At the age of 39 here is Alejandro Valverde to face the famous walls and the difficult paving for the first timeé of the Tour of Flanders. He does it wearing the rainbow jersey but as an authentic outsider in the predictions on the eve of the second classic-monument. Dto a sample like the murcian, born fighter, great ruler of the Ardennes, there is But to expect everything even in a race that sees him as a rookie. PFor the first time in many years not even Peter History is in the trio of super favourites: triumphant in 2016 the former three-times consecutive world champion seems to have lost some of that unbridled will to win that led him to be the runner Great popular in every classic in which he took part. But after failing the Sanremo goal for the ninth time, with a start to the season without great highlights behind him, Sagan could find the day of waiting at the finish line in Oudenaarde revenge.
Before History – quoted 9 – in the favor of bookmakers there are – all three given a 7,50 - three cyclo-cross champions cthey have hoarded well eight world titles: the Czech Zdenek Stybar, winner of the recent E3 ad Harelbeke, the Belgian Wout FROM Aert and Dutch Mathieu Van of Poel, first in the last Cross by Flanders (Through Flanders). None of them have ever won the Ronde and not even a classic monument. FROM of Poel he is a son of art as well as a nephew of Raymond Poulidor, the eternal beaten by Jacques Anquetil. Van Aert – sixth in the last Sanremo – is his second experience on the walls Flemings after ninth place last year. Stybar, twice second to Roubaix, faces the Ronde for the seventh time after being in the top three times th of the order of arrival.
A race open also due to the riskiness of the route, where the element of good fortune has always played a role that is by no means negligible, this year's Ronde does not present in its start-list riders who have already won it twice so no one will be able to undermine the record of three victories which is in the palmares of six world pedal greats: Achilles Buysse (1940-41-43), Fiorenzo Magni (1949-50-51), Eric Leman (1970-72-73), Johan Museum (1993-95-98), Tom Boonen (2005-06-12) and Fabian Cancellara (2010-13-14). Beyond History there is however a pool of previous winners whois on a good day, they might catch a prestigious bis starting with last year's winner, the Dutch Niki Terpstra which on Sunday will run with race number no. 1 followed by the Norwegian Alexer Kristoff, triumphant in 2015 in front of the same Tepstra, which comes on the strength of its recent success in the Ghent-Wevelgem and dal Belgian Philippe Gilbert, protagonist of an exceptional solo in the 2017 edition.
He never won it but from years he has always been one of the main protagonists placing twice second and once third, Greg Van Avermaet is still a customer to keep an eye on also in the 2019 edition, where it appears with the new jersey of CC Team after the withdrawal from racing of the American bmc. The Rio Olympic champion, big winner of the Roubaix 2017, not for nothing is listed at 9 on a par with History. Less popular but not forgotten al counters of the bets are the names of the Luxembourg Bob Jungels, the tedesco sword butt , of the Belgians Yves Lampaert , Tjesi Benoot and Oliver nose (provided that the latter overcomes the attack of bronchitis that hit him days ago – it is said – due to the freezing rain of champagne on the podium of the Cross by Vlanderen). As for the Italians, with Nibali at home e Aru forced into a long ordeal for health reasons, the only one taken into consideration in pronostici is Matthew Trentino, listed as 25 par with sword butt.
