Human Powered Health is putting the finishing touches on its preparations for one of cycling’s true crown jewels, the Tour of Flanders, taking place April 5.
Thalita de Jong comes into the race off the back of finishing tenth in Dwars door Vlaanderen and is joined by Lily Williams, Titia Ryo, Yurani Blanco, Marta Jaskulska and Katia Ragusa.
To understand the atmosphere, imagine all the red-letter days in football, baseball, basketball and hockey all happening at once, then you start to get a sense of Belgium’s biggest day of cycling.
Everywhere you look, the iconic Flemish flag, its black lion with a red tongue set against a yellow field, waves proudly as the peloton charges across a demanding 164.1 km course. Along the way, the peleton take on nine legendary hellingen (short, steep climbs) and six punishing stretches of kasseien (cobbled roads) that define this unforgettable race. Much of the route has been traversed in the warmup races, but this, this is the big one.
Where the race is won
Koppenberg | Length: 620m, Av gradient: 11.6%, Max gradient: 22%
The Koppenberg is one of the most brutal climbs in cycling. Coming with 46 km to race, it often marks the moment when the decisive group forms. Make the cut here, and you're in with a real shot at victory. Miss it, and your race could be over in a flash. The gradient is so severe that at the halfway point, a bottleneck is often created from dismounting riders. It's not the first time the climb has caused chaos – back in the 1987 men’s race, a misjudged move by the commissaire’s car led to it driving over the rear wheel of the solo breakaway rider. Its placement is decisive and makes it the race-maker as a good run-in and climb could be the difference between a good or bad day.
Oude Kwaremont | Length: 2.2 km, Av gradient: 4.2%, Max gradient: 11%
The longest of the climbs, the Oude Kwaremont, falls with 18 km to go. Its length makes it the perfect beast of attritional racing as some athletes crack and others soar. The first 100 meters are a narrow asphalt road before a steep 500-meter section of cobbles, the steepest section of the climb. It then begins to level out halfway up as it passes through the village of Kwaremont, where baying fans spill their chips onto the cobbles as they sip from a strong beer named after the town. The climb then kicks up again. A false flat on the main road after is just as important for group formation.
Peterberg | Length: 400m, Av gradient: 12.5%, Max gradient: 20%
The athletes hardly have a moment to think as they then plunge down a steep, narrow, twisting descent toward the Paterberg. If the Koppenberg is the overture to the finale, and the Oude Kwaremont is the middle movement, then the Paterberg is the crescendo to this Flemish symphony. Riders have to navigate a tight right-hand turn at its base, as well as a steep average gradient, making it a total power climb. If you’re near the front at its peak, there’s a good chance you will battle it out for the Flanders crown 14 km later.
How to watch
USA
HBO Max and/or FloBikes from 9:15 am EDT / 8:15 am CDT / 7:15 am MDT / 6:15 am PDT
Greater Europe
Discovery+/Eurosport from 15:15 CET
UK
HBO Max from 14:15 BST
Belgium
Sporza / RTBF from 15:00 CET (start at 13:25 on Sporza)
What our athletes think
Thalita de Jong
The team was really good at Dwars. We had a plan before the race, had a good meeting beforehand, and were all committed. The girls took care of each other and me, so I felt really comfortable. It was a step up for the whole team towards the weekend. We were committed to every key point, and we were riding well together, so if that’s the case for Sunday, I’m feeling confident. We will try to do this again on Sunday. It’s a very long race, so it will be hard, but we like hard races, so I’m looking forward to it.
Titia Ryo
I’m very happy to take part in the Tour of Flanders so I can help the team and be part of this legendary race. The cobbled races leading up to this one have been really important. They’ve helped me get used to positioning, the intensity, and how chaotic the peloton can sometimes be. With every race, I learn something new — how to fight for position before the sectors, how to read the race better, and also how much energy everything takes. I rode Flanders as a junior, so I already had a bit of an idea of what the climbs and cobbles are like, but at the elite level it’s a completely different story. The speed, the power, the fight for position, everything is amplified. These past races have really helped me adapt and feel more ready for Sunday.
Photos: Oskar Scarsbrook and GettySport
Ronde from Verge Sport
To mark Verge Sport's launch of our 2026 Classics Collection, we’re giving riders and fans a chance to celebrate in style.
We’re giving away five complete kits—each including a jersey and bibs—from the new collection. And that’s not all: everyone who enters will receive 25% off the 2026 Classics Collection.
Each design draws inspiration from the colors of our team, combining performance with a distinctive race-day aesthetic, with ‘Ronde’ celebrating Sunday’s race.
