Belgium. Cycling’s heartland. Home to the big spring classics. With Tour of Flanders on tap this Sunday, it’s our duty as bike racing fans to revel in all things Belgian. But what is the most Belgian person (or thing) ever? Hopefully the VeloNews Belgian Bracket has the answer — or at least it’s a way to have a little fun this week.
With the Sweet 16 round complete, four terrific regional championship match-ups are set for Tuesday. In the 1970s Hard-Man region, the #6 ranked Lion of Flanders flag continued its fairytale run, knocking off Roger de Vlaeminck, who held the #1 seed after winning four Paris-Roubaix races and the 1977 Tour of Flanders. The flag will be up against another Belgian icon: Windy, Rainy Weather, modestly seeded at #4. Over in the Stones & Beer region, results were chalk as — you guessed it — Cobblestones and Beer advanced to the Elite Eight. The tournament’s Countryside region will feature a scintillating (and somewhat meta) showdown between two-time world champ Sven Nys and his very own sport, Cyclocross, although Nys had to fight to the buzzer, beating the Muur by only 3.4 percent. Finally, in the Sinners region, Tom Boonen dispatched A Hit of “Pot Belge,” and will move on to face A Paper Funnel of Frites and Mayo.
Who will win the next round and advance to the Final Four? That’s up to VeloNews readers like you! Vote now. Help us pick the most Belgian thing/person ever for the Eddy Merckx trophy. (No, Eddy is not in the bracket — he’d just destroy everyone, like he always did.) Your votes decide which Belgian items advance to the semifinals. Scroll down, vote, and share with your friends!
Elite Eight voting ends at 9 p.m. Eastern Tuesday, March 28. The Final Four will be unveiled Wednesday morning!
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