The dust after the 108th Tour of Flanders has gradually settled. Tomas Van Den Spiegel, CEO of organizer Flanders Classics, takes stock at X. About the popularity of his course and the pitfalls that come with it and about the course. “We may have to approach the Koppenberg differently in the future.”
Mathieu van der Poel and Elisa Longo Borghini are the winners of the 108th and 21st Tour of Flanders, but Flanders Classics can also be satisfied with this edition. “Even though it was Easter and local hero Wout van Aert was not there, we once again broke a spectator record,” Van Den Spiegel writes on X.
“There were more than 50,000 people at the Oude Kwaremont, an absolute record. But managing and spreading that audience will be very important in the future.”
“We must continue to educate fans when it comes to safety. They should stand behind the fences or on the side of the road, never on the road. Period.”
Van Den Spiegel also returned to the incidents with beer throwers and booers. “Supporting is about passion and must be positive. You must never compromise the integrity of the riders. Zero tolerance is the only way forward in that regard. These individuals should not be allowed to tarnish the image of our sport.”
Tomas Van Den Spiegel.
“We may have to approach the Koppenberg differently in the future”
One of the most striking images of this Tour was without a doubt the scene on the Koppenberg during the men’s race. Almost the entire platoon was suddenly there on foot and had to walk up.
“We may have to approach this differently in the future,” Van Den Spiegel admits. “The combination of the cycling tourists who ride on it on Saturday, the suppliers, the fans, the vehicles in the race and the late rainfall made the slope difficult for the men to negotiate. When the women had to pass, the layer of mud was already washed away.”
“We always have a plan B. And we also thought about that during the race. But changing the course at the last minute also has consequences for the safety of the peloton and the fans. Leaving the Koppenberg in the course was the safest option .”
“We have seen that the deletion of the Kanarieberg has created a safer course.”
“All in all, we can look back on a successful edition, but organizing a major event in a public space remains an enormous challenge.”
The platoon was on foot on the Koppenberg.
Tags: CEO Van Den Spiegel takes stock Tour tolerance unsportsmanlike fans solution
