Koppenberg

The Koppenberg is just so famous, it’s amazing to do it.

Helen Wyman, Sven Nys tops on the Koppenberg 2010

While the Koppenberg is a pretty infamous local Spring race in of itself, rumor has it they're trying to make this race even bigger by adding in the classic Morgul-Bismarck loop as well.

Archive 2009-04-01 Marty 2009

While the Koppenberg is a pretty infamous local Spring race in of itself, rumor has it they're trying to make this race even bigger by adding in the classic Morgul-Bismarck loop as well.

M-B-K Eric Scroger 2009

The Koppenberg will be about 50km from the finish and riders will hit the Old Kwaremont at 12 km from the finish.

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Twice a year the Koppenberg wreaks havoc on professional cycling: once in the spring when the Ronde van Vlaanderen crosses its cobbled slopes, and once in autumn, when cyclocross fans crowd this hillside in the Flemish Ardennes to watch riders do battle with its legendary mud.

Helen Wyman, Sven Nys tops on the Koppenberg 2010

The GVA Trofee resumes in a month on the storied slopes of the Koppenberg.

Stybar, Van Paassen take GVA opener in Namur 2010

Taking them in ascending order, they start with the malicious little Koppenberg, a feature of the Tour of Flanders, and end atop the 3,384m summit of the snow-capped Pico de Veleta, where the air is so thin that a rider's oxygen intake is only 67% of that at sea level.

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American Christine Vardaros (Baboco-Revor), who was sidelined much of this week by a serious stomach virus, rode to her best finish of the season, 12th place, just behind defending Koppenberg champion Pavla Havlikova (APB).

Helen Wyman, Sven Nys tops on the Koppenberg 2010

And the Koppenberg did not disappoint this year, as some 16,000 fans who turned out for a special holiday edition of the Koppenbergcross, the second race of the 2010 Gazet van Antwerpen Trofee series, were treated to two of the most dramatic victories of this cyclocross season.

Helen Wyman, Sven Nys tops on the Koppenberg 2010

“I won all the races this season that are real cyclocrosses — the Koppenberg, Asper-Gavere, and this is also a technical course with a lot of downhills and a lot of steep climbs,” he said.

Sven Nys wins 2010 Vlaamse Druivencross in Overijse 2010