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89th Ronde van Vlaanderen - PT
Belgium, April 3, 2005
The 2005 Ronde parcours
By Jeff Jones
Measuring 256 km this year, the Ronde has its traditional start in Brugge and finish in Meerbeke (Ninove). Once again, it travels out to Oostende on the western coastline of Flanders before turning southwards to pass via Gistel, Torhout, Lichtervelde, Izegem and Kortrijk, then eastwards to Harelbeke, Waregem, Kruishoutem, Zwalm and Zottegem. Then it's back towards Oudenaarde for the notorious hill zone, that really defines this race.
The first climb is the steep, narrow, cobbled Molenberg after 143 km, a dangerous climb that often sees a huge sprint to the foot. Then it's onto the Wolvenberg, which is short and smooth but has a nasty 19% section in the middle. The third climb is the Oude Kwaremont after 172 km - 2.2 km long, cobbled, and averages 4.2%. This often creates some sort of early selection in the peloton, which will usually be chasing down an early break at this point.
It doesn't get much easier after the Kwaremont though, as the 12.5% cobbled beast that is the Paterberg follows a couple of kilometres later. Then it's on to the even more brutal Koppenberg after 183 km, which is considered the toughest climb in the race, although perhaps not as important as the Muur. The Koppenberg is 600m long and averages 11.6% on rough cobbles, with a leg killing maximum of 22%. Falls and traffic jams here are common, and those who caught up usually don't see the front again.
There is still a lot of riding to be done after the Koppenberg, which is only the fifth of 17 climbs in the race. The cobbled Steenbeekdries (7.6% average) follows 5 km later, then the Taaienberg (km 190), Eikenberg (km 195) (both cobbled), Boigneberg (km 199), Foreest (206), Steenberg (209), Haaghoek cobbles (km 210), Leberg 214) and Berendries (km 219). These latter climbs are smooth asphalt, but after peloton has been softened up by the previous cobbles, they will still hurt. The Berendries often sees a medium sized selection go away with all the candidates for the win up in front.
Climb number 14 is the Valkenberg (224 km), which has not been used in the Ronde since 1996. It's in Brakel, and will be an extra stab in the legs before Tenbosse (km 230), the third last climb. Then it's onto the Muur in Geraardsbergen, a 1 km cobbled climb averaging 9.2% that finishes with a 20% section near the top, which nearly always sees the winning move go clear. From the top in Geraardsbergen, it's only 16 km to the finish, with the Bosberg (1.3 km at 5%) at 12 km to go serving as the final obstacle. The winning breakaway has generally been established by this point, and it's just a matter of hammering down into Ninove for the slightly uphill sprint on the Hallebaan.
The parcours of the Ronde van Vlaanderen is not just about cobbled climbs. It's about narrow, twisting farm roads that are treacherous in the wet, and flat cobbled sections that serve to further deaden the legs: Wannegem (km 110, 400m + 200m), Doorn (km 111, 1700m), Paddestraat (km 131, 2400m), Mater/Kerkgate (km 148, 3000m), Kattenberg (km 153, 1200m, a descent), Mariaborrestraat (km 187, 2100m) and Haaghoek (km 210, 2000m).
Race map
Time schedule
km gone km to go 39 km/h 41 km/h 43 km/h
West-Vlaanderen
Brugge 0 256 9:40 9:40 9:40
Sint-Pieters 0 256 10:00 10:00 10:00
Zuienkerke
Meetkerke 2 254 10:03 10:03 10:03
Houthave 4 252 10:06 10:06 10:06
De Haan
Vlissegem 8 248 10:12 10:12 10:11
Bredene 16 240 10:25 10:23 10:22
Oostende 18 238 10:28 10:26 10:25
Stene 23 233 10:35 10:34 10:32
Middelkerke
Leffinge 26 230 10:40 10:38 10:36
Gistel
Snaaskerke 28 228 10:43 10:41 10:39
Gistel 30 226 10:46 10:44 10:42
Ichtegem
Eernegem 35 221 10:54 10:51 10:49
Ichtegem 38 218 10:58 10:56 10:53
Torhout 42 214 11:05 11:01 10:59
Lichtervelde 50 206 11:17 11:13 11:10
Ardooie
Koolskamp 56 200 11:26 11:22 11:18
Ardooie 60 196 11:32 11:28 11:24
Izegem
Emelgem 66 190 11:42 11:37 11:32
Izegem 68 188 11:45 11:40 11:35
Lendelede 72 184 11:51 11:45 11:40
Kortrijk
Heule 75 181 11:55 11:50 11:45
Kortrijk 80 176 12:03 11:57 11:52
Harelbeke 85 171 12:11 12:04 11:59
Waregem
Beveren-Leie 90 166 12:18 12:12 12:06
Desselgem 92 164 12:22 12:15 12:08
Waregem 94 162 12:25 12:18 12:11
Oost-Vlaanderen
Kruishoutem
Nokere 101 155 12:35 12:28 12:21
Kruishoutem 105 151 12:42 12:34 12:27
Wannegem-Lede 107 149 12:45 12:37 12:29
Wannegem 108 148 12:46 12:38 12:31
Lede 110 146 12:49 12:41 12:33
Zingem
Huise 111 145 12:51 12:42 12:35
Oudenaarde
Eine 111 145 12:51 12:42 12:35
Nederename 118 138 13:02 12:53 12:45
Welden 121 135 13:06 12:57 12:49
Zwalm
Nederzwalm 123 133 13:09 13:00 12:52
Munkzwalm 127 129 13:15 13:06 12:57
Roborst 130 126 13:20 13:10 13:01
Zottegem
Velzeke-Rudderhove 131 125 13:22 13:12 13:03
Strijpen 135 121 13:28 13:18 13:08
Zwalm
Roborst 138 118 13:32 13:22 13:13
Sint-Blasius-Boekel 139 117 13:34 13:23 13:14
Horebeke
Sint-Maria-Horebeke 142 114 13:38 13:28 13:18
Zwalm
Sint-Denijs-Boekel 143 113 13:40 13:29 13:20
Climb 1 Molenberg 143 113 13:40 13:29 13:20
Oudenaarde
Mater 145 111 13:43 13:32 13:22
Volkegem 151 105 13:52 13:41 13:31
Climb 2 Wolvenberg 153 103 13:55 13:44 13:33
Ename 153 103 13:55 13:44 13:33
Edelare 156 100 14:00 13:48 13:38
Oudenaarde 156 100 14:00 13:48 13:38
Bevere 159 97 14:05 13:53 13:42
Leupegem 160 96 14:06 13:54 13:43
Melden 161 95 14:08 13:56 13:45
Kluisbergen
Berchem 165 91 14:14 14:01 13:50
Kwaremont 170 86 14:22 14:09 13:57
Climb 3 Oude Kwaremont 172 84 14:25 14:12 14:00
Climb 4 Paterberg 176 80 14:31 14:18 14:06
Zulzeke 179 77 14:35 14:22 14:10
Oudenaarde
Melden 180 76 14:37 14:23 14:11
Climb 5 Koppenberg 183 73 14:42 14:28 14:15
Maarkedal
Etikhove 187 69 14:48 14:34 14:21
Climb 6 Steenbeekdries 188 68 14:49 14:35 14:22
Nukerke 189 67 14:51 14:37 14:24
Climb 7 Taaienberg 190 66 14:52 14:38 14:25
Etikhove 192 64 14:55 14:41 14:28
Maarke-Kerkem 194 62 14:58 14:44 14:31
Climb 8 Eikenberg 195 61 15:00 14:45 14:32
Climb 9 Boigneberg 199 57 15:06 14:51 14:38
Oudenaarde
Mater 199 57 15:06 14:51 14:38
Horebeke
Sint-Maria-Horebeke 202 54 15:11 14:56 14:42
Maarkedal
Schorisse 204 52 15:14 14:59 14:45
Horebeke
Sint-Maria-Horebeke 205 51 15:15 15:00 14:46
Climb 10 Foreest 206 50 15:17 15:01 14:47
Maarkedal
Schorisse 206 50 15:17 15:01 14:47
Horebeke
Sint-Kornelis-Horebeke 208 48 15:20 15:04 14:50
Climb 11 Steenberg 209 47 15:22 15:06 14:52
Sint-Maria-Horebeke 210 46 15:23 15:07 14:53
Sint-Kornelis-Horebeke 210 46 15:23 15:07 14:53
Brakel
Zegelsem 213 43 15:28 15:12 14:57
Climb 12 Leberg 214 42 15:29 15:13 14:59
Elst 215 41 15:31 15:15 15:00
Michelbeke 216 40 15:32 15:16 15:01
Sint-Maria-Oudenhove 218 38 15:35 15:19 15:04
Climb 13 Berendries 219 37 15:37 15:20 15:06
Nederbrakel 220 36 15:38 15:22 15:07
Climb 14 Valkenberg 224 32 15:45 15:28 15:13
Brakel 227 29 15:49 15:32 15:17
Climb 15 Tenbosse 230 26 15:54 15:37 15:21
Parike 232 24 15:57 15:40 15:24
Geraardsbergen
Zarlardinge 234 22 16:00 15:42 15:27
Goeferdinge 236 20 16:03 15:45 15:29
Geraardsbergen 238 18 16:06 15:48 15:32
Climb 16 Muur - Kapelmuur 240 16 16:09 15:51 15:35
Moerbeke 243 13 16:14 15:56 15:39
Climb 17 Bosberg 244 12 16:15 15:57 15:40
Vlaams-Brabant
Galmaarden 244 12 16:15 15:57 15:40
Oost-Vlaanderen
Geraardsbergen
Waarbeke 246 10 16:18 16:00 15:43
Nieuwenhove 247 9 16:20 16:01 15:45
Ninove
Denderwindeke 249 7 16:23 16:04 15:47
Meerbeke 253 3 16:29 16:10 15:53
Ninove 254 2 16:31 16:12 15:54
Meerbeke 255 1 16:32 16:13 15:56
