Belgium’s official meteorology service RMI is forecasting some bad weather during Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne tomorrow prompting organizers to put in additional security measures for the race. The weather service has recorded some powerful wind gusts on Saturday evening and say they are expected to continue through tomorrow.
“There is a storm raging over the country. The RMI has recorded gusts up to 100 kilometers per hour in the center of the country,” explained race organizer Marc Vandevyvere. “The latest predictions say that wind gusts of around 58 kilometers per hour are expected in around four or five hours.”
The organizers have spoken to the team leaders and decided to make some changes so they can safely hold the event. For now, the biggest change will be for organizers to forgo the inflatable bridges that typically hold advertisements along the course. “It will be at the cost of advertising revenue, but we’d rather that than risk an accident,” said Vandevyvere.
Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne is no stranger to windy weather, but the organizers want to make sure they take every precaution for tomorrow’s event. “I just spoke with the team leaders, and they find that racing is no problem with strong wind gusts. We will remain vigilant,” Vandevyvere concluded.
Last years race saw Belgium Tom Boonen take the victory. He will likely show up tomorrow with something to prove after suffering a puncture at a critical time during today’s Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. The mishap took the Belgian Champion out of contention. Earlier in the race he showed his form was on with a big attack on the 500 meter cobbled climb of the Taaienberg. His bad luck today could leave him with the energy needed to defend his KBK title in the windy conditions.