Ronde!

For many Le Tour is the pinnacle of cycling. For me, it is the the classics and Ronde van Vlaanderen, the Tour of Flanders. Sure the Hell of the North has a special place for me and maybe I shouldn't play favorites. But, the hardmen of Flanders prove their worth this week and it looks to be the showdown of the season this sunday, sunday, sunday.

The 18 "bergs" thrown in the 259K of racing are what sets this apart for the true classics fan. Throw in the cobbled roads on most of the climbs and you have a true hardman's race. I fancy myself a decent climber for a "big" cyclist; therefore, these courses draw me like sirens.

My pick for the day is a three-peat by Tom Boonen. The former world champion has proven his worth here the last two years. He will be the man to beat with a competitive but banged up Bettini to provide the considerable threat foiling the few contenders to make it that far.