Force Team gathering @ Nieuwkerken @ 17 Mar - Koen Verhulst (in 2023 Force team jersey) and Mike Lawson (right)
Mike Lawson & Mike O’Reilly met with the 20+ members of the Force Team at the Cafe De Kikker (The Frog Cafe) on the Belge-Dutch border. The team was in attendance to collect their 2023 team clothing & discuss the coming racing season (the teams first race is on 8 April in Nieuwkerken).
For those into their cycling history - Cafe De Kikker was the official Tom Steels supporters club watering hole.
BiciSport is co-sponsoring the Force team from 2023 (initially for a three year period). This collaboration is a great opportunity for BiciSport to support a progressive Belgian team and will open up further opportunities into the future. “BiciSport Australia” is located on the collarbone patch on the jersey.
Force Team gathering @ Nieuwkerken @ 17 Mar - back left is Mike Lawson, Koen VerHulst & Stijn VerHulst. A big thank you to Koen VerHulst for making the collaboration with the Belgian Force Team possible.
Force Team gathering @ Nieuwkerken @ 19 Mar - two days later and Mike Lawson goes with the Force team for a 2 hour journey through the Polder Land into the Netherlands & returns to the Cafe de Kikker
Force Team gathering @ Nieuwkerken @ 19 Mar - two days later and the Force Team pose for a happy snap in the Cafe De Kikker
Force Team gathering @ Nieuwkerken @ 17 Mar - Cafe De Kikker (The Frog Cafe) is the classic Flemish watering hole. Full of Flemish charm, a hint of rustic, nostalgic, neglected, edgy, blunt, old & smelly but above all completely friendly & welcoming.
Velle Junior Race @ 19 Mar - 95 starters lined up for the 55k junior race in good weather conditions
Velle Junior Race @ 19 Mar - before the start with Stijn & Maarten VerHulst (on the podium) in charge
Velle Junior Race @ 19 Mar - the junior peloton with two laps to go
Velle Junior Race @ 19 Mar - the first place went to Thor Feyaerts (Belgium)
Velle Junior Race @ 19 Mar - The Van Hoye sponsored Ford diesel is 30+ years old clunker and is an institution at the local Velle races as the official lead car. The term “Wedstrijd” just means cycle race.
In the picture is L to R … Mike Lawson, Maarten VerHulst (Velle Race Organiser), MOR & Eddy VerHulst.
BiciSport in Flanders @ Nokere Kourse @ 15 Mar - the Holleweg cobbles are just 2k from the tiny hamlet of Maarke Kerkem where BiciSport base themselves for the Belgian Spring Classics
BiciSport in Flanders @ Nokere Kourse @ 15 Mar - the Holleweg cobbles with Tim Merlier (Soudal QuickStep) who won the race
BiciSport in Flanders @ Nokere Kourse @ 15 Mar - the best presented team car in the Belgian pro peloton coupled with the best bike in the business
NSW Masters Track Champs @ DGV @ 18 Mar - Davide Browne (BiciSport Happy Wheels) takes Gold in a Teams Pursuit !. Rumours that Davide is only a selfish sprinter has now been completely discounted, and we look forward to a blossoming road racing & hill climbing career
NSW Masters Track Champs @ DGV @ 18 Mar - Ian Grant (BiciSport Anytime Fitness) takes Gold in the Scratch Race
NSW Masters Track Champs @ DGV @ 18 Mar - Davide Brown (BiciSport Happy Wheels) took Silver in the Sprint
RACE SEEKER - THIS WEEK
21 Mar
Heffron Park Tuesday Night Criteriums @ 6pm
Summer Series concludes 28 Mar
20 Mar-26 Apr
BiciSport to the Belgian Spring Classics
26 Mar
Lansdowne Park (Waratah Masters)
Bobbin Head Classic Cyclosportive (Turramurra)
John Woodman Handicap (Wagga to Albury)
BICISPORT TRAINING RIDES
Every Mon/Wed/Fri Mornings
Centennial Park Masters @ Centennial Park
Meet at the corner of Parkes Drive/Grand Drive at 8.30am and do CP laps until 9.30am then coffee at Spruce Goose Cafe
Tues 21 Mar & Thurs 23 Mar
Waratah Peloton @ pass the corner of Yulong Ave & McCarrs Creek Rd Terrey Hills @ 8.00am for Akuna Bay, top of McCarrs Creek Rd climb at 8.40am, then direction Duffys Forest, then return Terrey Hills shops @ 9.15am then to St Ives for coffee
Centennial Park Lower Loop from 5.30am to 7.45am
Thurs 23 Mar
Belgian Waffle Ride @ Centennial Park @ Spruce Goose Cafe @ 10.30am for Park laps
Sat 25 Mar
Coffee @ Sandstone Cafe Miramare Gardens @ 9.30am
BiciSport to the Belgian Spring Classics 2023
In 2023 the Belgian Spring Classic program is detailed below with weekly updates in BiciSport News on this website or on the BiciSport Sydney Facebook page.
March
24 - E3 Saxo Classic, 25 - Ghent Wevelgem CycoSportive, 26 - Ghent Wevelgem Classic
29 - Dwars Vlaanderen Classic
April
1 - Tour of Flanders CycloSportive, 2 - Tour of Flanders Classic
8 - Paris Roubaix CycloSportive (France), 9 - Paris Roubaix Classic
12 - Brabant Arrow Classic, 15 - Amstel Gold CycloSportive (Netherlands)
16 - Amstel Gold Classic (Neth), 19 - Fleche Walloon Classic, 23 - Liege Bastogne Liege Classic
The Saxo E3 Classic is well known for the somewhat different pre publicity marketing. The marketing poster above is 2023, with 2017 below.
The E3 Classic itself is a Friday event over 250k before the Ghent Wevelgem weekend. The E3 is a virtual replica of the Tour of Flanders in many ways with the same cobbled climbs often raced from a different direction.
The feature of the Ghent Wevelgem weekend is the Menin Gate at Ieper. Dedicated to the lost soldiers with no known grave from World War 1.
