does he just hate cyclists in general? The 2007 Eneco Tour Prologue route through Hasselt, Belgium, looked like it was designed to punish impaired riders, resembling an obstacle course more than a bike race route

The problems commenced for many riders on the starting ramp. The course forced them to try to start at the far right side of the ramp and several of them almost slid off. Those beloved cobblestones appeared to comprise the road surface at the base of the ramp and a 90 degree left turn was positioned less than 50 meters from the start. Things got worse.

Work kept me from watching the entire prologue but the director appeared to have designed a tortuous route through winding city streets. I counted no fewer than four traffic tables (aka “pregnant speed bumps” to our urban readers) that had to be taken at full speed. At one point the route was squeezed to about one traffic lane in width by a chain link fence that apparently was protecting a construction area. Less than 100 meters past that fence the route took a 90 degree turn to the left that was “protected” on the wide side of the turn by a short stone lip that divided the road from the sidewalk. Before the riders finished negotiating that curve completely there also was a small tree that was barricaded by a white sign. I suppose the race director wanted the riders to see the sign before they hit it, but I think all of them managed to miss it.

The last 200 - 250 meters were “guarded” by a 90 degree turn back to the right, and at the far end of the outside of that curve the support legs of the traffic barricades intruded into the road. I only saw one rider hit that, but he hit it quite hard and had to struggle across the finish line from there.

The smart team managers started their best riders early in the day because rain impeded the last 40 or so on the course. Dutch rider Michiel Elijzen (Team Cofidis) won the stage and took the young rider jersey with a time of 6′9″. Rabobank’s Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Spain) finished one second back and Johan Van Summeren (Belgium) of Predictor - Lotto was one second behind him. Cofidis won the team classification for the first day.

Thursday’s stage looks like it could be described as an undulating ride through the Belgian countryside. Hopefully the rain will hold off so we can take in the scenery.