E3 Harelbeke (E3 Prijs Vlaanderen) - contains spoilers

TheBlaaMan

With all the excitment of yesterdays Tour de Catalunya stage, this one might escape notice. Its not on live TV as far as I can see, but Eurosport have it slotted in at 4pm, so presumably highlights will be shown (& repeats overnight and tomorrow). Often quite an interesting precursor to the classics, especially Ronde van Vlaanderen which shares quite a bit of the route. Gent Wevelgem follows on Sunday. Anyway, here's some blurb on today's E3....

Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-Quickstep) is defending champion. Boonen also won four years in a row from 2004 to 2007. Also expected on the start line: Chavanel Syl., Sagan, Gilbert, Cancellara, Hushovd, Flecha, Degenkolb, Van Avermaet, Devolder, Boasson Hagen, Eisel, Bauer, Millar, Nuyens, Vansummeren, Bennati, Pozzato, Haussler, Hutarovich, Boom, Renshaw, Vanmarcke, Viviani, Beppu, Durbridge, De Kort, Cousin, Gaudin, Jerome, among others. - Friday's E3 Harelbeke (E3 Prijs Vlaanderen - Harelbeke) departs Harelbeke at 12:00pm CET (11 GMT) and is expected at the finish at Harelbeke at around 4:57pm CET (3.57 GMT).

E3 Harelbeke live streaming video should get underway at around 2:20pm CET (1:20pm GMT.........if you can find a stream).

Route map



and attached is PDF with profile of the various Hellingen

Zyzz

Stream, dutch commentary unfortunately until Eurosport pick it up!

http://sports-livez.com/channel/ch-5.php

Chips Lovell

Eurosport are showing delayed coverage, after the Volta, it seems.

johnk123

Euro sport! http://88.80.5.80/w00t/20130321/vv514b234a5a2c6223371467-546731.html

Darkglasses

Now my Dutch isn't perfect but I believe Cancellara is Kop von de Wedstrijd...Head of the race?

mistermatthew

Cancellara just went superman. 50seconds on his own and growing. Looking good for the big man,

downwiththatsor

Commentary back

Darkglasses

Cancellara leads by about a minute, in the second group is Chavanel, Sagan (I think) and a few others. Boonen is in the group behind them, along with Ian Stannard and EBH. After that is the main group, which is 1.44 behind Fabian.

25km to go.

Flandria

Cancellara doing his one trick pony thing in his annual benefit race. It's quite a trick though! A devastating return to peak form, and just at the right time for RVV and PR

*mouthwatering if you are going to be in Bruges next week*;)

Flandria

Yikes - spoke too soon. He is blowing up, and it's going to be an awful lot closer than it looked 5 kilometres ago

Kav0777

Flandria wrote: »

Yikes - spoke too soon. He is blowing up, and it's going to be an awful lot closer than it looked 5 kilometres ago

Wish I could go that speed after I blow up.....

Darkglasses

Not sure whether to put spoilers in for the people who've just turned on the highlights on after the Volta.

Spartacus has it won. Sagan et al to compete for podium places

Darkglasses

Sagan and Oss second and third, then Thomas, Langeveld. Boonen 7th.

dastardly00

Arrrgh absolute shambolic highlights from Eurosport. They showed the race from the last 100km to 55km, then take an ad break, and then continue on with 27km to go. They didn't show the defining moment of the race!

*shakes fist*

mistermatthew

dastardly00 wrote: »

Arrrgh absolute shambolic highlights from Eurosport. They showed the race from the last 100km to 55km, then take an ad break, and then continue on with 27km to go. They didn't show the defining moment of the race!

*shakes fist*

Yeah, I watched it live and eurosport lost commentary from like 50 to 30k, so i assume this was cut from highlights because commentary missing.

Poor showing all in all. Basically big fab went fab on one of the little hills and no one could keep up.

sy

More shaking of fist !! Great coverage but the editors haven't a clue.

TheBlaaMan

35km left, Fabian has had enough of the pesky wheelsuckers..........time to go

Inquitus

Good to see Spartacus in such good form, have a dislike for Sagan and his antics so hopefully this is a sign of the rest of the classics!