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Flanders Classics calls on cycling fans to help ensure safe races together

Flanders Classics calls on cycling fans to help ensure safe races together

Flanders Classics and VRT, with the support of the Provincial Governor of East Flanders Carina Van Cauter and the City of Oudenaarde, have launched a campaign encouraging cycling fans to keep a safe distance from riders during races. Fans in Oudenaarde will also have the chance to cheer on 20 Special Olympics athletes, who will ride a time trial for the first time in the setting of Flanders' Finest.

Everything is about safety on Sunday. Cycling fans can also do their bit. Together with VRT and with the support of Governor Carina Van Cauter and the City of Oudenaarde, Flanders Classics has launched a campaign to encourage cycling fans to join together and support a safe race. Cycling is a particularly accessible sport for all fans, and we naturally very much want to keep it that way. Regrettably, in recent years we have occasionally witnessed the flip side of that coin.

Tomas Van Den Spiegel, CEO of Flanders Classics: “The campaign goes beyond simply keeping your distance; it is also about respect. Not just for the riders, but for every staff member and public service that helps to make the calendar’s biggest cycling event possible. That all the stakeholders involved in the Tour of Flanders want to protect our Flemish cycling heritage is made vey clear in this campaign. We are joining hands with the VRT, but it is thanks to Governor Carina Van Cauter that this campaign is happening. Moreover, we can also count on the City of Oudenaarde that remains a long-standing and trusted collaborator. I also want to thank them for their support, both in this campaign and in organising Flanders’ Finest.”

Carina Van Cauter, Provincial Governor East Flanders: “East Flanders breathes racing. The most important spring classics are raced on our soil. Here lie the most iconic climbs and cobbled sections. For weeks, people have been looking forward to the absolute highlight of spring: the cycling monument, the Tour of Flanders. As governor, I coordinate safety during the Tour of Flanders weekend, working closely with the cities and municipalities, the organisers, countless volunteers and the security services, including the police. Together, we take safety measures to make it a sporting celebration for everyone. Above all else, we rely on our supporters. Unfortunately, in recent editions, we have witnessed some incidents of unsporting and dangerous supporter behaviour. That is why, as governor, I am backing this campaign with a clear message: love the race, keep your distance. Between the red and green flags, the road surface is reserved for the riders and the race caravan. So keep your distance, and be extra careful if you are holding a mobile phone. Do not stand on the course or at dangerous spots, such as in the gutter or on a traffic island. Under no circumstances cross the course, and always follow the instructions of the safety services and signal marshals. Only with respect for each other and for the riders do we make the race possible.”

John Adam, Mayor of the City of Oudenaarde: “With the finish zone in Oudenaarde, each year we welcome thousands of cycling fans. This calls for a well-considered and collaborative approach. This campaign underlines the fact that safety is a shared responsibility, involving everyone alongside the course and at the finish. Respect and alertness make the difference so that riders, staff and supporters can enjoy a safe cycling festival together.”

Thomas Swannet, editor-in-chief of Sporza: “On 30 March 1959, the Tour of Flanders was broadcast live on VRT for the first time. Flanders, cycling and VRT have therefore been inextricably linked for many years. Every year, many hundreds of thousands of spectators take to the streets to cheer on the riders. So the beauty of the race is that the riders literally ride through the crowd and we want and need to cherish that closeness. Precisely because that closeness is so special, we must take care of it together. As Sporza, we are therefore proud of the campaign we have launched together with Lotte Kopecky, Jasper Philipsen and Flanders Classics to make every Flemish race a celebration of cycling.”

Special Olympics race

Not only the professionals will give it their all next Sunday. At the finish line on Minderbroedersstraat in Oudenaarde, 20 Special Olympics athletes will start from 14:15. One by one, they will ride an individual time trial on a 2 km course. They will cycle to the turning point beneath the flamme rouge of the professional races, then turn back to finish under the official finish arch of the Tour of Flanders.