Flanders route changed after cobbles theft

The Tour of Flanders podium: Tom Boonen (Quick Step), Fabian Cancellara (Saxo Bank) and Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto)

The Tour of Flanders podium: Tom Boonen (Quick Step), Fabian Cancellara (Saxo Bank) and Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto) (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

The organisers of the Tour of Flanders have announced that the route of this Sunday’s race will have to undergo a late change after thieves stole a significant section of cobbles on the fearsome Koppenberg climb. Belgian police have revealed they have received information suggesting that the cobbles were stolen to order and may have already been spirited out of the country. They believe the cobbles are destined for the driveway of a fan of the Belgian Classics.

Peter Cossins has written about professional cycling since 1993 and is a contributing editor to Procycling. He is the author of The Monuments: The Grit and the Glory of Cycling's Greatest One-Day Races (Bloomsbury, March 2014) and has translated Christophe Bassons' autobiography, A Clean Break (Bloomsbury, July 2014). 

twitter.com/petercossins