Johan Museeuw wins his second title in 1995(Image credit: AFP)
Team bobble heads for Boonen, Johan Museeuw and Paolo Bettini(Image credit: Daniel Simms)
Franco Ballerini with GB-MG teammates Mario Cipollini and Johan Museeuw on the eve of the 1993 Paris-Roubaix.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
The Lion of Flanders, Johan Museeuw, is a three-time winner of the Tour of Flanders. The former riders finished inside the top ten on no fewer than 15 separate occasions and remains a popular personality within the hearts of the Flemish cycling fans.
In this exclusive inCycle video Museeuw rides the new-look Tour of Flanders course, picking out the key climbs and battlegrounds for this year’s race.
Museeuw picks out the Oude Kwaremont as the first critical point in the race. It’s not the hardest climb but it’s the longest and the first of the 17 bergs on the course. The climb is ridden three times and leads into the Paterberg, which features twice in the final 50 kilometres.
Museeuw believes that it could be last significant climb before the finish, and where a number of the main favourites can force a select break from the peloton. It’s where Fabian Cancellara launched his winning attack in last year’s race.
Finally, Museeuw highlights the Koppenberg, the steepest climb in the race where positioning at the front is crucial for any rider with aspirations of winning the race. It’s a real ‘breaking point’ according to Museeuw. The climb now comes inside the final 45 kilometres, a change from last year.
