cycling: Tour of Flanders 2018 Preview: cycling at its finest on Easter Sunday

Cycling: If you still believe in the Easter Bunny, you should start looking for eggs early enough on Easter Sunday. Because from 10:15 a.m. the cycling fans look to Belgium. Then Eurosport begins the seven-hour recording of the Tour of Flanders. The Ronde van Vlaanderen will be held for the 102nd time – the cycling highlight of the season for many fans.

264,7 kilometers with 18 slipways & 5 cobblestone passages

No April Fool's joke: this year the winner of the Tour of Flanders will be chosen on Easter Sunday. After no less than 264,7 kilometers he will have crossed 18 slipways and five passages in the cobblestones from Antwerp to Oudenaarde. As every year, this one-day classic is the highlight of the season for many cycling fans. And rightly so, because the Ronde van Vlaanderen has rarely disappointed us. The profile, the weather and the riders ensure cycling at its finest every twelve months. This is exactly what is to be expected this year. It starts out so comfortably. Only after almost 90 kilometers do the professionals rumble over cobblestones for the first time. After exactly 121,2 kilometres, the notorious Oude Kwaremont is crossed for the first time. Actually much too early to look for a preliminary decision, but since the Belgian team Quick-Step Floors seems so superior, one could already send a spearhead into the offensive.

The big problem with the tactics: in the wrong place at the wrong time

The finale begins 75 kilometers before the finish line. Then the Pottelberg, the Kanarieberg, the Oude Kwaremont and the Paterberg are on the program within 25 kilometres. If you miss the outgoing mail here, you can already make your way home. Because the field of drivers, which will then already be very thin, will certainly not slow down any more. The Taaienberg, the Kruisberg and again the Oude Kwaremont and the Paterberg follow 37 kilometers before the finish line. Then it's another 13,2 kilometers to the finish - without slipways and without cobblestones. Then the power reserves and above all the tactics decide on the further course. Teammates can be worth their weight in gold, but unfortunately they are few and far between. So we will probably see a tactical race again this year. Several scenarios are possible, but tactics almost always play the most important role in the considerations.

Peter Sagan's Dilemma: How Can the World Champion Win?

Actually, Peter Sagan (Bora-hansgrohe) is almost always the favorite in the race. Also this year the name of the world champion is called immediately. But in which scenario does the Slovak actually have a realistic chance of winning? If he arrives at the top of the Paterberg as a soloist, his pursuers will chase him mercilessly over 13 kilometers. Because against Sagan all other drivers will agree. Nevertheless, this situation is almost the best for him, because here he can only invest every kick for himself, since he doesn't drag anyone in the slipstream. But Sagan has to be in great shape for that and it's questionable whether he's really that strong at the moment. Another scenario where he could be successful would be in a duo with Greg Van Avermaet (BMC). Both are convinced of their sprint strength and would probably continue to work together after the Paterberg. It becomes problematic if there is a third or even fourth driver in addition to them. A Sep Vanmarcke (EF Education) or a Tiesj Benoot (Lotto Soudal) will do one heck and swap through the lead alongside Sagan or Van Avermaet.

Tour of Flanders 2018 Forecast: Far and wide no favorite in sight

Of course, Peter Sagan can also win in a larger group sprint. But it is unlikely that several riders will arrive in Oudenaarde together. If two or three professionals from Quick-Step Floors are there, as well as weaker professionals in the sprint, attacks will rain down on the last 13 kilometers. No sprinter wants to eliminate them himself, as he would waste important energy in the process. So Sagan can only flee forward – just like Van Avermaet. And that is exactly what makes the Tour of Flanders so exciting in 2018. There is simply no clear favourite. In addition to the two strong pros already mentioned, there are too many other candidates for victory to venture a prediction. The problem: They too are on the move as lone fighters. Tiesj Benoot and Sep Vanmarcke just as little hope for their teammates as Alexander Kristoff (UAE Team Emirates), Oliver Naesen (AG2R La Mondiale), Matteo Trentin (Mitchelton-Scott), Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) and Jasper Stuyven (Trek- Segafredo).

What strategy is Quick-Step Floors following?

Only Michal Kwiatkowski and Gianni Moscon (Sky) could support each other. However, the superior team will be the Belgian side Quick-Step Floors. In the blue and white jerseys we find several candidates for victory: last year's winner Philippe Gilbert can win, as can Niki Terpstra, Zdenek Stybar and Yves Lampaert. If we compare the Tour of Flanders with a poker game, four professionals from one team are sitting at a table of ten. They also shuffled the cards and deal them out. Together they now try to take their opponents off the table in turn. This is exactly what we will see at the Ronde van Vlaanderen. At the latest after 121,2 kilometers, an attack is to be expected when crossing the Oude Kwaremont for the first time. Lampaert or Stybar will probably go on the offensive. Then it's up to the other teams. If they cannot keep up or follow suit decisively, the group will come through. If they follow behind, their helpers will be floored at the end and Quick-Step Floors can play the remaining trump cards. Either way: On Easter Sunday, not only are the hidden eggs sought, but also solutions against the dominance of Quick-Step Floors.