“The new Boonen is Norwegian”: Belgium reacts to Kristoff’s Tour of Flanders win

Alexander Kristoff’s Tour of Flanders triumph was the third in succession by a foreign rider, marking the longest drought for the home nation since Fiorenzo Magni completed his hat-trick of Ronde victories in 1951, leading to much wringing of hands in the Flemish newspapers when they appeared on Tuesday morning following the Easter break.

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Barry Ryan
Head of Features

Barry Ryan is Head of Features at Cyclingnews. He has covered professional cycling since 2010, reporting from the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and events from Argentina to Japan. His writing has appeared in The Independent, Procycling and Cycling Plus. He is the author of The Ascent: Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and the Rise of Irish Cycling’s Golden Generation, published by Gill Books.