Preview Heistse Pijl 2023 | Kooij and Merlier cross swords again, with contenders in the mix

We'll start in Vosselaar and, after a race of 198.7 kilometers, finish in Heist-op-den-Berg - that, in a nutshell, is the plan for the Heistse Pijl. Due to the presence of the Heistse Berg (Heist Mountain), this race often triggers a striking battle between the attackers and the fast guys, with the ratio being about 50/50.

Last year, Arnaud De Lie (Lotto-Dstny) claimed the victory with a powerful sprint, while in 2021, Pascal Eenkhoorn, representing Jumbo-Visma, won a sprint of three against Yves Lampaert and Jonas Rickaert. In 2016, in the first edition to take place in a very long time, it was pure sprinter Dylan Groenewegen who put his name on the list of honors.

2022 Arnaud De Lie
2021 Pascal Eenkhoorn
2020 Not ridden
2019 Alvaro José Hodeg
2018 Emils Liepins
2017 Jasper De Buyst
2016 Dylan Groenewegen

The riders will cover a total distance of 198.7 km, passing through several municipalities in the Kempen region, including Lille, Geel, Westerlo and Herentals. After sixty kilometers of racing, the peloton will reach the finish line on Paul van Roosbroeklaan in Heist-op-den-Berg for the first time. This will be followed by six local laps of 20.7 km each. Due to roadworks, the local circuit in Heist-op-den-Berg has become longer and the peloton will ride via Booischot to Hulshout.

What remains unchanged is the challenging passage of the Heistse Berg. This short climb - that is tough on the calves - is always a delight for the attackers who aim to avoid a bunch sprint. It is a hill of four hundred meters at an average gradient of 4.8 percent. Now, you might think - that's nothing for those pros. However, the fact that this section is positioned only one kilometer from the finish makes it interesting. Of course, much will still depend on the race dynamics.

Weather
The weather in Belgium has been nice this week, and this Saturday will be no different. The temperature will be 24 degrees Celsius, and the riders will start in the afternoon, accompanied by some lovely sunshine and a gentle breeze.

Looking at the field of participants, a sprint seems to be the most likely scenario, as some teams appear to be clearly favoring that strategy. Jumbo-Visma is counting on Olav Kooij, who has the support of well-known fast riders such as the Van Dijke brothers, Jos van Emden and Timo Roosen.

Kooij will once again face Tim Merlier, the designated leader for Soudal Quick-Step, just like in the Vierdaagse van Duinkerke. That team also has good support from Jannik Steimle, Bert Van Lerberghe and Stan Van Tricht. At Intermarché-Circus-Wanty, they are relying on Gerben Thijssen, who impressively won the Ronde van Limburg on Monday.

Jordi Meeus will have to carry the torch for BORA-hansgrohe, while French teams Arkéa Samsic (David Dekker, Jenthe Biermans and Nacer Bouhanni), Cofidis (Max Walscheid and Simone Consonni), AG2R Citroën (Clément Venturini and Marc Sarreau) and TotalEnergies (Jason Tesson and Dries Van Gestel) will show up with multiple strong pawns, ready to race.

Team DSM also has several fast riders in Marius Mayrhofer, Casper Van Uden and Pavel Bittner, as does Alpecin-Deceuninck with Lionel Taminiaux, Axel Laurance and Jakub Mareckzo. Erlend Blikra (Uno-X), Alexander Salby (Bingoal-WB) and Sasha Weemaes (Human Powered Health) also deserve an honorable mention from the ProContinental level.

Are there any men who can outrun the sprint? Absolutely! For example, Dries De Bondt (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Jarne Van de Paar (Lotto-Dstny), Anthony Turgis (TotalEnergies) and Ludovic Robeet (Bingoal-WB).

Top favorites:Olav Kooij (Jumbo-Visma) and Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step)
Outsiders: Gerben Thijssen (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty), Jordi Meeus (BORA-hansgrohe), David Dekker (Arkéa Samsic) and Max Walscheid (Cofidis)

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Sporza will broadcast the Heistse Pijl on Saturday, starting at 4 p.m. on VRT 1. This way, you won't miss the finale of the Belgian one-day race.

Tom van der Salm (Twitter: @TomvanderSalm)