After a 145 km, 5 hour reconnaissance of the most important race sectors on Thursday, the eight IAM Cycling racers taking part in Sunday’s Tour of Flanders took advantage of the sunny 7 degree weather Friday to take an easy ride intended simply to keep the legs open.

With time to reflect afterwards, Kristof Goddaert reflected on just how important the Tour of Flanders is throughout Belgium.

Asked to explain why the Tour of Flanders has become such a monument of cycling in Belgium, Goddaert elaborated.

“The Tour of Flanders is a party for the entire nation. People love to come and watch the riders, breathe in the atmosphere, and celebrate the history of the race. Belgium is after all a cycling nation, where cycling is a major sport. That’s largely because everyone has access to riding their bike, even if races like the Tour of Flanders is reserved for the professional warriors. But the audience likes to watch our exploits over the cobbles and climbs. Of course, we all love the energy generated at these moments, even if sometimes it is stressful riding through the most popular sections with the masses of people on all sides of the road; it is a delicate balance, but we cannot pretend like that enthusiasm is not a large part of the overall importance of the race.”

Speaking about the qualities needed to win such a testing race as the Tour of Flanders, Goddaert explained.

“At the end of the day, you really have to be a complete rider. Being in top form goes without saying, since at 260 km there is no way to fake your fitness and simply hope to hang in there for the finale. Knowledge of the course and experience is essential because the small roads, idiosyncrasies of the climbs, and difficulty of the pavé sections will throw up so many opportunities to make mistakes, and you cannot make any mistakes in a race like this. Powerful, explosive riders who can withstand these sorts of conditions, like Boonen, Cancellara and Chavanel, have the best chance at victory.”

On Sunday you can follow the action from the Tour of Flanders live here on Cyclingquotes.com