It has been decided to close all attractive points on the course and both start and finish are also public-free. Obviously, the aim is to prevent COVID-19 from spreading.
The riders click into their pedals in Leuven, which will be the hub of the 2021 World Champonships, and set off for a zigzag journey through Flemish Brabant and Walloon Brabant. None of the hills are hard in itself, but the ceaseless succession is definitely going to wear the riders out.
The exact route is unknown, although it is apparent that the race will add up to 182 kilometres while containing 26 hills. In recent years, the finale consisted of three laps of more than 20 kilometres, which will also be the case this year. Firstly, the riders tackle the Hagaard climb before continuing onto the Hertstraat. The circuit takes in the Holstheide and Schavei, while the last two rounds offer the steep and cobbled Moskestraat ahead of those two.
Last year’s race came down to a clash of pre-race favourites with Mathieu van der Poel outsprinting Julian Alaphilippe, Tim Wellens and Michael Matthews on the line.
Brabantse Pijl 2020: social media
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