Cobblestones in June
Most of the classic Belgian cobbled races are held in March and April, but throughout the year there are still races of this type taking place in the country. This is the case of the Brussels Cycling Classic, the new name given in 2013 to the century-old Paris-Brussels, which takes place this Sunday, June 8.
Route
The course includes three ascents of the legendary Muur van Geraardsbergen (1.2 km at 7.4%), three of the Bosberg (1 km at 6.1%), and another three of the Congoberg (1.1 km at 4.3%) in the central part of the race. The final section, without major difficulties, could allow for a regrouping. In total, the route covers 205 km and 1900 meters of positive elevation gain.
Favorites
Tim Merlier (1000), Biniam Girmay (1000), Tibor Del Grosso (200), Arnaud De Lie (800), Jonas Abrahamsen (600), Alexander Kristoff (600), Arnaud Démare (400), Milan Fretin (400), Sam Welsford (400), Pavel Bittner (400), Tobias Lund Andresen (600), Mike Teunissen (400), Max Kanter (400), Hugo Hofstetter (200), Milan Menten (400), Giacomo Nizzolo (200), Thibaud Gruel (200), Sandy Dujardin (200), Arvid De Klein (200) and Lukáš Kubiš (200) are among the top favorites.
Photo: © Flanders Classics / Brussels Cycling Classic