clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

BREAKING: Flemish Calendar in Major Shakeup

According to Sporza and other sources, the UCI and Belgian Federation have agreed to a series of changes to the calendar for the Cobbles, effective immediately. The biggest moving piece is Gent-Wevelgem, previously sandwiched between the Ronde and Paris-Roubaix monuments, but will now take place the Sunday prior to the Tour of Flanders. This has dislodged Brabantse Pijl, which according to a bad Google translation will move to Wednesday before de Ronde. G-W's traditional midweek spot will be taken by the Scheldeprijs, formerly a week later after Paris-Roubaix. What becomes of the E3 Prijs and Dreidaagse de Panne is unknown. The new calendar would be:

March 28, 2010: Gent-Wevelgem

April 4: Tour of Flanders

April 7: Scheldeprijs

April 11: Paris-Roubaix

April 14: Brabantse Pijl [Fixed]

Presumably the E3 will park behind all of these, or match up again with the Brabant Arrow as a mid-week 1-2. Dreidaagse... maybe a week earlier. Who knows?

Please fill in any of the massive gaps here as details emerge, including the wherefores. I suspect G-W will get much more play in this slot than it had, as E3 was something of a bigger deal in recent years. Then there's probably money and power involved, tied to who owns which races. Also, the UCI mentioned something about a "Flemish Week Project," which either refers to the existing Vlaamse Wielerweek as it stood, or some movement to do different things to it. Stay tuned.