Mar 31, 2006
Koppenberg On Foot?
Since its reintroduction into the Tour of Flanders in 2002 the fabled Koppenburg has been tackled on dry roads. This year, the Belgian weather returned to its normal Belgianess making the Koppenburg which tops out at 25% almost unclimable.
From the looks of the above picture, if a little guy like Paolo Bettini has a tough time, image a big guy like Boonen. They might have to pack their mountain biking shoes so they have enough traction to walk up the rest of the climb.
(The climb is still tough under dry conditions.)
(pic and profile from http://www.rvv.be)
The Koppenburg will be tough enough at least to thin out the field. With the climb coming 73km from the finish there is enough time for anyone with strenght to still be in a winning position. The only fear would be losing too much time, or getting run over by a car like Jesper Skibby in 1987, ouch.
Actually, I’ve been giving this one some thought, and I think heavier guys might have an advantage on the steep, wet cobbles, because their added body weight gives them more rear wheel traction.
It’s like riding a mountain bike up something steep and lose; you want to stand up to get more power, but can’t, because it shifts your weight off the rear wheel, causing it to spin out. The more weight on the rear wheel, the better the grip
Wesseman, Boonen, Tafi, Van Pet, all those guys weigh in at over 160lbs, and I think that mass helps them stand up for power on the steep, slick sections. But a little guy like Bettini (127lbs) might have a hard time keeping his tire from spinning even while seated. I know he’s got power, but I don’t think even he can ride up a 25% grade without standing up.