The Cyprus flag will make its appearance on the start line of the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad! Our national champion, Andria Christoforou, is on the preliminary start list of the Belgian race, which is considered the beginning of the northern classics season! Andria will be flying to Belgium next Thursday to meet her teammates in the Burgos Alimenta Women's team and will participate next Saturday in the historic race for the first time in her career!
The race has been organized since 1945 and was initially known as the Omloop van Vlaanderen ("Circuit of Flanders") and later as Omloop Het Volk - named after the Helt Volk newspaper who organises the race. Since 2006, a women’s race is held on the same day as the men’s race.
The city of Ghent will host once again the start and the women will race around the hilly cobbled countryside of the Flemish Ardennes region, to finish in the town of Ninove after 120 hard kilometers! The course includes 5 sections of stone-paved roads - “pave” as it is known in cycling - and 10 punchy climbs - “bergs” - including the infamous cobbled Muur van Geraardsbergen.
Although having the first number amongst her teammates would suggest her being the team-captain, Andria says that they haven't yet discussed tactics and roles. She doesn't have much experience racing on the cobbles and she is waiting for the team meeting to see her role in the race. "I don't know the race but I've been told that it is very hard and there are many abandons!" was her initial reaction when asked about the race. She will be looking to gain some much-needed racing speed while supporting her teammates in this early season race: "I'm looking forward to the return in a big women's bunch and I'm ready to work hard for my team and our sponsors. I'm feeling strong but I think that this race is more suited for Jasi, my Polish teammate (Malgorzata Jasinska), who is very powerful". If she gets the chance she won't say no to testing her legs on the climbs and attempting to escape the bunch in a breakaway!
At the beginning of February, Andria took part in the team’s first training camp of the season in Benidorm | Spain. For 12 days she got to live the true off-season life of a pro cyclist: Hard training, good food, massage and rest!
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad women’s race will start at 13:45 local time (14:45 Cyprus time) and is expected to finish at 17:30 (18:30 Cyprus time). The last part of the race will be televised by local TV channels.
