Fans of the Tour of Flanders will be denied another showdown between Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease A Bike) this year, after the Belgian sustained multiple fractures in a heavy crash during Dwars door Vlaanderen.
It leaves Van der Poel as the clear favourite, with on-song Dane Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) stepping into the breach as the rider most likely to challenge the imperious Dutchman.
With reigning champion Tadej Pogačar from this year's startlist, the two men will feel more confident. But a Classics win is always reliant on a certain amount of luck, and Van der Poel and Pedersen certainly won't have it all their own way.
Meanwhile the women's race is also something of a clash of the titans, with two-time winner and defending champion Lotte Kopecky and her SD Worx-Protime team-mate forming a potent pairing who will nevertheless have to contend with the likes of Dwars door Vlaanderen winner Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease A Bike) and British hopeful Pfeiffer Georgi (dsm-firmenich PostNL) among others.
This year sees Antwerp take over from Bruges as the alternating host city of the race. The route remains broadly similar to previous years, with greater use of wider roads early on to help prevent crashes being the only change.
For the men, the first berg of 17 will be the Oude Kwaremont, tackled after 137km of racing, while the Wolvenberg at the 72km point is the first of 12 such tests in the women’s race. The Wolvenberg is where both men's and women's races converge, after which the climbs come thick and fast.
It's the final one-two punch of Oude Kwaremont and the Paterberg that often proves the most decisive. Controversial when first devised in 2012, particularly as it meant the omission of the iconic Muur van Geraardsbergen, this finale has since won fans over with its own unique character, which is also influenced by the double punch of the long, gradual Kwaremont and the short yet ultra-steep Paterberg.
Tour of Flanders 2024 Key Info
Date: March 31 2024
Location: Antwerp
2023 winners: Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates, men); Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx, women)
TV: Discovery+ / Eurosport
Distance: 270km (men); 163km (women)
Tour of Flanders 2024 route
This year's men's race continues the annual trading game between Bruges and Antwerp, with the latter hosting the start on Sunday. Riders will find bigger roads than before waiting for them as they begin the long haul south-west towards berg country.
The fun begins with the first of three passes of the Oude Kwaremont, and the climbs come thick and fast after that as the race follows a spaghetti-like parcours around the hills of Flanders just south-east of the finish town of Oudenaarde. On the way they take in famous climbs including the Wolvenberg, Molenberg, Berendries and the Koppenberg on the way to a total 17 climbs, finishing with the one-two of the Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg with 13 flat kilometres to the line.
The women begin in Oudenaarde, where both races finish. They first head north-east away from the city to complete a circuit of the flatter terrain around Zottegem, looping back towards Oudenaarde to begin the day's climbing at 72km with the Wolvenberg. A similarly serpentine route to that of the men sees them tackle a total 12 classified climbs, including the Molenberg, Berendries and the Koppenberg, along with that final Kwaremont/Paterberg one-two at the end.
Tour of Flanders 2024: Riders to watch
Mathieu van der Poel
Alpecin-Deceuninck
*****
The Dutch rider looks imperious this season – always at or near the head of affairs in every race he has ridden and with a win at the E3 Saxo Classic and second at Gent-Wevelgem under his belt already. He's had a mercurial last couple of seasons, but covered himself in glory in the Classics last year and seems to be set to repeat the feat this time around. The fact that Wout van Aert has now been ruled out – albeit in very unfortunate circumstances that VDP would not have wished for – won't exactly hurt his chances either.
Tiesj Benoot
Visma-Lease A Bike
***
With Benoot's team-mate and compatriot Wout van Aert recovering from a nasty crash in Dwars door Vlaanderen and other team-mates like Dylan Van Baarle having been ill, this could be Benoot's opportunity to step up from nearly man to winner at Flanders. He has been fifth here before – back in 2015 – and won Strade Bianche in 2018 . With a following wind and a bit of luck a podium, or even a win, here is not beyond him.
Mads Pedersen
Lidl-Trek
****
The Dane was third here last year and eighth the year before that. Considering that he seems to be in the form of his life – and the absence of one of his main Classics rivals, Wout van Aert – what's to say that Pedersen cannot finally achieve victory in what is one of the most revered one-day races of the season. Pedersen proves himself to be ever-more versatile, with overall wins in the Etoile de Bessèges and Tour de la Provence stage races, plus the more recent Gent-Wevelgem already this season.
Lotte Kopecky
SD Worx-Protime
*****
Of all the cards the Belgian team could play, right now Kopecky looks like the most likely to bring them success. She has been a playmaker in pretty much every race she has entered this season and already has four wins under her belt, including Strade Bianche . Riding alongside her, and even for her, will be at least four other potential victors – Demi Vollering, Marlen Reusser and Lorena Wiebes – ready to take over if Kopecky falters.
Elisa Longo Borghini
Lidl-Trek
****
The Italian has amassed a huge palmarès across Classics and stage races alike, despite spending most of her career riding in the company (under the shadow?) of greats like Annemiek van Vleuten and Anna van der Breggen. She has Lotte Kopecky to deal with these days, but that hasn't stopped the 32-year-old from putting in a solid shift so far this season already, with podiums at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Strade Bianche, and a win at Trofeo Oro in Euro.
Kasia Niewiadoma
Canyon-SRAM
****
The reigning gravel world champion was left heartbroken after missing out on a podium spot at Strade Bianche earlier this month. That was her most recent result, and one she may be eager to atone for at the Tour of Flanders this weekend. She was fifth here last year – the latest in a litany of top-10s stretching back 10 years. The Polish rider looks to be on form, with five top-seven finishes out of six race days this season, though there is of course the small matter of the SD Worx team standing between her and a win at Flanders.
Tour of Flanders 2024 men's start list
Alpecin-Deceuninck
VAN DER POEL Mathieu
PHILIPSEN Jasper
BALLERSTEDT Maurice
GROVES Kaden
KRAGH ANDERSEN Søren
DILLIER Silvan
VERMEERSCH Gianni
Intermarché-Wanty
GIRMAY Biniam
DE POOTER Dries
PAGE Hugo
PETIT Adrien
REX Laurenz
TEUNISSEN Mike
ZIMMERMANN Georg
Soudal Quick-Step
ALAPHILIPPE Julian
ASGREEN Kasper
LAMPAERT Yves
MOSCON Gianni
PEDERSEN Casper
VANGHELUWE Warre
WARLOP Jordi
Team Visma-Lease a Bike
AFFINI Edoardo
BENOOT Tiesj
JORGENSON Matteo
VAN DIJKE Mick
VAN DIJKE Tim
TRATNIK Jan
VAN BAARLE Dylan
Arkéa-B&B Hotels
SÉNÉCHAL Florian
GRONDIN Donavan
ALBANESE Vincenzo
MCLAY Daniel
MOZZATO Luca
SCOTSON Miles
Astana Qazaqstan Team
BOL Cees
BRUSSENSKIY Gleb
FEDOROV Yevgeniy
GAZZOLI Michele
GIDICH Yevgeniy
GRUZDEV Dmitriy
SYRITSA Gleb
Bahrain-Victorious
MOHORIČ Matej
GOVEKAR Matevž
GRADEK Kamil
MIHOLJEVIĆ Fran
PASQUALON Andrea
WRIGHT Fred
BURATTI Nicolò
BORA-Hansgrohe
KOCH Jonas
MEEUS Jordi
HALLER Marco
HERZOG Emil
LÜHRS Luis-Joe
DENZ Nico
MULLEN Ryan
VAN POPPEL Danny
Cofidis
ALLEGAERT Piet
DE GENDT Aimé
DEBEAUMARCHÉ Nicolas
MAHOUDO Nolann
NOPPE Christophe
RENARD Alexis
ZINGLE Axel
Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale
GAUTHERAT Pierre
BOASSON HAGEN Edvald
NAESEN Oliver
DE BONDT Dries
DE PESTEL Sander
POLLEFLIET Gianluca
TOUZÉ Damien
TRONCHON Bastien
EF Education-EasyPost
BETTIOL Alberto
BISSEGGER Stefan
DOULL Owain
HONORÉ Mikkel Frølich
POWLESS Neilson
RUTSCH Jonas
VALGREN Michael
Groupama-FDJ
KÜNG Stefan
ASKEY Lewis
BYSTRØM Sven Erik
LE GAC Olivier
MADOUAS Valentin
RUSSO Clément
WATSON Samuel
INEOS Grenadiers
TARLING Joshua
NARVÁEZ Jhonatan
ROWE Luke
SHEFFIELD Magnus
SWIFT Ben
SWIFT Connor
TURNER Ben
Lidl-Trek
HOOLE Daan
PEDERSEN Mads
DECLERCQ Tim
KIRSCH Alex
MILAN Jonathan
SKUJIŅŠ Toms
STUYVEN Jasper
THEUNS Edward
Movistar
LAZKANO Oier
CANAL Carlos
CAVAGNA Rémi
GARCÍA CORTINA Iván
JACOBS Johan
MILESI Lorenzo
ROMEO Iván
Team dsm-firmenich PostNL
DEGENKOLB John
BEVIN Patrick
BITTNER Pavel
EDDY Patrick
EEKHOFF Nils
FLYNN Sean
MÄRKL Niklas
Team Jayco AlUla
MATTHEWS Michael
DURBRIDGE Luke
JANSEN Amund Grøndahl
MEZGEC Luka
O'BRIEN Kelland
REINDERS Elmar
WALSCHEID Max
UAE Team Emirates
WELLENS Tim
OLIVEIRA Ivo
BJERG Mikkel
COVI Alessandro
HIRSCHI Marc
MORGADO António
POLITT Nils
Israel-Premier Tech
FUGLSANG Jakob
BOIVIN Guillaume
HOULE Hugo
NEILANDS Krists
STEWART Jake
TEUNS Dylan
VAN ASBROECK Tom
Lotto-Dstny
BEULLENS Cedric
CAMPENAERTS Victor
DE BUYST Jasper
EENKHOORN Pascal
GRIGNARD Sébastien
VAN MOER Brent
BERCKMOES Jenno
Uno-X Mobility
KRISTOFF Alexander
ABRAHAMSEN Jonas
HOELGAARD Markus
BLUME LEVY William
RESELL Erik Nordsæter
TILLER Rasmus
WÆRENSKJOLD Søren
Bingoal-WB
DE MEESTER Luca
DE TIER Floris
DESAL Ceriel
VAN BOVEN Luca
VAN ROOY Kenneth
VAN DER BEKEN Aaron
VERMOOTE Jelle
Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team
CHRISTEN Fabio
DEVRIENDT Tom
LUDVIGSSON Tobias
STEIMLE Jannik
ZUKOWSKY Nickolas
Team Flanders-Baloise
CLAEYS Arno
COLMAN Alex
DE VYLDER Lindsay
DE WILDE Gilles
DEWEIRDT Siebe
VAN HEMELEN Vincent
VANHOOF Ward
VANDENSTORME Dylan
Tudor Pro Cycling Team
TRENTIN Matteo
BOHLI Tom
ERIKSSON Jacob
KELEMEN Petr
KRIEGER Alexander
MAYRHOFER Marius
PLUIMERS Rick
Tour of Flanders 2024 women's start list
Team SD Worx-Protime
VOLLERING Demi
KOPECKY Lotte
BREDEWOLD Mischa
REUSSER Marlen
MAJERUS Christine
WIEBES Lorena
AG Insurance-Soudal Team
BOOGAARD Maaike
BORGSTRÖM Julia
GOOSSENS Marthe
(LE COURT) PIENAAR Kimberley
PLUIMERS Ilse
RIJNBEEK Maud
Canyon//SRAM Racing
NIEWIADOMA Katarzyna
CROMWELL Tiffany
CHABBEY Elise
DYGERT Chloe
PALADIN Soraya
TOWERS Alice
CERATIZIT-WNT Pro Cycling Team
ARZUFFI Alice Maria
BERTON Nina
FIDANZA Arianna
JASKULSKA Marta
KERBAOL Cédrine
LACH Marta
FDJ-SUEZ
GUAZZINI Vittoria
ADEGEEST Loes
CURINIER Léa
KRAAK Amber
VERHULST-WILD Gladys
WIEL Jade
Fenix-Deceuninck
PIETERSE Puck
CANT Sanne
COUZENS Millie
DE WILDE Julie
KASTELIJN Yara
KUIJPERS Evy
SCHWEINBERGER Christina
Human Powered Health
CORDON-RAGOT Audrey
EDWARDS Ruth
GROSSETÊTE Maëlle
KASPER Romy
WILLIAMS Lily
RAGUSA Katia
Lidl-Trek
LONGO BORGHINI Elisa
BALSAMO Elisa
BRAND Lucinda
DEIGNAN Elizabeth
HANSON Lauretta
VAN ANROOIJ Shirin
Liv AlUla Jayco
HOWE Georgie
KOREVAAR Jeanne
MANLY Alexandra
PATE Amber
PATERNOSTER Letizia
SMULDERS Silke
Movistar
SIERRA Arlenis
BIANNIC Aude
NORSGAARD Emma
GUTIÉRREZ Sheyla
MACKAIJ Floortje
RUIZ PÉREZ Lucía
Roland
CHRISTOFOROU Antri
COLES-LYSTER Maggie
COLLINELLI Sofia
DRONOVA-BALABOLINA Tamara
NGUYỄN Thị Thật
PIRRONE Elena
Team dsm-firmenich PostNL
GEORGI Pfeiffer
BARALE Francesca
KOCH Franziska
NELSON Josie
SMITH Abi
CIABOCCO Eleonora
Team Visma-Lease a Bike
VOS Marianne
ACHTEREEKTE Carlijn
NOOIJEN Lieke
RIEDMANN Linda
VAN EMPEL Fem
VIGIE Margaux
Uno-X Mobility
CONFALONIERI Maria Giulia
ANDERSEN Susanne
BARKER Elinor
BERG EDSETH Marte
BOILARD Simone
KOSTER Anouska
Cofidis
ALZINI Martina
BERTEAU Victoire
FORTIN Valentine
KERN Špela
ROY Sarah
VAN HAAFTEN Kirstie
Arkéa-B&B Hotels
CLAES Lotte
COLJÉ Maaike
DRUMMOND Michaela
FAHLIN Emilia
MORICHON Anais
SQUIBAN Maëva
Chevalmeire
BEX Nathalie
ERIKSEN Malin
DOBBELAERE Jana
KIEKENS Cleo
NILSSON Hanna
WATTS Emily
EF Education-Cannondale
KESSLER Nina
BORGHESI Letizia
JACKSON Alison
LABECKI Coryn
RÜEGG Noemi
FAULKNER Kristen
Lifeplus-Wahoo
BURLOVÁ Kristýna
FRANZ Heidi
GONZÁLEZ Alicia
HARRIS Ella
RICHARDSON Kate
RYSZ Kaja
Lotto Dstny Ladies
DE JONG Thalita
AINTILA Wilma
DE KEERSMAEKER Audrey
BASTIAENSSEN Fauve
DOCX Mieke
VAN DE GUCHTE Quinty
Proximus-Cyclis CT
AERNOUTS Amber
BOSKAMP Lente
DE GROOT Marieke
LÓPEZ Marga
MEERTENS Lone
VEERMAN Deborah
Team Coop-Repsol
RÅNES BYE Camilla
GRANGIER India
GREENWOOD Monica
HAUGSET Sigrid Ytterhus
JØRGENSEN Tiril
TACEY April
VolkerWessels
DEMEY Valerie
DIJKSTRA Anneke
JANSEN Eline
MEERT Marieke
SOUREN Scarlett
VANPACHTENBEKE Margot
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