Omloop Het Nieuwsblad

Winners podium 2015 (from left to right): Niki Terpstra , Ian Stannard and Tom Boonen

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad , called Omloop Het Volk up to and including 2008 , is a cycling race in the Belgian province of East Flanders .

The one-day race represents the Belgian season opener and is considered a semi-classic . It is usually played on the last Saturday in February or the first Saturday in March. The race is characterized by mostly bad weather (snow or rain often falls), numerous steep climbs and sections with cobblestones .

The competition was added to the UCI WorldTour calendar starting with the 2017 season .

history

The race was first held under the name Omloop van Vlaanderen in 1945, organized by the progressive newspaper Het Volk . The race was intended to compete with the Tour of Flanders , which had lost credibility due to allegations of collaboration between the organizer of Het Nieuwsblad , Karel Van Wijnendaele , and the German occupiers. The first winner was the Belgian Jean Bogaerts . At the beginning, the race was also known as Gent-Gent because some newspapers did not want to give the competition additional publicity. In 1947, under pressure from Het Nieuwsblad , the race was renamed Omloop Het Volk to avoid confusing the two races. The feud between the two newspapers lasted for decades until "ironically genoeg" Het Volk was taken over by Het Nieuwsblad . In the meantime the race was subtitled "Gent – ​​Lokeren". From 2008 the race will be organized by Het Nieuwsblad and often climb the same climbs as the Tour of Flanders.

The 1960 race was not held because the organizers had fallen out with the Union Cycliste Internationale . The world federation had given preferential treatment to other Belgian spring races when setting the racing calendar, which is why the race was canceled in protest. In 1955, 1974 and 1988 there had been heavy snowfalls the night before the race, but the implementation could still be guaranteed. The 1971 race had been postponed by three weeks due to snowfall, but just on the day of the race a thaw set in. In 1986 and 2004 it had snowed so hard that the race had to be canceled for safety reasons.

In 2019, the women's peloton started ten minutes after the men's field. The Swiss cyclist Nicole Hanselmann was able to pull away and finally reached the end of the men's field, whereupon the race management stopped her and the entire women's race so that the two races did not mix. This decision by the race management met with a mixed response from the public. Hanselmann was then allowed to start with a lead, but this time her pursuers quickly caught up with them, passed them and reached 74th place.

route

The Omloop Het Volk / Het Nieuwsblad begins and ends in Ghent , but from 1996 to 2007 the destination was in Lokeren, 20 kilometers to the northeast . After leaving the city, the route leads south to the Hellingen , the short and steep climbs that characterize many Flemish races. The Oude Kwaremont after 50 kilometers is a two kilometer climb on a cobblestone road.

In 2018 the race ended with a new route after 196 kilometers in Ninove , starting in Ghent. The last 60 kilometers were identical to the route of the Tour of Flanders. A race over 122 kilometers was planned for the women.

winner

Professionals / elite
2020 Jasper Stuyven  2019 Zdeněk Štybar 2018 Michael Valgren 2017 Greg Van Avermaet 2016 Greg Van Avermaet 2015 Ian Stannard 2014 Ian Stannard 2013 Luca Paolini 2012 Sep Vanmarcke 2011 Sebastian Langeveld 2010 Juan Antonio Flecha 2009 Thor Hushovd 2008 Philippe Gilbert 2007 Filippo Pozzato 2006 Philippe Gilbert 2005 Nick Nuyens 2004 not held (snowfall) 2003 Johan Museeuw 2002 Peter Van Petegem 2001 Michele Bartoli 2000 Johan Museeuw 1999 Frank Vandenbroucke 1998 Peter Van Petegem 1997 Peter Van Petegem 1996 Tom Steels 1995 Franco Ballerini	1994 Wilfried Nelissen 1993 Wilfried Nelissen 1992 Johan Capiot 1991 Andreas Kappes 1990 Johan Capiot 1989 Etienne De Wilde 1988 Ronny Van Holen 1987 Teun van Vliet 1986 not held (snowfall) 1985 Eddy Planckaert 1984 Eddy Planckaert 1983 Alfons De Wolf 1982 Alfons De Wolf 1981 Jan Raas 1980 Joseph Bruyère 1979 Roger De Vlaeminck 1978 Freddy Maertens 1977 Freddy Maertens 1976 Willem Peeters 1975 Joseph Bruyère 1974 Joseph Bruyère 1973 Eddy Merckx 1972 Frans Verbeeck 1971 Eddy Merckx 1970 Frans Verbeeck	1969 Roger De Vlaeminck 1968 Herman Van Springel 1967 Willy Vekemans 1966 Jo de Roo 1965 Noél De Pauw 1964 Frans Melckenbeek 1963 René Van Meenen 1962 Robert De Middeleir 1961 Arthur De Cabooter 1960 not held 1959 Seamus Elliott 1958 Joseph Planckaert 1957 Norbert Kerckhove 1956 Ernest Sterckx 1955 Lode Anthonis 1954 Karel De Baere 1953 Ernest Sterckx 1952 Ernest Sterckx 1951 Jean Bogaerts 1950 André Declerck 1949 André Declerck 1948 Sylvain Grysolle 1947 Albert Sercu 1946 André Pieters 1945 Jean Bogaerts
U23 / amateurs
2018 Erik Nordsaeter Resell  2017 Tanguy Turgis  2016 Elias Van Breussegem  2015 Floris Gerts  2014 Dimitri Claeys 2013 Dimitri Claeys 2012 Sander Helven 2011 Tom Van Asbroeck 2010 Jarl Salomein 2009 Laurens De Vreese 2008 Joeri Clauwaert 2007 Device Dockx 2006 Dominique Cornu 2005 Nick Ingels 2004 Stijn Vandenbergh 2003 Preben Van Hecke 2002 Johan Vansummeren 2001 Gert Steegmans 2000 Gorik Gardeyn 1999 Kevin Hulsmans 1998 Wesley Huvaere 1997 Leif Hoste 1996 Steven Van Malderghem	1995 Danny In 't Ven 1994 Patrick Ruyloft 1993 Mario Liboton 1992 Rufin De Smet 1991 Stéphane Hennebert 1990 Patrick Van Roosbroeck 1989 Pascal De Roeck 1988 Johnny Dauwe 1987 Benny Heylen 1986 Peter Roes 1985 Marc Sprangers 1984 Carlo Bomans 1983 Franky Van Oyen 1982 Alain Lippens 1981 Willem Van Eynde 1980 Johny Broers 1979 Peter Zijerveld 1978 François Caethoven 1977 Gérard Mak 1976 Jacques Vooys 1975 Jean-Luc Vandenbroucke 1974 Hans Koot 1973 Gerrie Knetemann	1972 Freddy Maertens 1971 not held 1970 Frans Verhaegen 1969 Emile Cambré 1968 Joseph Schoeters 1967 Pol Mahieu 1966 Marcel Maes 1965 Robert Legein 1964 Hubert Criel 1963 Jozef Timmerman 1962 Léon Lenaerts 1961 Em. Verbiest 1960 not held 1959 Willy Declercq 1958 Lucien Stevens 1957 A. Auwers 1956 Gustaaf De Smet 1955 Gabriel Borra 1954 Piet de Jongh 1953 Rik Van Looy 1952 Gilbert Van de Wiele 1951 R. Vercaemer 1950 Georges Vermeersch
Juniors 2010 Dylan Teuns 2009 Bob Schoonbroodt 2008 Wouter Haan 2007 Kirill Posdnyakov 2006 Evaldas Šiškevičius 2005 Klaas Lodewyck 2004 Wim Van Hoolst 2003 Jan Bakelants 2002 Joost van Leijen 2001 Artūrs Ansons 2000 Peter Möhlmann	Women 2020 Annemiek van Vleuten  2019 Chantal Blaak  2018 Christina Siggaard  2017 Lucinda Brand  2016 Elizabeth Armitstead  2015 Anna van der Breggen 2014 Amy Pieters 2013 Tiffany Cromwell 2012 Loes Gunnewijk 2011 Emma Johansson 2010 Emma Johansson 2009 Suzanne de Goede 2008 Kirsten Wild 2007 Mie Bekker Lacota 2006 Suzanne de Goede

Web links

• Official website
• Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in the ProCyclingStats.com database
• The women's race in the ProCyclingStats.com database
• The U23 race in the ProCyclingStats.com database
• The junior race in the ProCyclingStats.com database

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Belgian Nuyens wins semi-classic Het Volk. In: rad-net.de. February 26, 2005, accessed December 12, 2017 . 
2. ↑ ^{a b c d e} Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. In: wielergeschiedenis.be. Retrieved December 12, 2017 . 
3. ↑ Eschborn-Frankfurt will be part of the WorldTour from 2017. radsport-news.com, August 2, 2016, accessed August 5, 2016 . 
4. ↑ Het Volk (Ed.): Openings Klasieker Omloop Het Volk . Amsterdam February 26, 2000, p. 1 (Dutch).
5. ↑ Omloop Het Volk geannuleerd. In: gva.be. February 28, 2004, accessed December 13, 2017 (Dutch). 
6. ↑ Florian Sädler: Rad: Nicole Hanselmann too fast for the men - race stopped. In: welt.de . March 4, 2019, accessed March 5, 2019 . 
7. ↑ jtp: Nieuw parcours Omloop Het Nieuwsblad voorgesteld. In: standaard.be. December 5, 2017, accessed December 13, 2017 (Dutch).