King of spring
Tomas Van Den Spiegel is excited. It’s late February and the CEO of the Flanders Classics organisation has tweeted a photograph of a barriered section of gently rising Belgian cobblestoned road. Underneath are the words: ‘Only three more sleeps. So ready.’
The following day he tweets a picture of the famous chapel on the Muur van Geraardsbergen and a simple: ‘Two!’
The opening weekend of the Classics is close and the 43-year-old head of one of cycle sport’s most influential race organisers is counting down the days like a child before Christmas. It’s great to see.
Cobbled together
Van Den Spiegel is still making his way into his office when he logs in for his call with Cyclist. It is early and he has a busy day ahead. Tomorrow brings the 2022 editions of the women’s and men’s Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, the first of this year’s Flanders Classics road races, and the curtain raisers for the spring Classics season. Hence those photos on Twitter.
‘We still have some last-minute issues but everything is looking good,’ Van Den Spiegel says as he walks. ‘We have some farmers that want to use the race tomorrow for a protest, so we will solve that today – it’s not the first time. Everything else is OK.’
The return of crowds
