Tour of Flanders to start in Antwerp, Muur Van Geraardsbergen returns

The start of the Tour of Flanders has been moved from Bruges to Antwerp for the next five years, organisers have confirmed – and next year’s race will also feature the return of the Muur Van Geraardsbergen, absent from the last five editions.

Antwerp becomes the starting location for the Monument, which celebrated its 100th edition thie year, won by world champion Peter Sagan of Tinkoff.

> Sagan wins 100th Tour of Flanders to claim first Monument

Ghent hosted the beginning of the race in every edition until 1977, when the start switched to St Niklaas for the next two decades, and Bruges taking over in 1998.

Race director Wim Van Herreweghe said: “Every year thousands of runners head for Antwerp to compete in the 10 Miles, depart annually from Schoten for the Scheldeprijs, and in 2015 Antwerp had already played host to the Tour of France.

“Moreover, in 2020 the city will celebrate having organised the Olympic Games a century ago. Antwerp combines hip ambiance with gorgeous historical surroundings, something the Tour of Flanders has no trouble identifying with.

“That’s why the start at the Grote Markt lends itself perfectly to putting this unique mix in the spotlight,” he added.

The change in the departure city also gave organisers the opportunity to put the cobbled climb of the Muur Van Geraardsbergen – also known simply as the Muur, or Kapelmuur – back on the itinerary of the race, the biggest annual sporting event in Belgium.

At around 100 kilometres from the finish, it may not prove to be as decisive in determining the final result as the later ascents of the Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg – but it may well force a selection that will decide who is around to contest the victory.

The women’s race will likewise include the Muur, which will also provide the finish location for the junior men’s edition which for the first time will be held on the same day as the elite races.

“Everyone on the Flanders Classics team worked hard over the past few years for a return of the Muur to the route,” explained Van Herreweghe.

“This updated route is a complete package; it brings the very best of more than a century of the Tour of Flanders together in a single monumental race. In choosing Antwerp, we brought a new twist to the Ronde, the Muur, which is beloved by racers and audience alike, has come back from the past, and the finale so tremendously applauded in past years will remain securely intact.”