Entries for the Tour of Flanders cyclosportive have now sold out. 16,000 cyclists have signed up to take part in the event on Saturday, April 4th, the day before the pros, to test themselves on the course of the world-renowned classic. This year is the first time that the number of entries has been capped.
“The introduction of a limit of 16,000 cyclists has come after consultation between the local authorities and the organisation,” organiser Christophe Impens of Golazo Sports says.
“The limit of the number of participants will help ensure the maximum safety for both participants and other road users. It will also increase the comfort of the participants and keep the inconvenience to local residents within reason.”
The cyclists can choose from three distances: the full 239km starting in Bruges, 127km or 71km, both starting in Oudenaarde. 4,650 participants will take part in the 239km event, 8877 will take part in the 127km distance and 2473 will do the 71km event.
More than 40 nationalities are due to start on April 4. Exactly half of the participants come from outside of Belgium, with 3227 participants from the Netherlands, 2047 from Great Britain, 797 from France, 467 from Italy, 357 from Germany and 241 from Spain. From the United States come 125 cyclists. The top 10 is completed by Switzerland (102) and Ireland (86).
