Sterrato in Belgium
Dwars door Het Hageland has been held since 2001, but it was in 2016 when the organization of the race decided to introduce unpaved sections on the route, which led to the talk in Belgium of “the Strade Bianche of the North”. In reality, it is more of a hybrid between the famous Tuscan classic and the traditional Flemish classics, as it mixes sections of sterrato with cobblestone sectors.
Route
As has become usual in recent years, the race will start in Aarcschot and will end in Diest, both towns in the Belgian region of Flemish Brabant. Between one town and the other there are only 18 km of distance, so the route includes several laps of different lengths to make the most of the unpaved roads and the explosive climbs that the orography of the region offers.
For this 2021 edition, the race has a route of 177 km, of which more than 40 pass through unpaved or cobbled areas. The finish line is located at the top of the citadel of Diest (0.5 km at 3.7%), where the riders will have to climb up to 4 times in the course of the day.
Favorites
It seems clear that the startlist will be made up mostly of Belgian and Dutch runners. Alpecin - Fenix presents a very competitive team, with title holder Jonas Rickaert (200), Belgian champion Dries de Bondt (200), sprinter Tim Merlier (400) and Gianni Vermeersch (200) who has proven to be in a great shape this 2021. Other candidates for victory are Yves Lampaert (600), Sep Vanmarcke (400) or Nils Eekhoff (200).
However, with only 5 days left until the race, the star list is still in early stages, so we’ll have to watch out for new registrations.