In Van der Poel's shadow, a true sprinters' paradise unfolds: Championship of Flanders

There are barely any altimeters, a great list of winners to add yourself to, and a nice race. There are enough reasons for the top of the sprinters' guild to travel to Belgium for the Flanders Championship this Friday. A race that is somewhat overshadowed by the Tour of Luxembourg, where Mathieu van der Poel keeps house. But, therefore, with no less potential to provide a great fight.

At the European Championships, we had a great battle of the sprinters, and the Belgians even chose to have several at the start. We saw Jordi Meeus pull ahead of Jasper Philipsen while, on the other side, Tim Merlier raced for the gold. On Friday, Sept. 20, all three riders are on their own again, looking for success in Koolskamp. Meeus will find another top sprinter next to him in Sam Welsford.

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A second chance for Milan or even Jakobsen?

But there are more candidates than just the Belgians. What about Arnaud Démare, Caleb Ewan, and Jonathan Milan, who is likely to participate in Belgium? Arvid de Kleijn was recently confirmed to be in good shape, and Alexander Kristoff is also a dangerous contender. Last but not least, dsm-firmenich PostNL moves into the sprint race with solid ambitions. This is Fabio Jakobsen's chance to strike again and brighten his year.

A press release reveals that the blue-orange team hopes for Jakobsen's speed. "It's a pretty easy circuit where nothing can really affect the race. We will work on that process with the sprint group and put Fabio in the best position to sprint for a nice result," the statement reads. Jakobsen will have Julius van den Berg, Timo Roosen and Tobias Lund Andresen along for support.

The Flanders Championship will take place Friday on a local course that will be run 11 times. Nothing seems to stand in the way of a sprint there. The list of winners includes Philipsen, Jakobsen, and Dylan Groenewegen.