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58th Omloop Het Volk - 1.1
Belgium, March 1, 2003
Main page Riding the Het Volk parcours
Course Description
In a slight change of location, the 58th Omloop Het Volk gets under way from outside the S.M.A.K,Gent's Museum of Contemporary Art, located in the Citadelpark near the middle of the city. To show that sport and art go hand in hand, the museum is opening its doors from 9am to 6pm for free admission to cycling fans. In the press this week, Eddy Merckx has been called "Michelangelo", while Briek Schotte "an expressionist". They take their cycling seriously here.
The riders will leave the S.M.A.K at 11:30am, with the official start on the outskirts of the city at 11:45. From there, the riders travel straight down to Oudenaarde on the main road. This is no Tour of Flanders, and there is no time to explore other parts of the country. The straight, wide roads continue all the way down to Kluisbergen (km 37), where the first of ten climbs in the race is located. This is a well known asphalt climb, measuring 1.1 km and averaging 6%, with the steepest part at the top. Certainly not decisive, but an indication that the race has really started.
From there, the parcours follows a traditional Ronde Van Vlaanderen route, with the narrow and steepish Côte de Trieu (km 44) coming shortly after Kluisbergen. After this climb, the riders descend on the main road back into Kluisbergen and turn right and right again onto the Oude Kwaremont. At 2.2 km, this is the longest climb in the race and it's cobbles are not easily ridden over. However it also comes quite early on, meaning that the pace and the weather will have to be really hard for there to be a decisive split on this climb.
The Muziekbos (Climb 4) is only 6 km after the Kwaremont, but it's short and shouldn't pose a big problem. After that there are 25 km of undulating roads and wind, before the riders get to Geraardsbergen. Although this isn't a particularly tough part of the race, attacks can often go here while the peloton is relaxing. Once they reach Geraardsbergen, they ride up the Muur, approaching it from a slightly different direction - they miss the first cobbled part in favour of a steeper asphalt road, then head up the final 500m of ancient cobbles.
Another 15 km of long, straight, concrete slab roads follow before the race reaches Brakel, where it heads up the Valkenberg climb. This is another short climb (450m at 8%), which shouldn't present too many difficulties by itself. There might be a few sore legs by this stage though. The race continues to head back west, tackling the Eikenberg (km 113), followed by the Haaghoek (2300 m of flattish cobbles), then the Leberg (km 124) and Berendries (km 129). This section could well produce some more splits.
The 10th and final climb is the Molenberg (km 139), which is roughly cobbled and averages 10%, but is only short at 325m. However it is followed by the Paddenstraat section of cobbles near Zottegem at km 147, another 2300m of bone jarring. Although there are no more hills in the final 50 km, there are numerous flat cobbled sections, which can be just as decisive as a climb near the end of the race. The finish is on the Bergendriesstraat (N70) in Lokeren, which is quite close to Gent.
Also see: Riding the Het Volk parcours with fakta
Time Table
km km 41 43
gone to go km/h km/h
Gent
Neutral Start (S.M.A.K.) 11:30 11:30
Official Start 0 200 11:45 11:45
De Pinte 2 198 11:48 11:48
Nazareth
Eke 7 193 11:55 11:55
Zingem 11 189 12:01 12:00
Oudenaarde 20 180 12:14 12:13
Wortegem-Petegem
Petegem a/d Schelde 21 179 12:16 12:14
West-Vlaanderen
Avelgem
Kerkhove 30 170 12:29 12:27
Waarmaarde 33 167 12:33 12:31
Oost-Vlaanderen
Kluisbergen
Ruien 35 165 12:36 12:34
Climb 1: Kluisberg 37 163 12:39 12:37
1100 m - avg. 6% - max. 15%
Henegouwen
Mont de L'Enclus
Orroir 39 161 12:42 12:39
Amougies 41 159 12:45 12:42
Russeignies 42 158 12:46 12:44
Climb 2: Côte de Trieu 44 156 12:49 12:46
1100 m - avg. 8% - max. 13%
Oost-Vlaanderen
Kluisbergen
Kwaremont 44 156 12:49 12:46
Knokstraat, Drogenbroodstraat, Ronde van Vlaanderenstraat
Ronsebaan (N36) (voor dorpskern)
Berchem 47 153 12:54 12:51
Stationstraat, (voor) Parklaan, Bruggestraat
Broektestraat 48 152 12:55 12:52
Kwaremont 49 151 12:57 12:53
Kwaremontplein, Schilderstraat
Climb 3: Oude Kwaremont 51 149 13:00 12:56
2200 m - avg. 4% - max. 11% - 2200 m
Zandstraat (N425), Hotondberg Molen, Zandstraat (N425) 53 147 13:03 12:59
Kruisstraat (N425)
Ronse 56 144 13:07 13:03
Maarkedal
Nukerke 57 143 13:08 13:05
Ronse 59 141 13:11 13:07
Climb 4: Muziekbos 59 141 13:11 13:07
400 m - avg. 4% - max. 11%
Henegouwen
Ellezelles 62 138 13:16 13:11
Flobecq 64 136 13:19 13:14
Oost-Vlaanderen
Brakel
Everbeek 71 129 13:29 13:24
Priemstraat, Molenstraat, Steenweg (N493) 75 125 13:35 13:30
Geraardsbergen
Zarlardinge 78 122 13:39 13:34
Goeferdinge 79 121 13:41 13:35
Overboelare 80 120 13:42 13:37
Geraardsbergen 81 119 13:44 13:38
Renners: Vesten (t.h.v. Superette), Oudebergstraat 83 117 13:46 13:41
Climb 5: Muur 84 116 13:48 13:42
825 m - avg. 9% - max. 20% - 500 m
Onkerzele 86 114 13:51 13:45
Schendelbeke 88 112 13:54 13:48
Ophasselt 89 111 13:55 13:49
Bevoorrading 90 110 13:57 13:51
Lierde
Sint-Maria-Lierde 95 105 14:04 13:58
Brakel 99 101 14:10 14:03
Climb 6: Valkenberg 102 98 14:14 14:07
450 m - avg. 8% - max. 14%
Zegelsem 103 97 14:16 14:09
Horebeke
Sint-Kornelis-Horebeke 107 93 14:22 14:14
Maarkedal
Schorisse 110 90 14:26 14:18
Maarke-Kerkem 111 89 14:27 14:20
Climb 7: Eikenberg 113 87 14:30 14:23
1200 m - avg. 5% - max. 11% - 1200 m
Oudenaarde
Edelare 113 87 14:30 14:23
Volkegem 114 86 14:32 14:24
Mater 117 83 14:36 14:28
Matersplein 200 m, na 200m Keirestraat 118 82 14:38 14:30
Horebeke
Sint-Maria-Horebeke 120 80 14:41 14:32
Sint-Kornelis-Horebeke 121 79 14:42 14:34
Sint-Kornelisplein, Meersestraat, Haaghoek 2300 m
Brakel
Zegelsem 123 77 14:45 14:37
Climb 8: Leberg 124 76 14:46 14:38
600 m - avg. 4% - max. 16%
Elst 125 75 14:48 14:39
Michelbeke 127 73 14:51 14:42
Climb 9: Berendries 129 71 14:54 14:45
900 m - avg. 5% - max. 14%
Zottegem
Sint-Maria-Oudenhove 130 70 14:55 14:46
Zwalm
Rozebeke 133 67 15:00 14:51
Boembekestraat 300 m, Rozebekeplein
50m after the cobbles, Vijflindenlaan, Hooglaan (N415)
Sint-Blasius-Boekel 135 65 15:03 14:53
Horebeke
Sint-Maria-Horebeke 138 62 15:07 14:58
Zwalm
Sint-Denijs-Boekel 139 61 15:08 14:59
Climb 10: Molenberg 139 61 15:08 14:59
325 m - avg. 10% - max. 17% - 300 m
Wijlegem, Wijlegem (Witte Kapel) 140 60 15:10 15:00
Wijlegem, (omhoog) Wijlegem
Roborst 142 58 15:13 15:03
Borstekouterstraat, Borstekouterstraat 300 m,
Zottegem
Velzeke 144 56 15:16 15:06
Paddenstraat 2300 m
Romeinsplein, Lippenhovenstraat 1000 m, Lippenseweg 147 53 15:20 15:10
Provinciebaan (N46) 149 51 15:23 15:13
Elene 150 50 15:24 15:14
Oombergen 152 48 15:27 15:17
Oosterzele
Balegem 153 47 15:29 15:18
Oosterzele 158 42 15:36 15:25
Gijzenzele 159 41 15:38 15:27
Wetteren
Kwatrecht 161 39 15:41 15:30
(Kruising met N9) Brusselsesteenweg (N9) 162 38 15:42 15:31
Wetteren 163 37 15:44 15:32
Gentsesteenweg (N400), Felix Beernaertsplein 167 33 15:49 15:38
Kon. Astridlaan, Schelde, Nieuwe Brug, Kapellendries (N407)
Kalkensteenweg (N407) (richting Lokeren) 169 31 15:52 15:41
Laarne
Kalken 171 29 15:55 15:44
Provinciebaan (N407), Colmanstraat, Berlindestraat
Krimineelstraat, 's Gravenbrielplein 150 m
Krimineelstraat 350 m
Heirweg (N445), (past Café Schorpioen) 174 26 16:00 15:48
Steenbeekstraat 600 m , Nerenweg, Kleine Molenstraat 250m
Vaartstraat (N407), Kalken Dorp, Vromontstraat (N407) 176 24 16:03 15:51
Berring, Boombosstraat, Vaarschootstraat, Uitbergsestraat 178 22 16:05 15:53
Berlare
Overmere 180 20 16:08 15:56
Burgveldstraat, Molenstraat, 's Heeremeersstraatje
Koningstraat 700 m, Broekstraat
Lindestraat, Heistraat 500 m, Kerkstraat (N407) 182 18 16:11 15:59
Lokeren
Heieindestraat, na 200m aan bushalte Vogelzangstraat 1300m 184 16 16:14 16:02
Kerrebroeckstraat, Nieuwe Molenstraat 187 13 16:19 16:06
after 200m Beerveldestraat
Heieindestraat (N407) 189 11 16:22 16:09
Heiendestraat 4 x , Hillarestraat 192 8 16:26 16:13
Hillarestraat, na 100m Karlapperstraat, Eekstraat 193 7 16:27 16:14
after 10m Durmelaan, Markt 400 m 194 6 16:29 16:16
Grote Kaai, Sportlaan (rechter rijweg), Koning Albertlaan
Oude Bruglaan (N473), Rozenstraat (N473) 196 4 16:32 16:18
Antwerpsesteenweg (N70), Tweebruggenstraat (N70) 198 2 16:35 16:21
Bergendriesstraat (N70) 199 1 16:36 16:23
Finish 200 0
