Pezcyclingnews: Roadside Flanders!

Ro-dan-i-a, Ro-dan-i-a So sings the loudhailer announcing the approach of the race. And we only have moments to wait before the whole mad procession passes by in a cloud of noise and dust, car horns and shouts of encouragement from the fans lining the side of the cobbles. We kicked the morning off with an easy start by strolling down to the VIP area where the team buses would park and the riders would get set-up. Pete from Velo Classic Tours has friends everywhere here in Europe and had wangled us guest passes into this cordoned off square in the heart of Bruges. There werent many buses when we got there but our timing was perfect as the bigger teams began to roll in.Movistar pulled up alongside MTN-Qhubeka but the big buzz was when the Sky bus nosed into the square flanked by its Jaguar team vehicles. We were keen to see the new rear suspension on the Sky Pinarellos and somehow ended up on the wrong side of the barrier meant to keep everyone backmaybe it was the right side because the team mechanics didnt seem bothered that we were there and we got a good look at the new kit.Moving around the now busy square we noticed FDJ boss Marc Madiot standing passing the time in a very relaxed wayhe would maybe not be so relaxed by the end of the day to have one of his team vehicles as good as written off when it was rear-ended...

View the full article