This Wednesday, March 27, the 78th edition of the “Across Flanders” race will be held. The race will be a general rehearsal ahead of Sunday's Tour of Flanders. The Flemish classics season continues this Wednesday March 27 with the "Across Flanders" (in Dutch "Dwars door Vlaanderen"). After Ghent-Wevelgem last weekend, the one-day race specialists will once again have the opportunity to explain themselves on the "mini tour of Flanders" before the Monument, the "Ronde", scheduled from Sunday March 31. On the program, 188.6 kilometers in the heart of the Flemish Ardennes, with a succession of climbs and paved sectors, some of which will also be used ;s during the Tour of Flanders. In total, 11 listed climbs and 8 paved sectors. The first difficulty is of the day will arrive after 52 kilometers of racing, with the Hellestraat (1.5Km &at 3.5%). But it is in the last 100 kilometers that the difference will really be made, in the Ardennes carousel without any level of flat ground until # 39;à upon arrival. Most of the paved sectors will also be in this portion of the race, including the last passage on the Herlegemstraat (1100 m), à 5 km from the arrival, planned at Waregem. The Flandrian classic, however, will have to do this year without its last two winners. Indeed, the Frenchman Christophe Laporte, ill, was forced to withdraw from the competition. the last minute. He will not start on Wednesday or Sunday for the Tour of Flanders. This news is a hard blow for the Visma team | Lease a Bike and its leader Wout Van Aert. The Dutch team announced it. this Tuesday on his social networks, even if the rumor of his package had been circulating since his abandonment during Milan-San Remo and his non-participation in this match. l'E3 and & Ghent-Wevelgem. 
The route
Who are the favorites of "Across Flanders" ?
Unfortunately Christophe Laporte will not start Wednesday and Sunday in Dwars door Vlaanderen and the Ronde van Vlaanderen.
He is not sufficiently recovered from a stomach flu and a saddle sore.
— Team Visma | Lease a Bike (@vismaleaseabike) March 25, 2024
The other big absentee from this tour "Across Flanders" is Mathieu van der Poel. The world champion showed; limits this Sunday on Gant-Wevelgem, beaten by "stronger than him" in his own words, leaving the victory to Mads Petersen. After having continued the Milan-San Remo, E3 and therefore Ghent-Wevelgem in two weeks, MVDP is therefore skipping a race that it has already won. won twice (2019 and 2022) to recover and hope to raise your arms a third time on the "Ronde" Sunday.
Despite These absences, the competition will be fierce this Wednesday, with the return of Wout Van Aert, but also the presence of Mads Petersen and Jasper Philipsen. Among the outsiders, we will note the presence of Alberto Bettiol, winner of Milan-Turin this year, as well as the essentials Stefan Kung, Tim Wellens and Julian Alaphilippe.
Women's race
This Wednesday, March 27, the women's race "Across Flanders" will also be held, won last year by & ;nbsp;Demi Vollering. The start will be given &agrav; 2:30 p.m. for a 129-kilometer route around Waregem which will include 9 climbs and seven paved sectors.
Où can we look "Across Flanders" in France ?
This year, the race "Across Flanders" will be broadcast live at from 2:15 p.m. on Eurosport 1 and on the L'Equipe Channel.
The ranking of "Across Flanders" in 2023
- 1 – LAPORTE Christophe (Jumbo-Visma) the 183.7 km in 4:06:20 (44.7 ;nbsp;km/h)
- 2 – LAZKANO Oier (Movistar Team) + 0:15
- 3 – POWLESS Neilson (EF Education-EasyPost) m.t
- 4 – PHILIPSEN Jasper (Alpecin-Deceuninck) m.t
- 5 – PEDERSEN Mads (Trek – Segafredo) m.t
- 6 – DE LIE Arnaud (Lotto Dstny) m.t
- 7 – BALLERINI Davide ( Soudal – Quick Step) m.t
- 8 – PASQUALON Andrea (Bahrain – Victorious) m.t
- 9 – LE GAC Olivier (Groupama – FDJ) m.t
- 10 – POLITT Nils (BORA – hansgrohe) m.t