Tour of Flanders 2017 - women: The Route

Sunday, 2 April 2017 – At 153.3 kilometers, the 14th edition of the women’s Tour of Flanders takes in twelve hills. That’s two more than in 2016, while the race is lengthened by 12 kilometres. However, the finale is a copy, so the women face a series of steep hills in quick succession. The super-steep Paterberg is last, crested with 13.3 kilometres left to race.

The route of the Tour of Flanders for women leaves from Oudenaarde and after a 50 kilometres round – featuring three cobbled sectors at Lange Munte, Lippenhovestraat and Paddestraat – the riders are back where it all started. The party really gets going at kilometre 56 with the climb up the Achterberg. More hellingen and cobbles follow quickly – Eikenberg, Wolvenberg, Holleweg (cobbles), Haaghoek (cobbles), Leberg, Berendries and Tenbosse come between kilometre 62.7 and kilometre 83.6.

The seventh hill is the famous Muur van Geraardsbergen. The 1.1 kilometre climb to the chapel at the top is crested with 60 kilometres remaining. Cobbles and a steepest section of 20%, while the average grade is 9.2%, account for a horrifying toil.

After 112 kilometres the next newcomer is Pottelberg before the race continues on the same route as last year. Kanarieberg is a 1 kilometre climb of 7.7%, while Kruisberg is crested with 26.5 kilometres left to go. The climb is 2.5 kilometres with an average slope of 5% before the final two critical cobbled climbs, Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg, form an illustrious duo.

The Oude Kwaremont is 2.2 kilometres at 4% with a steepest part at over 11%, quickly followed by Paterberg. This last hill is only 360 metres yet the average grade is 12.9% and the steepest ramp is an unforgiving 20.3%. At the top there are 13.3 kilometres to go to the finish in Oudenaarde.

Last year the women’s Tour of Flanders turned out to be a mesmerizing race of attrition. At the Oude Kwaremont Emma Johansson and Elizabeth Armitstead attacked from a select group. After the Paterberg only eight chasers were left and they gave everything they got. But Armitstead took the win ahead of Johansson and only 2 seconds ahead of Chantal Blaak and the other chasers.

Results/race report women’s Tour of Flanders.