Marianne Vos thinks Koppenberg deserves it's place on Tour of Flanders route: "I think it’s a beautiful climb, it’s hard and it’s part of Flemish racing"

With two wins at Omloop and Dwars door Vlaanderen, Marianne Vos couldn't make it three out of three in Flemish Classics at Tour of Flanders after missing out on a key move on Paterberg. Vos was at least able to win the sprint for fourth then.

"It was real Flandrian weather and that plays a role in this kind of race. It was really, really hard," she told GCN at the finish.

"To be in front there was a key point on the Koppenberg, not specifically on the front but we heard from the men’s race that it was very slippery so we tried to be in position there. Then the real race started, but by then you’d already used a lot of power, and in the end, the best were in front. Of course, fourth isn’t what you really aim for but it was what I could do today. The best were in front and on the Paterberg I just had to let go."

Vos was asked her opinion on keeping the Koppenburg in the race. Vos, an elite cyclo-cross rider, and one of the best bike handlers in the world, felt that the climb had its place in cycling but that the rainy conditions made it a close call. "I think it’s a beautiful climb, it’s hard and it’s part of Flemish racing but in these conditions, with people walking, you have to say it’s on the edge because it’s racing. I like it when it’s tough and when it’s difficult."