW Shara

RABO WOMEN

11 BRAND Lucinda
12 GUARNIER Megan
13 DE JONG Thalita
14 KNETEMANN Roxane
15 TALEN Rebecca
16 VAN VLEUTEN Annemiek
17 DE VOCHT Liesbet
18 SLAPPENDEL Iris

SPECIALIZED-LULULEMON

21 COLCLOUGH Katie
22 ROWNEY Loren
23 SMALL Carmen
24 TEUTENBERG Ina
25 VAN DIJK Eleonora
26 WORRACK Trixi
27 BRENNAUER Lisa
28 STEVENS Evelyn

HITEC PRODUCTS-UCK

31 HOSKING Chloe
32 FAHLIN Emilia
33 JOHNSEN Cecilie Gotaas
34 RATTO Rossella
35 NEYLAN Rachel
36 THORSEN Thea
37 BJØRNSRUD Miriam
38 LONGO BORGHINI Elisa

BOELS-DOLMANS

41 ARMITSTEAD Elizabeth
42 BRAS Martine
43 DE BAAT Kim
44 DAAMS Jessie
45 KASPER Romy
46 KESSLER Nina
47 MARTIN Lucy
48 ROOIJAKKERS Pauliena

RUSVELO

51 KUCHINSKAYA Elena
52 BURCHENKOVA Alexandra
53 MISHINA Maria
54 BOCHARNIKOVA Elena
55 JAPAROVA Aijan
56 PANKOVA Larisa
57 BLINDYUK Yulia
58 DOBRYNINA Kseniya

ENDURA LADY FORCE

61 CLAESSEN Marjolein
62 WOERING Henriette
63 GEOGHEGAN Michelle
64 KLOK Ines
65 BOLANGIER Elke
66 NIEUWENHUIZEN Natasja
67 VERSTICHELEN Femke
68 HAERS Carolien

LOTTO-BELISOL

71 DE VRIES Marijn
72 D'HOORE Jolien
73 DUYCK Ann-sophie
74 HANNES Kaat
75 LODEWYKS Steffi
76 ROUSSE Marion
77 SCHOONBAERT Kim
78 VAN SEVEREN Celine

ARGOS-SHIMANO

81 BECKER Charlotte
82 JÖHREND Marlen
83 GARNER Lucy
84 TROMP Esra
85 KANIS Janneke
86 MARKUS Kelly
87 KNOL Willeke
88 WILD Kirsten

WIGGLE-HONDA

91 SCHNITZMEIER Ana Bianca
92 GILMORE Rochelle
93 KITCHEN Lauren
94 COLLINS Emily
95 HAGIWARA Mayuko
96 ROWSELL Joanna
97 ROBERTS Amy
98 KING Dani

SENGERS

101 VAN DER BREGGEN Anna
102 BUYL Kimberly
103 SOEK Julia
104 ARYS Evelyn
105 POLSPOEL Maaike
106 DE VUYST Sofie
107 MAJERUS Christine
108 ROGGEMAN Inge

TIBCO-TO THE TOP

111 BLAAK Chantal
112 HÄUSLER Claudia
113 OLDS Shelley
114 GLAESSER Jasmin
115 BUCHANAN Rushlee
116 SCHNEIDER Samantha
117 KIESANOWSKI Joanne
118 MILLER Meredith

FAREN-LET'S GO FINLAND

121 BASTIANELLI Marta
122 MUSTONEN Sara
123 SAARELAINEN Sari
124 VAN BAARLE Ashlynn
125 ZORZI Susanna
126 ARZUFFI Alice Maria
127 NIEMINEN Jutta
128 RIVERDITI Stella

POLARIS

131 ELZING Karen
132 GERCAMA Alie
133 HOFMANN Sarah-Lena
134 KOSTER Anouska
135 PIJNENBORG Mascha
136 VAN DER KAMP Laura
137 VAN DER MEER Janine
138 VERHOEVEN Aurore

VIENNE FUTUROSCOPE

141 CANUEL Karol-Ann
142 CORDON Audrey
143 ALLEN Jessica
144 BIDEAU Sandrine
145 JEULAND Pascale
146 MERLOT Emmanuelle
147 SOUYRIS Manon
148 CHAUMET Oriane

TOPSPORT VLAADEREN-BIORACER

151 DE CRITS Nel
152 DRUYTS Jessy
153 DRUYTS Kelly
154 CROKET Gilke
155 DE CROOCK Stephanie
156 VEKEMANS Anisha
157 GAFINOVITZ Rotem
158 DE MOYER Tessa

CYCLELIVE PLUS-ZANNATA

161 BRULEE Latoya
162 DECROIX Lieselot
163 DEPOORTER Daisy
164 DOM Annelies
165 HATCH Elizabeth
166 OTTEN Marissa
167 VAN DE REE Monique
168 VAN DOORSLAER Annelies

CRAMO GO:GREEN

171 OLSSON Madelene
172 KIHLBOM Jessica
173 SÖDERBERG Isabelle
174 NILSSON Hanna
175 THOMASSON Martina
176 EHRIN Mirella
177 SJÖBLOM Linnea
178 NILSSON Johanna

TOP GIRLS-FASSA BORTOLO

181 BERLATO Elena
182 BITTO Irene
183 CAUZ Francesca
184 CECCHINI Silvia
185 FIORI Jennifer
186 PIEROBON Chiara
187 PALADIN Asja
188 STEFANI Francesca

USA

191 BOOKWALTER Jamie
192 CROWELL Jacquelyn
193 FISCHER Heather
194 HOLCOMB Janel
195 MC GRATH Kristin
196 WILCOXSON Jade
197 JAMES Ashley
198 KACHOREK Emily

BREAST CANCER CARE CYCLING TEAM

201 BROGAN Kayleigh
202 HORNE Ciara
203 ROE Eileen
204 EWING Anne
205 ROWSON Penny
206 THOROGOOD Elinor

AUTOGLAS WETTEREN

211 BREYNE Mariska
212 BLOMME Marieke
213 BORREMANS Sarah
214 CATTRYSSE Melanie
215 COOLENS Kristina
216 DE RIDDER Amy
217 DE VESTELE Adeline
218 VAN DEN STEEN  Kim

KEUKENS REDANT

221 DEBBOUDT Evelien
222 DEBBOUDT Lensy
223 DEMEY Valerie
224 ROBERT Valerie
225 VAN GLABEKE Shana
226 VERCAMER Elien
227 VERCAMMEN Ine
228 VAN DER MEULEN Kaat

WIELERCLUB DE SPRINTERS MALDEREN

231 DERGENT Eveline
232 FREMINEUR Terry
233 HOFFMANN Chantal
234 LAXSON Shoshauna
235 LEEMAN Mieke
236 ROELEN Evy
237 VAN DEN HAUTE Steffy
238 WERNER Laure

PARKHOTEL VALKENBURG

241 ESHUIS Aafke
242 VAN DEN HOEK Bianca
243 KLEP Inge
244 KOSTER Claudia
245 SLIK Rozanne
246 POST Jermaine
247 VAN WESDONK Nathaly
248 MARKUS Riejanne

Weather

More information nearer the race.