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A fan’s eye view of Flanders

Image: Neil snaps Luke Rowe feeling the hurt

Neil Care shares his experiences after hopping over the English Channel to support Team Sky at the Tour of Flanders.

The inside line on following Team Sky

After receiving many favourable responses to his first Classics fan blog, we invited Neil Care to share his experiences once again as he hopped over the English Channel to support Team Sky at the Tour of Flanders. We hope Neil’s writing will inspire you to watch Team Sky in person, and we can’t wait to see you on the road. Take it away Neil! Having crossed the Channel seven times already this season to follow Team Sky, the Tour of Flanders was the race I’d been looking forward to most. It is, in my opinion, the best one-day race of the year and the roadside atmosphere there far exceeds anything I’ve experienced anywhere else. I was out of bed before my alarm went off and after the ferry crossing to Calais, I had a two-hour drive to Oudenaarde where I caught a free shuttle bus to the iconic Oude Kwaremont. This is one of 17 cobbled climbs on the route, and the fact it featured three times during the race made it the perfect vantage point. The bus was packed and a cameraman from a Belgian TV crew had to lie in the luggage rack to get a shot of the passengers as they chanted songs of support for their national hero, Tom Boonen. As soon as we’d got on the Kwaremont, the madness began. A brass band was playing and alcohol was being heavily consumed by the locals. The bars, burgers and hot dog stands were also doing a roaring trade, and this was hours before anything had even happened! The atmosphere was electric, and whilst it’s true that the Belgians love their cycling, I have noticed the number of British voices at this, and other races, has definitely increased over the years. As I made my way up the climb, everywhere I looked people were following suit, carrying chairs, banners, picnics - and in many cases - crates of beer. Viewed from the air it would have resembled an army of ants marching back to their nest with food and spoils for the Queen. I picked my spot half way up the climb and settled down to await the main event. A couple of hours later the roadside was packed. I had a great spot to take photos and snapped away when the initial break swept through. Five minutes later the main bunch swarmed up the hill and the cheers that preceded them was like a tsunami rolling up the hill. I saw Luke, Geraint, Christian and Salvatore, and shouted encouragement as they flashed by... I even got a wave from Servais in the team car. It would be two hours before the riders returned, but in the meantime we were treated to the lady’s race. The women received just as much support as the men and I shouted my support to Lizzie Armitstead as she passed en-route to a magnificent second place. When the men returned the pace had visibly increased. The original break had fractured into small groups and Bernhard Eisel was the first Team Sky rider to soar up the hill. Luke was still working hard at the front, his face a picture of pain as he fought the laws of gravity... I saw Sir Bradley for the first time and screamed my support, Christian Knees was not far behind, grimacing as he passed. This was brilliant racing and it was only going to get more intense! For the third and final pass, the entire Oude Kwaremont was packed on either side of the road and the atmosphere was electric. As the leaders came into view the speed was intense and the place erupted as Greg Van Avermaet and Stijn Vandenbergh sprinted up the climb in an effort to break away. Fabian Cancellara and Sep Vanmarcke were not far behind and then Peter Sagan flashed by with Edvald in close contact. The support from the roadside was deafening. Geraint Thomas was the next Team Sky rider to appear with Tom Boonen hanging onto his wheel, and just a few seconds later Sir Bradley Wiggins hauled himself past, his teeth clenched as he fought and defied the pain barrier. This was the climax to a magnificent race, this was the giants of the sport going head-to-head in full view of the public with no place to hide. It was fantastic! After the leading riders had passed I ran to the fan zone at the top of the climb where I watched the final 16km on a giant screen. There were probably 1,000 fans present, and as the race approached the finish it became increasingly apparent it was three Belgians against Fabian Cancellara. Any attack by the Belgians was accompanied by deafening cheers, but even when Cancellara emerged victorious the supporters, myself included, applauded and appreciated the effort and desire that is required to win the Ronde Van Vlaanderen. Chapeau Fabian! What a brilliant, brilliant race, it was a pleasure and a privilege to be there. Considering G's earlier crash, his eighth place was magnificent, and many professional riders would kill for a top 10 finish at Flanders. Bradley and Edvald looked strong and whilst Team Sky may not have made the headlines at Flanders, it’s all looking good for Paris-Roubaix on Sunday. I can't wait! If you haven't read Neil's first blog from Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne, you can do so HERE.

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