1X drivetrains, tubeless tyres, disc brakes and Shimano Ultegra
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The Dutch Pro Continental squad pairs their Black Inc wheels with Maxxis tubular tyres(Image credit: Josh Evans)
Lars Boom opted to pump his own tyres up at the start of Omloop to check pressures were correct(Image credit: Josh Evans)
K-Edge computer mounts are used by almost every team in the WorldTour(Image credit: Josh Evans)
Now racing on a BMC Teammachine for Dimension Data, last year's Omloop winner Michael Valgren had the number 1 for the race(Image credit: Josh Evans)
In an era of aero handlebars and integrated cockpits, Terpstra opts for a classic swoop on his handlebars(Image credit: Josh Evans)
Niki Terpstra raced aboard a black Wilier Cento 10 Pro while his Direct Energie teammates were aboard yellow framesets(Image credit: Josh Evans)
Canadian national champion Antoine Duchesne has a custom-painted Lapierre for 2019(Image credit: Josh Evans)
Aerodynamics are sacrificed for comfort on the cobbles(Image credit: Josh Evans)
The SRAM RED eTap AXS 12-speed groupset was used by Trek-Segafredo and Katusha Alpecin in the men's Omloop Het Nieuwsblad(Image credit: Josh Evans)
Michael Matthews' Cervelo S5 Disc(Image credit: Josh Evans)
Team Sunweb are another team using K-Edge mounts, this time on the unique aero bars on their Cervelo S5(Image credit: Josh Evans)
Former Swiss national champion Silvan Dillier wears Giro Empire SLX with a simple laces customisation(Image credit: Josh Evans)
After racing with old Campagnolo 11-speed components at the Tour Down Under, AG2R La Mondiale were racing with Shimano Ultegra Di2 at Opening Weekend(Image credit: Josh Evans)
The CCC-Liv Team were another team to be using the new 12-speed groupset from SRAM(Image credit: Josh Evans)
Team Sky run Elite Ciussi bottle cages during cobbled races for the extra bottle security(Image credit: Josh Evans)
Several teams using disc brakes were seen torqueing their thru-axles (Image credit: Josh Evans)
French Pro Conti team Cofidis run French tyres from Michelin(Image credit: Josh Evans)
Cobbled roads mean aero bars aren't the comfiest option so many riders will wrap handlebar tape to their stems(Image credit: Josh Evans)
The team use the previous iteration of SRM's Campagnolo crankset(Image credit: Josh Evans)
UCI commissaires were at the beginning of both races checking for technological fraud(Image credit: Josh Evans)
This Wanty Groupe Gobert rider appeared to be running an SRM Origin crankset with the logos taped over, alongside Cabon Ti chainrings(Image credit: Josh Evans)
Simple course notes for Omllop Het Nieuwsblad lets riders know when they need to think about positioning(Image credit: Josh Evans)
The 2019 Cofidis Kuota Khan is equipped with Campagnolo EPS 12-speed(Image credit: Josh Evans)
Roompot-Charles are racing aboard Factor O2 Disc bikes for the 2019 season(Image credit: Josh Evans)
Shimano Ultegra Di2 was a common sight on WorldTour and Pro Conti teams at the Opening Weekend races(Image credit: Josh Evans)
We can expect to see more and more teams testing tubeless tyres this season(Image credit: Josh Evans)
Wallonie-Bruxelles raced a complete tubeless setup with wheels from Scope in conjunction with tyres from Schwalbe(Image credit: Josh Evans)
Tyre pressures are marked on tape ahead of the races to combat the cobbles(Image credit: Josh Evans)
A look at the Wanty Groupe Gobert Cube Litening C68(Image credit: Josh Evans)
The Health Mate Cycleive Team raced the Women's Elite Omloop on their Belgian Thompson Maestro framesets(Image credit: Josh Evans)
Oliver Naesen raced Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne with 28mm Vredestein tubulars(Image credit: Josh Evans)
The 2.04 metre tall Conor Dunne races with a 150mm stem(Image credit: Josh Evans)
Israel Cycling Academy have custom-painted De Rosas for national champions of Estonia and Ireland, Mihkel Raim and Conor Dunne(Image credit: Josh Evans)
Mads Pedersen raced both races with a 1X drivetrain setup from SRAM(Image credit: Josh Evans)
Niki Terpstra was all smiles in his new team colours(Image credit: Josh Evans)
Matteo Trentin also has a custom helmet from Scott(Image credit: Josh Evans)
European champion Matteo Trentin had his custom-painted Scott Foil as a spare bike on the team car(Image credit: Josh Evans)
The Women's team also ran brakes from the brand(Image credit: Josh Evans)
Valcar Cyclance's Cannondales ran FSA WE drivetrains(Image credit: Josh Evans)
Arm and leg warmers were the order of the day on the startline in Gent(Image credit: Josh Evans)
The FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope team run slightly different paint designs on their Lapierre framesets compared to the men's team(Image credit: Josh Evans)
Hannah Barnes' Canyon Aeroad for Canyon-SRAM(Image credit: Josh Evans)
Belgian Jasper Stuyven has custom Boa dials on his Bontrager shoes(Image credit: Josh Evans)
Kazakhstan national champion Alexey Lutsenko was part of the final selection in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad(Image credit: Josh Evans)
Stefan Kung opted for double gloves for the start at Omloop(Image credit: Josh Evans)
A warm, team issue jacket covered Bob Jungels' national champion colours(Image credit: Josh Evans)
Sven Erik Bystrom is one of just a couple of riders in the professional peloton to race with the €1,000 Mavic Comete Ultimate shoes(Image credit: Josh Evans)
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad winner Zdenek Stybar raced with satellite sprint shifters on his handlebar drops(Image credit: Josh Evans)
Many pro riders struggle with fit on their race shoes and will have to make customisations for a better fit(Image credit: Josh Evans)
Bob Jungels' Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne winning S-Works Venge(Image credit: Josh Evans)
For the purists, Opening Weekend remains the start proper of the new racing season.
The 2019 team bikes and jerseys have been unveiled and already raced, but two consecutive days of the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne gives teams a chance to test their new wet – and often cold – weather gear, alongside seeing how the hardware copes with the brutality of the cobbles.
Stybar and Jungels won their races on an S-Works Tarmac and an S-Works Venge, respectively, showing that both bikes can cope with the cobbles.
The offseason saw several teams switch bike sponsors and with it, plenty of new paint designs and team colours. Factor left AG2R La Mondiale and the WorldTour behind for a new partnership in the Pro Continental Roompot-Charles team.
The Dutch squad, which includes Lars Boom on their roster, have joined several WorldTour teams in committing to racing on disc brakes for the season.
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SRAM's new RED eTap AXS 12-speed groupset made headlines last month and Trek-Segafredo, Katusha-Alpecin, CCC-Liv, Boels-Dolmans and Canyon-SRAM all showcased their new groupsets at the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad start in Gent on Saturday.
Trek-Segafredo's Mads Pedersen made headlines, though, opting to run the groupset in a 1X setup with a 48x10-33 gearing combination offering a similar range of a double chainring setup.
AG2R La Mondiale are racing on Eddy Merckx framesets for 2019, which at the WorldTour opener at the Tour Down Under in January were equipped with ROTOR cranksets, paired with Campagnolo 11-speed derailleurs and shifters. For Opening Weekend, the team stuck with the ROTOR cranksets but interestingly had switched to Shimano Ultegra Di2 components suggesting an official drivetrain components partnership has yet to be finalised.
The cobbled Classics always see a range of tyres and tyre widths from regular 25mm road racing tyres up to 30mm and beyond cobble-specific options. The Pro Continental Wallonie-Bruxelles team opted for a tubeless setup using Scope wheels and Schwalbe tyres.
This move to tubeless setups is not the first in professional cycling and Cyclingnews understands there could be a lot more integration of the technology in the coming season at the top of the sport.
