Demanding course of 2024 Belgian Championships features famous climbs and cobblestone sections from races like Tour of Flanders
Cycling
Riders who want to take a shot at the Belgian title this June will certainly not get it for free. A challenging 'flandrien course' has been designed in and around Zottegem with several slopes and well-known cobblestone sections. Remco Evenepoel and Lotte Kopecky will be defending their titles on this demanding course.
The race will take off from Sint-Lievens-Houtem, then head to Herzele and Zottegem for the first time. In a first loop of just under fifty kilometers, with the climbs of the Diepestraat, Klemhoutstraat and Hostellerie and a passage over the cobblestones of the Paddestraat, there are already some possible executioners. The women complete this loop once, the men twice.
This is followed by a local lap of 22.9 kilometers in and around Zottegem, in which you have to be careful of the climb of the Grotebergestraat and the cobblestones of the Kruiswaterplein and the Lippenhovestraat. The last cobblestone section is known mainly from the Tour of Flanders. The women get to do this decisive loop three times, the men four times.
"In the run-up to the Olympic Games, a month later, the Belgian Championships is an important benchmark," explains Tom Van Damme, the chairman of Belgian Cycling, in conversation with Sporza. "Every rider wants to wear that beautiful tricolor jersey at some point. We expect another high-quality sporting battle on a challenging course in Zottegem."
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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