There will be a change to the closing stages of the 2010 Ronde van Vlaanderen, according to Marc De Braekeleer, the Mayor of the Belgian town of Lierde in an interview with Flemish broadcaster Radio MiG. The Eikenmolen, first introduced in 2007 and the launchpad for both of Quick Step rider Stijn Devolder’s victories, will not feature in the course this coming April.
The climb rises out of the village of St Maria-Lierde and, while it has an average gradient of just 5%, rises steeply to a maximum of 12% near the top where Devolder has successfully escaped in the previous two editions of the race. It was introduced in 2007 to break up an otherwise flat 17km between the cluster of hills around Brakel and the Muur-Kapelmuur in Geraardsbergen. If the course is to lose the Eikenmolen, it will likely either resort to the previous route or search out an alternative obstacle.
Devolder will also need to come up with a new plan if he is to emulate the great Fiorenzo Magni (1949-51) and complete a hat trick of three consecutive Ronde victories.