A European investor has acquired Belgan’s fab site the firm’s curator told the Belga news agency is planning on investing 200-250 million euros to retool the cleanrooms in Oudenaarde for photonic chip manufacturing Belgan’s manufacturing equipment and other assets have previously been sold separately Spawned from US firm Onsemi, Belgan tried to reinvent itself as a gallium nitride (GaN) foundry in 2022 to capitalize on the growing momentum of this material in power semiconductors The firm ran out of cash last summer and filed for bankruptcy a Chinese and an Indian company have been bidding for the fab shell Bits&Chips strengthens the high tech ecosystem in the Netherlands and Belgium and makes it healthier by supplying independent knowledge and information Bits&Chips focuses on news and trends in embedded systems Our coverage revolves around the influence of technology Bits&Chips uses technologies such as functional and analytical cookies to improve the user experience of the website. By consenting to the use of these technologies, we may capture (personal) data, unique identifiers, device and browser data, IP addresses, location data and browsing behavior. Want to know more about how we use your data? Please read our privacy statement Give permission or set your own preferences Two of the bidders are Asian and one is from Europe One of the bidders is reported to be Chinese-owned Silex Microsystems AB (Järfälla the world’s largest pure-play foundry for MEMS components OnSemi announced the sale of its wafer fab in Oudenaarde Belgium) for conversion to gallium nitride production in 2022 The company had Chinese venture capital connections but was unable to attract sufficient money to fund a transition to GaN production It filed for bankruptcy in August 2024 and an auction in January 2025 raised more than €23 million from the sale of chipmaking equipment www.belgan.com Chinese buyers swoop on BelGaN equipment assets BelGan sees bids for Belgian power fab China’s Silex announces fab to make MEMS on 300mm wafers Onsemi’s Belgian GaN spinout bankrupt Belgian wafer fab sold to GaN startup with China connections In the women's race, Belgian world champion Lotte Kopecky made history as the first female cyclist to win three editions of the event. Pogacar had plenty of time to raise his arms above his head and soak up the applause of the crowd as he soloed to victory after taking off on the third and final ascent of the Oude Kwaremont. The three-time Tour de France champion had launched his last and decisive attack on the penultimate climb – about 18 kilometers (11 miles) from the finish — and not even defending champion Mathieu van der Poel could stay on his wheel. “I’m so happy to win in this jersey this race,” said the UAE Team Emirates rider. “The plan was to go from (Oude Kwaremont) and we followed the plan even though we had some crashes in the team … but we made it and we stick to the plan.” Pogacar finished 1 minute, 1 second ahead of Mads Pedersen, who edged out Van der Poel in a four-man sprint for second, just ahead of Wout van Aert and Jasper Stuyven. Also known as De Ronde (The Tour), the Tour of Flanders is one of cycling’s most challenging one-day races and was first held in 1913. This year’s 268.9-kilometer (167-mile) route featured 16 short but punishing climbs and several cobblestone sections. It was a second victory for Pogacar after he won in 2023. The Slovenian didn’t defend his title last year, when Van der Poel claimed a record-equaling third win. It was expected to be another episode of the great rivalry between Pogacar and Van der Poel, who had won the recent Milan-San Remo, and so it proved. Van der Poel had escaped unscathed from an early crash and the duo played cat and mouse with each other in the final 50 kilometers (31 miles), with each matching the other’s attacks, before Pogacar left the Dutch cyclist and the other hopefuls in the distance. “I was already on the limit from quite far,” Van der Poel said. "The crash of course was not ideal, but I think we put up a good fight with the team and I did everything I could and I’m happy with the podium. “Of course it’s never good to be in a crash but I think the damage was still quite okay for the crash, I was lucky.” The Tour of Flanders is one of the “monuments” of cycling — the five most prestigious one-day events in the sport — along with Milan-San Remo, Paris-Roubaix, Liege-Bastogne-Liege and the Giro di Lombardia. The two Pogacar has yet to win are Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix, which has even tougher cobbles than Flanders. Pogacar is going to attempt the grueling French classic for the first time next Sunday. “It’s a completely different race, but I will accept the challenge and try to do my best,” Pogacar said. “I know this Flanders suits me a bit better, but you never know.” It was a closer Tour of Flanders for Kopecky, who edged a four-way sprint finish ahead of Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, Liane Lippert and Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney. Elisa Longo Borghini was also chasing a third victory but crashed about 40 kilometers into the race. The Italian strugged on for a further 10 kilometers before abandoning. According to curator Ali Heerman, the site in Oudenaarde, East Flanders though the purchase does not include any machinery The identity of the investor has not yet been disclosed Heerman stated that the European investor plans to inject between EUR 200 million and EUR 250 million into the facility with the goal of restarting chip production This could potentially create up to 500 new jobs BelGaN originally acquired the Oudenaarde fab in 2022 and initiated a transition from traditional silicon chip production to gallium nitride (GaN) technology the shift did not yield the expected financial returns quickly enough ultimately leading to the company’s insolvency The new owner intends to continue chip production at the site but will not pursue GaN technology “There is a business plan for photonic chip production,” Ali Heerman told the Belga News Agency “That is a totally different type of production than what used to be done at BelGaN The new technology would mainly have applications in AI data centres and the automotive industry.” two other companies — one from China and one from India — also submitted proposals details of their offers remain confidential A European investor plans to invest between 200 and 250 million euros in the former BelGaN factory in Oudenaarde The bankruptcy trustees have reached an agreement to acquire the site for 20.35 million euros The factory will once again start producing chips but not with the gallium nitride technology the factory will reopen in September and generate work for up to 500 people The BelGaN bankruptcy trustees have realized an important breakthrough in their search for a new future for the factory in Oudenaarde An unnamed European investor has signed an agreement to acquire the business premises on Westerring but not the BelGaN machinery Bankruptcy trustee Ali Heerman indicates that negotiations about the investment conditions are still ongoing “But it is clear that it concerns chip production” The new owner has already paid an advance of two million euros to prove his serious intentions According to the trustees, there is a clear business plan for producing photonic chips, a technology different from the gallium nitride chips BelGaN previously focused on. Previous reports showed that BelGaN had great difficulty making this technology profitable The new photonic technology would mainly have applications in AI This aligns with the growing demand for specialized chips for these sectors The facility’s cleanrooms are suitable for the production process of this new generation of chips The news comes at a crucial moment for the European chip industry. With the European Chips Act an investment package of 43 billion euros from public and private funds Europe is trying to compete with the US and Asia BelGaN was the only industrial chip manufacturer in Belgium which means that the relaunch can play an important role in the European chip strategy Last year, BelGaN was declared definitively bankrupt after none of the five interested parties made a sufficiently high bid Production will start with a new workforce although the new owner may want to approach former employees who found work elsewhere The business plan shows a growth path to 500 jobs within two to five years “That is even more than BelGaN employed at the time,” says curator Heerman The entire transaction is expected to be finalized this summer The restart of the Oudenaarde factory also means the continued existence of chip production in Belgium. Various politicians and entrepreneurs, including the Belgian industrialist Guido Dumarey, had already indicated that keeping local chip production is strategically important. Techzine focusses on IT professionals and business decision makers by publishing the latest IT news and background stories. The goal is to help IT professionals get acquainted with new innovative products and services, but also to offer in-depth information to help them understand products and services better. © 2025 Dolphin Publications B.V.All rights reserved. The Museum Oudenaarde (MOU) has opened the new exhibition “Margaret: The Emperor’s Daughter between Power and Image” It’s the first time in 500 years that an international expo is dedicated to Margaret (1522-1586) was a local maid but this low status didn’t prevent her from becoming governor of the Netherlands at 37 She was among the most powerful figures in the turbulent Europe of her time Apart from possessing solid political qualities she was also a society figure in Italy and a passionate patron of the arts the MOU Museum Oudenaarde displays a large array of portraits and luxury objects that Margaret cherished or commissioned A wide range of artworks offer an insight into the culture of the 16th century A magnificent banquet evokes the “feast of the century” in the 16th century the exhibition includes contemporary contributions by photographer Lieve Blancquaert and lutenist Floris De Rycker while De Rycker created a soundscape with references to the music of Margaret's time The exhibition runs until 5 January 2025 at the Museum Oudenaarde #FlandersNewsService | Margaret of Parma (1522-86) illegitimate daughter of Emperor Charles V late 16th century (panel) © BELGA PHOTO BRIDGEMAN Copy linkGet updates in your mailboxYour email addressSubscribeBy clicking "Subscribe" I confirm I have read and agree to the Privacy Policy rapid and high-quality information 24 hours a day from Belgium and abroad to all Belgian media not to mention entertainment and lifestyle our journalists and press photographers produce hundreds of photos and news stories Since the end of March 2022 English has been added as a language businesses and various organisations that need reliable information Belga News Agency also offers a comprehensive range of corporate services to meet all their communication needs www.belganewsagency.eu Lars van der Haar (Baloise Trek Lions) made a move with three laps to go and rode away for the victory at Koppenbergcross Eli Iserbyt (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) finished second and Toon Aerts (Deschacht-Hens-FSP) took third Last year's X2O Trofee cyclocross series champion took the early lead in the eight-race series with the victory it was Van der Haar's second career win at Koppenbergcross after a second-place finish to teammate Thibau Nys a year ago the Koppenberg has always been one of the most important races I've always had the dream to win here in the elite on the cobblestones and now I have two," Van der Haar said at the finish to broadcasters The 'mad duck' race covered seven laps for the elite men Skies delivered a thin mist in the morning and made the leaf-covered cobbles slippery as well as the many sharp corners on the grassy hillside that seemed to deliver riders to a ribbon of punchy climbs making it difficult to maintain any rhythm Yorben Lauryssen (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) took the early lead with Belgian champion and teammate Iserbyt and Thijs Aerts (Charles Liégeois Rostery CX) forming a two-rider chase behind which remained together in a long line for the opening lap and Iserbyt claimed the lead across the first ascent of the Koppenberg making a bike switch at the pits to begin the second lap Iserbyt also took a time bonus as the first rider over the signature cobbled climb Across the twisting section of the course on lap two European cyclocross champion Michael Vanthourenhout bridged to his teammate and the pair put in five seconds to a new chasing trio - Toon Aerts who fell back when he slipped sideways on a short uphill section with Loockx joined by a lone Dutchman Van der Haar close behind on the third lap With riders unclipping to preserve upright positions on the damp path Loockx dropped back and Van der Haar joined the front four They remained together and stretched the lead to seven seconds Iserbyt had to dismount to avoid a fall at the midpoint of lap three on a slippery patch then jumped back on the bike to maintain contact with the lead group Nys made an acceleration to take a small lead The move pushed the pace of the front five and they hit the Koppenberg with a 19-second lead over Loockx and Vandebosch Pim Ronhaar (Baloise Trek Lions) made inroads on a solo effort to claw his way to within 5 seconds of the two chasing Belgians Van der Haar was the only one of the five not to make a bike change to start the fourth circuit putting in time along all the twists and turns By the time he began the ascent of the Koppenberg to start the fifth lap he had a 28-second gap to Isyerbyt and another 9 seconds to Toon Aerts The bell lap saw Van der Haar continue to make fewer small mistakes as he powered away from four Belgians in the chase but he admitted at the finish that he had an issue with his chain Iserbyt put in a little more time to Aerts to form the podium positions more than 20 seconds behind Aerts and 1:20 off the searing pace of Van der Haar Results powered by FirstCycling a sports marketing and public relations agency which managed projects for Tour de Georgia a Georgia non-profit to promote safe cycling She is proud to have worked in professional baseball for six years - from selling advertising to pulling the tarp for several minor league teams She has climbed l'Alpe d'Huez three times (not fast) Her favorite road and gravel rides are around horse farms in north Georgia (USA) and around lavender fields in Provence (France) He had two C2 triumphs on his 2024-25 season palmares but on Friday’s opening round of the X2O Badkamers Trofee Lars van der Haar started the defense of his series title with a C1 victory a delighted van der Haar gained confidence going into the European Championships Last season van der Haar (Baloise Trek Lions) took the Trofee by 1:41 over Pauwel Sauzen’s Eli Iserbyt without winning a round Mathieu van der Poel gobbled up the middle four of eight rounds Having earned double 2023-24 World Cup round wins, Pim Ronhaar was challenging his first C1 race of the season. Last year’s Koppenbergcross champion and last week’s Superprestige round victor Thibau Nys (Baloise Trek Lions) was on the start line They climbed the Koppenberg in its entirety on the starting lap and then faced a half climb per taxing 2.8-km lap after that Pauwels Sauzen rider Yorben Lauryssen grabbed a surprise lead Iserbyt pulling the string behind his teammate European champion Michael Vanthourenhout kept himself in the picture Toon Aerts is making a comeback with Deschacht-Hens-FSP this season throwing a cup of (hopefully) water at Iserbyt Aerts and Nys made it over to the teammates on the Koppenberg Vanthourenhout tried to bolt but the end result was Loockx shook loose from the group but the quintet clambered up the Koppenberg intact Van der Haar attacked at the start of Lap 5 as the others caught fresh bikes Iserbyt was called on to chase another Lion but the gap opened and van der Haar took 31 seconds from Iserbyt by the top of Koppenberg Aerts and Vanthourenhout realized they were now in a podium scrap Iserbyt made winning strong bid for runner-up and Aerts dropped the others in pursuit of the final podium step Get the digital edition of Canadian Cycling Magazine Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Celebrating Tour of Flanders victory two years ago Slovenian must look to replicate his Oude Kwaremont attack from 2023 if he wants to guarantee being first across the line in Oudenaarde He simply can’t afford to drag his main rival to the line Two years ago he went solo on the Kwaremont with one of the most unanswerable attacks that the race has ever seen Van der Poel was in fine form but could not live with the Slovenian's punishing acceleration before he then disappeared and carried on the assault over the Paterberg Pogačar's memorable victory banished any recollections of the moment he came unstuck in 2022 somehow finishing fourth in a reduced sprint for the line Van der Poel was the man that came out on top that year with Pogačar visibly furious at the finish at his inability to successfully dispatch the Dutchman despite the course favouring the bigger and more powerful rider When he returned to Flanders 12 months later it was clear that he had learned from that scenario There was simply no way he was going to allow that same situation to develop again A huge attack and all in on the Kwaremont or risk it on the drag into Oudenaarde; the answer was always the former of the two The same situation must play out this time around if he is going to strike even with his main rival this spring and add an eighth Monument to his collection but this is a different race," Pogačar said this week as he looked ahead to Sunday’s race across the cobbles and it's going to be harder throughout the day "I just try to get a little bit of a gap at some point in the race and try to use that I just need to grab one and hope for the best." "I don't know why I would be looking for revenge when nobody did anything bad to me," he said of their most recent duel at San Remo something Pogačar is capable of ensuring Flanders becomes in an instant Expect endless explosive attacks once the likes of the Koppenberg Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg climbs arrive Pogačar won’t fancy a sprint after the mauling he received on the Via Roma just a fortnight ago Pogačar won't have it all his own way with Van der Poel at the front of a long queue of riders looking to prevent him from winning But if he can create that situation for himself out on the road then he will be well on the way to potential victory See also: How to watch Tour of Flanders 2025 Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1 *Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1 Since joining the team, he has reported from some of professional cycling's biggest races and events including the Tour de France and the World Championships in Glasgow. He has also covered major races elsewhere across the world. As well as on the ground reporting, Tom writes race reports from the men's and women's WorldTour and focuses on coverage of UK domestic cycling. Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. The natural parents of 2 children that went missing in a village near to the Dutch town of Zwolle have been arrested in East Flanders. The children, a 6-year-old boy and an 11-year-old girl, were found safe and well on Monday night at a property in Oudenaarde. They had been missing since 8am on Monday. The children were found at around 2:30am on Tuesday with their biological parents at a property in the East Flemish town of Oudenaarde. They have been arrested on suspicion of having removed the children from legal custody. It is not clear why the children were taken and the investigation is still ongoing.  BelGaN's history goes back to 2008, when ON Semiconductor acquired the Oudenaarde site and made semiconductor products for the automotive, industrial and medical sectors. In 2022, BelGaN acquired the fab, and decided to switch production from traditional silicon chips to gallium nitride chips, which can be used in electric chargers, electric cars and data centres. Clearly, the company ran out of cash to fund the transition, hence this announcement. The firm employed 440 people, and says it is working with unions to support its employees.  A report in the Belgan News Agency confirmed the news and quoted a source in the firm, which said:  “To finance the significant investments associated with this transition process, after the initial investment by shareholders, additional investments were sought. Several avenues were pursued in the process, unfortunately without success."  ​CategoriesCategoriesEnglishECONOMYChip manufacturer BelGaN to close after no viable takeover bids received6 September 2024 The candidates who showed interest in a relaunch of bankrupt semiconductor manufacturer BelGaN in recent weeks have not made any serious offers the only industrial chip factory in Belgium will close with the loss of some 440 jobs Five candidates showed interest in the Oudenaarde company, which declared bankruptcy in July the receivers asked potential buyers to provide a final proposal by noon on 5 September The names have not been made public but included one European candidate and two from outside the EU receiver Ali Heerman told Belga on Thursday night “We don’t have any takeover bids worthy of the name,” he said There are little to no guarantees for staff in terms of reemployment and there are no payment guarantees.” there will be no relaunch of the company with a new owner Chip technology is a strategic sector and politicians and experts had expressed the hope that the company would remain in European hands BelGaN was established 40 years ago as Mietec It supplies chips for chargers and electric vehicles and specialised in energy-efficient components based on gallium nitride Experts believe the market will grow significantly but the turnaround was not happening quickly enough for the company Sales of 120 million euros in 2021 fell to just under 75 million euros in a year but it was insufficient to pay the bills and management declared bankruptcy at the end of July #FlandersNewsService | The headquarters of BelGaN in Oudenaarde 22 August 2024 © BELGA PHOTO JONAS DHOLLANDER The biological parents of the two abducted Dutch children found in Oudenaarde (East Flanders) on Monday have been arrested It was an examining judge in Oudenaarde that ordered the arrest after the Dutch authorities had issued a European arrest warrant The court will now surrender the parents to the Dutch authorities Why the parents abducted their children is not clear were living with a foster family in the Netherlands As police assumed the children had been abducted The children had been placed in foster care due to a ‘troubling parenting situation’ ‘everything was then immediately done to find the children' On Monday morning the search led to the 2 children being found with their biological parents in a house south of the border in Oudenaarde Special police units raided the property detaining the parents The parents are now being charged with abducting their children They have been arrested and are now in prison The parents will be surrendered to the Dutch authorities a decision will have to be taken within 10 days The surrender will happen no later than 10 days after that decision Be one of the first to try our new activity feed Despite a wildly misjudged section on why women will never beat men there is a lot of interesting artifacts to be found here Belgium (VN) — Few races have their own dedicated museum The Centrum Ronde van Vlaanderen in Oudenaarde was opened long before the race finish was relocated there in 2011 but now it is situated right in the heart of the race it celebrates The Tour of Flanders is embedded into the culture of the region and regularly pulls in some of the biggest crowds at any event on the UCI’s road calendar While the last two seasons have seen near-empty roadsides due to COVID-19 restrictions the 2022 “Ronde” should see the masses return to cheer on Flanders’ finest begins with the “opening weekend” of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne VeloNews is in town for the races and decided to pop along to the museum and see what it has to offer What we found was a treasure trove of old and new equipment from the Tour of Flanders annals and a wildly misjudged display on female cyclists that is in desperate need of updating Despite the slightly odd section on why women will never be able to beat men there are attempts to include the women’s race into the displays The museum is a great place to spend a few hours with an audio guide providing added insight into the race’s history An old Molteni team car sits on the pavement outside the museum Tom Boonen paraphernalia dominates the museum The Belgian rider won the Tour of Flanders three times: in 2005 There is a lot of equipment from the early days of cycling on display in the museum A preview from the 1959 race in Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad A limited edition version of the Jommeke comic series was printed for the 2015 Tour of Flanders Walter Planckaert’s shoes from the 1976 Tour of Flanders Planckaert won that year’s race in a three-up sprint with Francesco Moser and Marc Demeyer The Belgian won the Tour of Flanders three times: 1993 There are portraits of all the male winners of the Tour of Flanders up to 2019 winner Alberto Bettiol One of the many Eddy Merckx bikes on show at the museum This one is in a room dedicated specifically to winners of “De Ronde.” Of the more peculiar items in the museum is this candle with the picture of Rudi Altig on it who won the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix in 1957 The world champion’s jersey that Tom Boonen was wearing when he won the 2006 Tour of Flanders The kit that Annemiek van Vleuten wore to victory in 2021 is the only item from the women’s race in the winner’s room including these from the early years of the Tour of Flanders Bicycle pumps evolution throughout the years Even COVID-19 now has its own place in the race’s history A look back on routes from previous seasons including this 347-kilometer monster from the debut edition in 1913 The eyewear has definitely changed over the years though nobody has taken to wearing the ski goggles that Peter Sagan wore on the podium after his win All the bergs climbed by the Tour of Flanders in its history — features later in the museum with sections on the history of women in racing and images of all the race’s winners There is an odd section that compares male and female racers And a very misjudged piece detailing why the women will never beat the men as though the female riders are from a different species including Alexander Kristoff’s 2016 winning Canyon Get on the podium with Mathieu van der Poel and Fabian Cancellara Counting down the days until the next Tour of Flanders Please note that this is an automated translation and it will not be perfect All articles have been written in English and if anything appears to not make sense Heavy rain added another dimension to one of the biggest race days of the year Two people injured as 20-metre high tree collapses next to Christmas market A woman was killed and two people injured by a large Christmas tree that fell over during stormy weather in the Belgian town of Oudenaarde Security camera footage on Belgian news media showed a brightly lit 20-metre (66ft) high Christmas tree slowly leaning over then collapsing next to a Christmas market in the town on Thursday as a merry-go-round turned in the historic market square A spokesperson for the Oost-Vlaanderen province prosecutor said the victim was a 63-year old woman from Oudenaarde Two women from the same town were lightly injured “The investigation will focus on whether the tree had been properly secured and will also look at the impact of the weather,” he said which disrupted traffic in the UK and the Netherlands on Thursday where the weather service issued a yellow code warning for the coastal areas The storm caused one death in the Netherlands where a woman died of her injuries on Friday after she was hit by a falling tree the previous day All the action across the famed Koppenberg Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg into Oudenaarde - The 156.6km route starts and finishes in Oudenaarde - There are 5 cobbled sectors and 13 climbs including Koppenberg Welcome to Cyclingnews' live coverage of the women's Tour of Flanders This is the twentieth edition of the women's race and the riders have 158km of cobbled-chaos in their way of winning one of the sport's most prestigious races We are less than half an hour away from the start in Oudenaarde with all 24 teams signing on before the race starts Team 🤩 pic.twitter.com/3OZKpETnTSApril 2, 2023 The climbs come thick and fast throughout the day with the Tiegemberg the first on the menu just 10km into the race A number of the biggest riders in women's cycling were lined up at the front of the unofficial start 🌈👑🇧🇪 Racing the @RondeVlaanderen as World Champion. There isn’t much that can compare to that. @AvVleuten | #RVVwomen pic.twitter.com/1dVOucpL0iApril 2, 2023 With the Tiegemberg finished we have around 40km of flat before going uphill again at the Korte Ast.  Peloton all back together once again as they pass through Waregem.  The last @RondeVlaanderen in her career for @martabasti📸 @SprintCycling#RVV23 #RVV #RVVwomen#UAETeamADQ #UnitedToBeStronger #WeRideToInspire pic.twitter.com/SL0HI0zMeUApril 2, 2023 There has been attempts made to get away but nothing has managed to stick as of yet we have a chance to catch-up with all the great stories we had on Cyclingnews in the build-up to the Tour of Flanders Patrick Fletcher and Barry Ryan have been in Flanders for ten days now and have been at the races and spoken to the big riders and teams.  🎥 She won Brugge-De Panne and had a great spring so far. So @pfeiffergeorgi is one of the main contenders today at 'De Ronde' as well - isn't she? Let's hear from the @TeamDSM rider ahead of #RVVwomen! #RVV23 #RVV pic.twitter.com/CcOtfDx2RaApril 2, 2023 We're 40km into the day and we've thankfully had no reports of any incidents in stark contrast to the crash-marred men's race. We're approaching the first of five kasseien (cobbled sectors) - Huisepontweg.  Take a look below at the crowds out in support from the view of the CERATIZIT-WNT Pro Cycling team car.  🦁🇧🇪🍻#RVV23 #RVVwomen pic.twitter.com/KfLpOjrQicApril 2, 2023 Team DSM are well positioned at the front of the bunch with Liv Racing TeqFind close behind Attack from Ally Wollaston of AG Insurance off the front of the peloton She's hit the bottom of the Wolvenberg alone which tops out at 17.3% gradient.  The 22-year-old from New Zealand has a gap of 17 seconds Gap for Wollaston is now out to 30 seconds Ally Wollaston is now alone on the Kerkgate which is an energy-sapping 1.4km cobbled section that precedes one of the most famous Flandrian climbs - the Molenberg UAE Team ADQ and Trek Segafredo now pushing things on the front as they approach the Berendries AG Insurance - Soudal Quick-Step are still in a great position with Wollaston now 40 seconds ahead and onto the foot of the Berendries She's got a lovely cadence going up the climb and the ability to ride at her own pace is benefitting her.  Team DSM have done a fantastic job of keeping their leaders out of trouble so far keeping five of them right towards the business end of the race Seven climbs are behind us but we now have around 15km of flatter roads before we reach the famed Koppenberg The three leaders' gap has reduced to 10 seconds with 10km now separating them and the Koppenberg.  Kopecky looks very calm back at the team car speaking to Danny Stam as she collects a bidon out the window We're 5km away from the brutal inclines of the koppenberg Hopefully with the dryer conditions today we'll see some serious action after multiple riders struggled to even crest the climb during the recon due it being so slippery.  Kopecky looks back at Reusser and Persico as she drives it on the front but the Belgian looks in fine form over the top of the climb.  Reusser is driving the trio out front with Persico sat in on the back Its unknown how the Italian will play the finish but she has to stay with the SD Worx duo on the final few climbs if she wants any chance at glory #RVVwomen - 🏁 29 kmThe chasing group gets back to 10 seconds as we approach Kruisberg-Hotond.#RVV23 pic.twitter.com/7KUQOyYoymApril 2, 2023 Reusser is no longer able to follow after her stellar work for Kopecky and the Belgian looks back to find Persico glued to her back wheel - a surprise for the 2022 De Ronde winner.  The gap to the two leaders is now at 28 seconds as we approach the Oude Kwaremont Vollering is working nicely to disrupt the chase staying towards the front of the group and ruining the rhythm.  Longo Borghini is keeping the pressure on despite her recent bout of illness She is still turning herself inside out for Van Anrooij as they approach the Kwaremont The Lions of Flanders are being waved on the flags as they greet their Belgian hero up the Oude Kwaremont Kopecky is solo again and is shredding this climb.  Persico is in the gap now 34 seconds behind Kopecky with the remaining chasers another 22 seconds in arrears from her.  Lotte Kopecky's gap is now posted at 40 seconds as she attacks the flat run into the finish in Oudenaarde.  Watch below the moment Kopecky dropped Persico on the Oude Kwaremont Kopecky is too strong for Persico on Oude Kwaremont! #RVVwomen #RVV23 pic.twitter.com/qvBUIKUIXVApril 2, 2023 Vollering and Reusser are doing a fine job of messing up the chasers' efforts With 46 seconds from them to Kopecky the job is all but done for SD Worx The dynamics in the chasing group are all over the place after a very long day in the saddle Labous is the latest attacker with just over 5km to go Kopecky is under the flame rouge and now the emotions finally come out She punches the air and lets a smile go as she knows she has done it The crowds are waiting for her as she can cruise over the line to take her second Tour of Flanders Its Lotte Kopecky again with the win at the Tour of Flanders SD Worx have done it again and she sits up with arms aloft taking the victory in Oudenaarde.  Demi Vollering wins the sprint behind to make it another one-two finish for the Dutch super team Kopecky has put on an absolute masterclass today to win her second Tour of Flanders When she won the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad at the start of the season Lotte Kopecky took victory at the Tour of Flanders 2023 ahead of SD Worx teammate Demi Vollering in second and former winner Elisa Longo Borghini in third Here's the moment Kopecky crossed the line solo 36 seconds ahead of the second place Demi Vollering 🏆 BACK-TO-BACK @RondeVlaanderen victory for @LotteKopecky!! 🥇 She’s the first 🇧🇪 Belgian woman ever to win two years in a row Vlaanderens Mooiste! #RVV23 pic.twitter.com/MlpN7day0ZApril 2, 2023 Kopecky was greeted by a sea of fans as she glided up the hellingen on today's course No one could live with the SD Worx rider including her team full of other stars in Marlen Reusser A great day for Belgium and women's cycling Here's your final podium at the 2023 Tour of Flanders Women: Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx) Demi Vollering (SD Worx) and Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek - Segafredo) Kopecky said: “Everybody on Social Media was giving me five stars for this race But it’s amazing how we did the race with the whole team." so I wanted to go solo as fast as possible."  She then praised the local fans out on the course: “I think I was deaf when I got up the Kwaremont 🏆🥇 The rulers of Flanders: @LotteKopecky & @TamauPogi 🥇🏆#wesparksuccess pic.twitter.com/wgigT88nIeApril 2, 2023 The web server reported a bad gateway error Vollering surges across line for second place ahead of Longo Borghini from reduced bunch sprint attacking on the Oude Kwaremont and soloing to the finish a group of seven riders fought for the remaining podium places with Marlen Reusser (Team SD Worx) leading the sprint Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek-Segafredo) was the first to launch but Demi Vollering came around her to take a 1-2 for SD Worx The Belgian superstar was part of a group of four that had formed after the Koppenberg and also included her teammates Lorena Wiebes and Reusser as well as Silvia Persico (UAE Team ADQ) and Reusser couldn't follow Kopecky's acceleration on the Kruisberg leaving the 27-year-old to continue alone towards the finish where she became only the second rider after Mirjam Melchers to win two consecutive editions of the race “Everybody on Social Media was giving me five stars for this race But it’s amazing how we did the race with the whole team,” Kopecky said after the finish so I wanted to go solo as fast as possible,” she did not underestimate her companion and dropped her on the Oude Kwaremont riding through a wall of sound from the Belgian fans “I think I was deaf when I got up the Kwaremont that was very nice,” Kopecky thanked the spectators for the extra motivation The first part of the 156.6km race was relatively calm as New Zealand champion Ally Wollaston (AG Insurance-Soudal Quick Step) got away Her advantage oscillated between 10 and 50 seconds as the gap got smaller on the climbs but went out again afterwards Wollaston was joined by Elinor Barker (Uno-X Pro Cycling Team) and Élise Chabbey (Canyon-SRAM) after the Valkenberg They briefly enjoyed a 45-second advantage but were caught at the start of the Koppenberg World Champion Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) had her rear wheel slip into the gutter and crashed leaving her to chase up the Koppenberg and effectively ending any chances of winning her final Tour of Flanders only Reusser and Persico could pedal all the way to the top causing a chain reaction all the way down the peloton She and Wiebes got back on the bike quickest and bridged to Reusser and Persico with Lucinda Brand (Trek-Segafredo) just missing the move and waiting for the next group that contained her teammates Longo Borghini and Shirin van Anrooij plus Vollering The three Team SD Worx riders cooperated to extend their advantage while Persico sat on Wiebes had to let the others go on the Taaienberg dropping back to the chase group that was 28 seconds behind at the top of the climb Only Kopecky and Persico were left after the Kruisberg and worked together on the ten-kilometre stretch to the Oude Kwaremont where Kopecky left Persico behind and went solo towards Oudenaarde Van Anrooij attacked the chase group on the Paterberg Niewiadoma and Vollering was 38 seconds behind Kopecky but they realised they were racing for second place and did not push all-out.  Labous and Longo Borghini to return on the run-in to Oudenaarde where Kopecky won the race while Vollering took the runner-up spot ahead of Longo Borghini who narrowly beat Persico to third place Results powered by FirstCycling Lukas Knöfler started working in cycling communications in 2013 and has seen the inside of the scene from many angles Having worked as press officer for teams and races and written for several online and print publications he has been Cyclingnews’ Women’s WorldTour correspondent since 2018 Van der Poel attacked early in the race, but had repeated issues with his pedals, and was caught by Aerts, Van der Haar and world champion Wout Van Aert (Crelan-Charles). The quartet had a stalemate until Van der Haar made a move mid-race Van Aert buried himself to bring the Telenet-Fidea rider back but then struggled on the cobbled ascent of the Koppenberg and was distanced from the others distancing the scrappy European champion but the effort cost him and the Dutch champion collapsed after the finish line and still struggled to catch his breath in the post-race interview The page you are looking for cannot be found You may have followed a broken or outdated link Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx) has solo victory at 2021 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma) wins Gent-Wevelgem The biggest one-day race of the year kicks off in Oudenaarde The women's peloton has been preparing for the Tour of Flanders all spring and will take the start line on Sunday in Oudenaarde for the biggest one-day race on the Women's WorldTour The level of the women's peloton is the highest that it has ever been SD Worx has won six races with six different riders this spring and they can also always rely on double World Champion Anna van der Breggen. Trek-Segafredo has taken an all-or-nothing approach to racing with Lizzie Deignan and Longo Borghini which paid off at Trofeo Alfredo Binda. Vos' new women's team Jumbo-Visma leads the Continental teams to display superior strength at Women's WorldTour races.  It has all led up to this point - the pinnacle of the cobbled Classics - at the Tour of Flanders Chantal van den Broek-Blaak (SD Worx) - Van den Broek-Blaak has firmly stated that she does not ride in the shadows of her Dutch compatriots Annemiek van Vleuten and that means taking her own opportunities to win when they come Look no further than her victories at Gent-Wevelgem (2016) Amstel Gold Race (2018) and Tour of Flanders (2020) She is a powerful one-day specialist and will want to defend her title in Oudenaarde Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx) -  Van der Breggen hasn't raced since Strade Bianche which means that she will likely be fresh and ready to tear the legs off her competitors over the final series of climbs before the run-in to Oudenaarde She is also a former winner of the Tour of Flanders in 2018 where she soloed to victory ahead of her teammate Amy Pieters SD Worx has lacked a bit of team cohesion at Trofeo Alfredo Binda and Gent-Wevelgem the team have a solid winning card to pay for the win Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM) - Niewiadoma is coming into great form nearing the end of her cobbled Classic campaign She didn't win her coveted Strade Bianche at the start of the month but has since been able to focus on preparation for the Tour of Flanders and was particularly strong at Trofeo Alfredo Binda and again at Gent-Wevelgem while working for her sprinter Hannah Barnes Her form appears to have upped a notch with a second place at Dwars door Vlaanderen Watch for her to be part of the finale in Oudenaarde Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma) - She has earmarked the Tour of Flanders as one of her biggest season targets and showed winning form at Gent-Wevelgem She may not have the team to support her like SD Worx or Trek-Segafredo but as long as they can take her into the final ascents in good position  She is a proven champion in both a late-race breakaway or a bunch sprint Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek-Segafredo) - Longo Borghini is the most dangerous rider in the peloton Her shear strength in the one-day races this spring has been impressive She forced the late-race winning attacks at Strade Bianche Her late-race attack at Gent-Wevelgem may not have paid off but we saw her grit and determination all the way to the last few hundred metres of the race where she was caught by the charging field on the finishing stretch Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) - She had a taste of victory at Dwars door Vlaanderen Known as the dress rehearsal for the Tour of Flanders Dwars door Vlaanderen showed who is ready for Sunday Van Vleuten attacked over the Knoteberg and Niewiadoma was the only rider strong enough to follow despite a ferocious chase by Trek-Segafredo Watch for these two riders to create a race-winning move into Oudenaarde Cyclingnews' full list of riders to watch here Flanders Classics have put together a 152km route that will covered 13 hellingen This year's race will certainly include the race-deciding combination of Kruisberg-Hotond and the final two climbs over the Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg cobbled sectors are located at the beginning of the race and positioning ahead of them is key to avoiding gaps or getting blocked behind potential crashes especially if riders wanted to get to the climbs in the front group and now uses fewer main roads and more narrow back roads which makes being attentive during the first two-thirds of the race more important than ever Flanders Classic's have released the route details and the climbs will start at the 57km mark and include many of the same famed kickers used in the previous editions of the Tour of Flanders. The race typically fires up into full force by the time the peloton reach the last set of climbs over the Kruisberg-Hotond Teams have been previewing the route this week to test tire pressure and gauge wind speeds and directions the forecast is calling for party sunny and 12 degrees Celsius so there may not be seasonal rain or slippery roads with which to contend including both WorldTeams and Continental teams is racing at an exceptionally high level this year and we have seen team tactics play a crucial role in the outcome of the four previous Women's WorldTour events at Strade Bianche in addition to lower-level events such as Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Dwars door Vlaanderen We can see more of a tactical game at the Tour of Flanders this year and watch for teams like SD Worx and Trek-Segafredo to have multiple winning cards to play toward the final in Oudenaarde We can expect fireworks from a few key riders over the key selection of late-race climbs Kruisberg-Hotond These locations are the final and most profitable places to launch an attack so expect to see protected riders like Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope) and Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek-Segafredo) It's never all about the climbs and the race could end in small but decisive group on the final run-in to Oudenaarde and if there are teams with multiple cards still to play we can expect to see riders like Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma) Chantal van den Broeck-Blaak and Amy Pieters (SD Worx) Lizzie Deignan (Trek-Segafredo) and Grace Brown (Team BikeExchange) in the mix for a late-race move or a small group sprint for the victory Kirsten has a background in Kinesiology and Health Science. She has been involved in cycling from the community and grassroots level to professional cycling's biggest races, reporting on the WorldTour, Spring Classics, Tours de France, World Championships and Olympic Games. She began her sports journalism career with Cyclingnews as a North American Correspondent in 2006. In 2018, Kirsten became Women's Editor – overseeing the content strategy, race coverage and growth of women's professional cycling – before becoming Deputy Editor in 2023. Belgian rider beats van den Driessche and Harris Jolien Verschueren (Young Telenet-Fidea) captured the biggest win of her career on Sunday afternoon when she dominated the Koppenbergcross, second round of the Bpost bank Trophy cyclo-cross series. The 25-year-old preschool sports teacher is the first Belgian winner of the Twenty20 Koppenbergcross, one of the few European races with equal prize money for elite men and momen. Verschueren also becomes the new leader in the Bpo-trophy with a lead of 1:57 over Nikki Harris (Young Telenet-Fidea), partly due to the absence of former leader Pavla Havlikova. “I’m really pleased with this victory. Many people said this was a race for me. Last year I was runner-up and this year I hoped to win. It worked out well. I’m really excited. This is still a hobby. I’m still a nearly fulltime sports teacher for preschoolers,” Verschueren said. Last year’s runner-up Verschueren rode away from her rivals during the second ascent of the Koppenberg, picking up 15 bonus seconds at the intermediate sprint. During the three remaining laps she kept increasing her lead and became a well-deserved winner. At the intermediate sprint during the second lap Verschueren picked up 15 bonus seconds. At that point Harris was still riding in second place, taking 10 seconds. Fast starter Wyman took the remaining 5 seconds. After two laps of racing there were still four riders in contention for the victory with Verschueren, Van den Driessche, Harris and Wyman. Belgian champion Cant was struggling on the long climbs in fifth place, just ahead of Talitha de Jong (Rabobank Liv). In the final laps Verschueren extended her lead. Harris and Van den Driessche battled for second place with the latter winning the duel. Cant won the battle for fourth place against Wyman and De Jong. The latter was able to finish just ahead of Wyman to grab fifth place. There were at least two major absentees at the Koppenbergcross. Last year’s winner Sophie de Boer is still side-lined due to illness. Also Bpo-trophy leader Pavla Havlikova was not present in Melden. Before the race the Czech rider held a three seconds lead over Jolien Verschueren and 49s over Harris. Cant was fourth at 1:42. The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox! BELGIUM - APRIL 02: Lotte Kopecky of Belgium and Team SD Worx celebrates at finish line as race winner during the 20th Ronde van Vlaanderen - Tour des Flandres 2023 Women's Elite a 156.6km one day race from Oudenaarde to Oudenaarde / #UCIWWT / on April 02 (Photo by Tim de Waele/Getty Images) Credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España.Get the latest with our sport podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.Watch on SBS SportSport News The Battle of Tacámbaro in Mexico is a piece of forgotten Belgian history that not many people know of Because of the link with the East-Flemish city of Oudenaarde it is also dubbed 'Oudenaarde's public secret' but now it's all water under the bridge thanks to the successful exchange with a Mexican delegation just north of the historic city square and the late-Gothic city hall The place - an open space between two small parks - has received the name Tacámbaro The parking lot in the middle shows a white statue of a mourning lady which is a second hint to a piece of forgotten Belgian history and symbolises the grief of Belgian women that were left behind by their partners who had gone to Mexico and whose fate was uncertain" explain Stijn Lybeert and Hilde Avet of the city of Oudenaarde The Mexican story is seeing its 150th anniversary in April The key figure in the whole story is Charlotte the daughter of King Leopold I of the Belgians She is married to Maximilian von Habsburg who decides to travel to Mexico to defend his empire over there as Mexicans are revolting against the European rule Belgium wants to send body guards to protect the Belgian Empress but wants to keep its neutral position on the other hand The result is a Belgian compromise: it is decided to launch an appeal to volunteers who can serve in a Belgian Legion Belgian is not sending an army and keeping a neutral stand it is actually sending troops to protect Empress Charlotte It is decided that the volunteers - a legion including some 1,500 troops - will be involved in a mission focusing on guarding and protecting Charlotte and her husband due to rising pressure from other European troops the Belgian Legion eventually took part in military action Local forces taking part in a guerrilla proved much too strong as the Belgians were defeated other were made prisoners but released later Flemish or Dutch family names can still be heard in the Tacámbaro region (some 300 km from Mexico City) "The Belgians were not well equipped and badly prepared." The Belgian 'trip' to Mexico was not something to be proud of There had been considerable resistance against the idea in the first place Belgian troops had been deployed in the battle and the young Belgian state had actually installed a kind of occupation force for a while The decision to make a statue just to remember the battle was therefore a controversial one - as was the place where it should come After Schaarbeek had been scrapped as a possible location Oudenaarde was chosen because it was there that the volunteers had assembled received their (short) training and departed (photo below) This was because Oudenaarde had local barracks available that were no state barracks as this was not an official military mission only 16 members of the Legion were local Oudenaarde residents Oudenaarde finally accepted and the white statue of the lady has been there ever since especially in occupied Belgium during the Great War "You can say it is a dark side of Belgian history" The Mexicans had a swift victory and never really held it against Belgium an initiative was started between Tacámbaro and Oudenaarde The Mexican city will install a big square named after the East-Flemish city A Belgian delegation including the Oudenaarde Mayor visited Tacámbaro recently A manifesto was signed to cooperate in the area of tourism explains us Oudenaarde Burgomaster Marnic De Meulemeester on the phone They had made a big effort after waiting so long for the visit." A Mexican delegation made it to Oudenaarde last weekend we've finally come to terms with this piece of Belgian history once and for all" The starting point of the design by Koppert + Koenis lies in the industrial background of the city of Oudenaarde and specifically its impact on the site of the planned sports complex. This brownfield location is nowadays surrounded by low density housing and gardens. This results in complex spatial challenges as well as optimizing the sports- and educational use of the building. Courtesy of Koppert + Koenis ArchitectsArchitects: Koppert + Koenis Architects Location: Oudenaarde Jetske Bömer Commission: Total engineering Project Size: 2650 m2 Project Costs: ca You'll now receive updates based on what you follow Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors If you have done all of this and still can't find the email Oudenaarde, the capital of the Flemish Ardennes, is world famous for its tapestries and silversmiths. This and much more has been brought together in a contemporary presentation at the MOU at the city's historic town hall and cloth hall. The highlight of the MOU, the Museum of Oudenaarde and the Flemish Ardennes, is the collection of tapestries produced in the city. The East Flemish town of Oudenaarde was once synonymous with tapestry production with over half the town's population involved in this industry during its glory days. “Today the MOU's collection of Oudenaarde tapestries encompasses thirty-two works. Sixteen are on show in the upper cloth hall” says Hilde Avet of MOU. As far as tapestries are concerned Oudenaarde is most famous for its verdures, tapestries depicting lush green landscapes. It's from the many hues of green used to represent trees, foliage and flowers that this type of tapestry takes its name. Hilde Avet: “The range of tapestries on show is rotated from time to time to allow us to show all items”. At MOU don't forget to explore a 16th century tapestry once presented to Alexander Farnese, governor of the Spanish Netherlands in the 1580's. Rotating prisms allow you to blow up the tapestry and discover its finest details. Oudenaarde was once also a bustling centre of silversmiths, especially during the Ancien Regime, the years before Napoleon set Europe alight. The MOU showcases a collection of religious and secular silver brought together by Hélène Alligoridès and Ernest De Boever. Their collection includes top works from across the continent of Europe as well as items that reveal the skills of local silversmiths. The MOU, the Museum of Oudenaarde and the Flemish Ardennes, is located on Oudenaarde market square and is open Tuesday through Sunday.  Photos in this article provided by MOU in Oudenaarde. OUDENAARDE, BELGIUM - MARCH 31: Race winner Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland and RadioShack Leopard standards on top of the podium as Peter Sagan of Slovakia and Cannondale looks on during the 97th Tour of Flanders from Brugge to Oudenaarde on March 31, 2013 in Oudenaarde, Belgium. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images) By Emma BamfordMon 1 Apr 2013 at 11:41He is an athlete more normally known for his dedication to his sport – and his talent on a bike. In fact, before today, perhaps the most notable thing about Slovakian cyclist Peter Sagan was his reputation for wacky victory celebrations: doing the running man or impersonating the Incredible Hulk to mark a win. But that was before a photograph of him pinching the bottom of a podium girl at the end of the Tour de Flanders emerged. Sagan was placed second in the Tour de Flanders race today and climbed onto the winners’ podium, along with third-placed Jurgen Roelandts and winner Fabian Cancellara, who was flanked by two hostesses. As the women leaned in to give the Swiss champion the customary peck on the cheek, Sagan extended a cheeky hand of friendship – and goosed the blonde. Cue social media outrage. Michael Hutchinson, top British cyclist and 2012 Irish Time Trials National Champion, tweeted: “Shame that Peter Sagan has so much class on a bike and so very little off it.” UCI World cycling champion and Irish Paracycling Team member Colin Lynch wrote: “Despite the symbolism of being kissed by scantily-clad women & then spraying champagne all over the place, groping them before is [off] limits. “The podium move by Sagan was like school on Sunday. No class.” Other cycling enthusiasts pointed a feminist finger. Jane Aubrey, editor of Australian cyclingnews.com, tweeted: “Anyone excusing Sagan's behaviour due to his age, needs to think again. In the workplace, it's called harassment.” Adam Tranter, editor of website Cyclosport, retweeted the picture and wrote: “The moment you realise Sagan is actually just a bit of an idiot.” And Dave Dee, cyclist from the Wirral, said: “Now a chance for enlightened tour organisers to drop podium girls.” And one posted a photo taken a week earlier, of the podium of winners of the E3 Harelbeke race in Belgium. It shows a familiar set-up: Cancellara in first place, a hostess on either side, Sagan in second position – and a Slovakian hand stretching out towards the closest podium girl’s behind, palm extended as if to spank her. The 23-year-old is regarded as one of cycling’s promising young talents, known for excelling in almost all cycling disciplines, except for high mountains, with which he can struggle. In the four years he has been racing professionally he has won a record eight stages in the Tour de California and others in Paris-Nice, Tirreno-Adriatico and the Tour de Romandie. He was junior world champion in the UCI World Mountain Bike and Time Trials in 2008, before switching to road races. Cycling writer and broadcaster Ned Boulting told The Independent that cycling was only just beginning to emerge as a mainstream sport in the UK and therefore practises were led by the Continent – with all the ‘traditions’ that brought. “To say it’s OK for winners to celebrate in these ridiculous clinches with these poorly paid, barely dressed and no doubt freezing cold women – I think it looks bad and pretty repressive,” Mr Boulting said. “It’s seen as completely normal to have podium girls but it doesn’t need to be. If they ceased to exist [as a feature of cycling] overnight, no one would miss them.” Sagan yesterday apologised for the Flanders incident through Twitter. “Was not my intention to disrespect women today on the podium. Just a joke, sorry if someone was disturbed about it,” he wrote. Podium girls are a tradition in cycling races, although in recent years they have sometimes been replaced by podium men – or podium people, to give them their non-sexist, all-for-equality name. Competition to be picked as a hostess can be fierce. The Tour de France organisers have to whittle down a pool of 500 applicants to 50. The job description includes presenting stage awards, serving as ambassadors for various race sponsors, dressing in the appropriate outfit for presentations – polka dot for mountain climbs; yellow for overall title contenders - as well as touching tastefully-painted lips to sweaty cyclists’ cheeks. Fraternising between competitors and podium girls is frowned upon. In 2003, hostess Melanie Simonneau was fired for accepting a note from winning cyclist George Hincapie. But in that instance there was a happy ending. A man that murdered a nursery nurse and two babies at the Fabeltjesland crèche in the East Flemish town of Dendemonde a decade ago is to be sectioned. The decision to section the 30-year-old was taken by a court in Ghent. In 2013 he was sentenced to life-imprisonment for the murders. The court in Ghent ruled that Kim De Gelder no longer belongs in a prison cell at Oudenaarde Jail (East Flanders), but instead should be held in a secure psychiatric facility, as his mental condition means that he is not criminally accountable. Kim De Gelder will be taken to the psychiatric wing of Ghent Prison. If he is ever deemed to have been cured, he will return to Oudenaarde Prison to serve the rest of his sentence.     Those in charge of Oudenaarde Prison asked two years ago for Kim De Gelder to be sectioned. A team of 4 experts held him under observation for many months.    Kim De Gelder's solicitor Jaak Haentjens told VRT News that the experts' conclusion was unanimous. Furthermore the Judicial Authorities had no objection to him being sectioned.  In January 2009 Kim De Gelder the then 20 year-old Kim De Gelder stabbed to death the nursery nurse Marita Blindeman and two of the babies in her care, Corneel and Leon. A week earlier he had murdered the pensioner Elza Van Raemdonck at her home in Vrasene, in the village of Beveren-Waas. He was detained on the day of the Fabeltjesland stabbing and remained in custody until his trail in 2013 where he was sentenced to life imprisonment.