The Tour of Flanders is just days away, so it’s time to revel in all things Belgian. But what is the most Belgian thing we can celebrate? This year, we are pleased to present The Belgian Bracket!
Thousands voted in our first round, and now it is time for the “Sweet 16.” First, a quick rundown of the weekend’s action:
Although pundits criticized the selection committee for giving poor seeds to fan favorites like the Paterberg and Jean-Claude Van Damme — both of which were eliminated — the top seeds in all regions made it through the first round. We saw two upsets, both between #6 and #3 seeds in the 1970s Hard-Man Region and the Stones & Beer Region. Johan Museeuw and Dirk Hofman Motorhomes are headed home early, defeated by the underrated Koppenberg and the Lion of Flanders Flag, respectively. The highlight of the Sinners region was the close matchup between #3 seed Frank Vandenbroucke and #6 seed Tom Boonen’s Ferrari. The late Vandenbroucke crashed the Ferrari’s party by just seven percent. But above all, the Stones and Beer region had the most exciting action, as #5 seed Koksijde kicked #4 Drunk Trappist Monks out of the dance with a 2.8 percent buzzer-beater.
Now it’s time for you, dear VeloNews readers to vote in our Sweet 16 round. Regardless of whether your March Madness bracket is busted, or you think Gonzaga is a stinky cheese, 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 next round. Scroll down, vote, and share with your friends!
Sweet 16 voting ends at 9 p.m. Eastern Monday, March 27. The “Elite Eight” will be unveiled Tuesday morning!
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