The sad memories of the Battle of Geel has long gone forgotten. But the very same fields still host another battle, the third stage of the cobble wars in the streets of Antwerpe every year. But this is not a liberation war this is the war of addicts, addict of cobbles. Soldiers are not shooting each other on the battlefield but dust on the ground attack their faces. Fans are violently shouting for their riders to go faster and the riders curse their faith while they try not to fall on the jagged stones.
  
   At the climax of cobblestone races, followed by Pre-Roubaix and Roubaix Classic the Antwerpen Tour comes and we shall find out who is the honoring the cycling best. One never understands an OCM season started until Tweedaagse starts. It is the first tour in the calendar… Rather than that, it is the only cobblestone war in the calendar.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   ABK
  
   If you are looking for the Beast, he is not here. The cobbles of Arendonk are tough bites even for him. However, Danish team is here with Zkumavka and Klostergård for the prologue. Team manager Andreas Brasen is waiting fingers crossed for result(s) in the time trial.
  
   Die Tour Phantome
  
   Deroek might be hunting a top 9 result in the prologue but especially after the injury of Andreo Toledo they will only be looking for breakaways and really going to be the phantom of the tour but one should always bear in mind that phantoms can travel much faster than bikes especially when these bikes are on the cobbles.
  
   Drapeau Noir
  
   The GC winner of the last edition Heinrich Uttenberger arrives to Belgium with top form for the first time and a super domestic Colombian Domenico Chiamuhera who was fourth in Roubaix Classic and Tweedaagse last season. Uttenberger has top 9 results in his last 13 consecutive cobble races. Will this big form be enough for Uttenberger to beat the formidable Bartoli Rivera and his friends again? Even if it is not, a podium is likely for Uttenberger.
  
   Equipo Easy On
  
   The legendary team and its legendary manager Eli is back in Division 1. EEO was rumored to be closed down but they are back in where they belong. Timo Bäumling might not lose much time in the prologue but with only one domestic, Xia Liyang at hand it will be difficult to hope for more than a top 9 result in the stages.
  
   Glamourade
  
   Mauricio Viola skipped Tweedaagse last season but he intends to race every cobble race this season. He has shown that he is in big form by winning both Pre-Roubaix and Roubaix Classic in front of many favorites. He will have the help of Biohiglio and van Dam. He would have been a podium candidate but both Pre-Roubaix and Roubaix Classic might just have been too exhausting for Viola.
  
   Hard Gaat Ie
  
   The Dutch outfit is here for the prologue with Lars Gjerde. Despite his low average compared to the elite time trialers of the OCM, he is close to a top 3 result in the podium. The rest of the roster will raise team spirit by spending hard time on the cobblestone. They should be careful about Marius Lassen was actually supposed to be training in the Alpes but got on the wrong plane and which landed on Brussels.
  
   JJL24SS
  
   After Algernon Dealy left the team as cobblestone captain, a young Latvian arrived in the team. Shortly after he was shown as the future stars that would shape the OCM, that Latvian won the ninth edition of the Tweedaagse. Last season he was fifth and won the YC again. Winning the YC for a third time easily would be a great achievement for anybody but not for Semerjaks. He is still very young but already very successful and experienced. However, the support of Padelis Daraklitsas might not prove sufficient be for podium let alone winning.
  
   lastplace1414
  
   The lonely cowboy Edward Simon is looking for top 9 stage results but the Europeans collective capitalism is showing itself in the lineups. Most of the other captains have strong support. However, lonely cowboys survive in the wild west, maybe Simon can survive on the cobbled paths around Antwerpen.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Luveaucek
  
   Luveaucek is also among the teams that is aiming success in the prologue. Mikuláš Malina can achieve a result in the prologue but can he hang on to a top 9, which the experienced team manager Wryen is hoping for. Nicodemus Balanchine achieved this twice, despite he can’t even stand on cobbles without even falling on those sections. Luveaucek might have a shot in YC with the young Ukranian Somov, actually he had massive potentials (enough to win here) but he joined the massive army of wasted talents.
  
   Megaman
  
   Aarón Alemao is leading the team for a prologue result, maybe even a podium. His team mates can also be his opponents too since all of them are competent time trialers. But they can only be fast in the first stage since none of them are able to rider on the cobblestones.
  
   Nairobi City Cycling Club
  
   One of the strongest time trial teams in the OCM, NCCC is here with a very strong squad for the prologue. Their newest discovery Mikaitas is hoping to get a podium in the prologue and hang on the top as much as possible. Never say never but you can always say almost impossible.
  
   NECFTW
  
   What does a team with zero-cobbler policy is doing in Arendonk? You may think their rider passed the border by a mistake but that is not the case. Noppes let Elias Van der Eyde and Benne Cappon to ride in the prologue, always better than sitting at home.
  
   omega pharma lotto
  
   Omega pharma looks like a Martian cobbler team. These are not human, they are simply cobblemen. The captain of the cobblemen, Bartoli Rivera and his team is the one to beat. The captain of the cobblemen is in top form but he is not out of reach. Actually, Martians have not yet conquered the earth of cobbles. 3, 3, 11 , 8… These are not the alien codes but last four results of Rivera in GC. Can Rivera and his cobblemen win here? They should. In Pre-Roubaix, both Rivera and his helper Grarup were in the first 9. In Roubaix he was the third so he has built up. However, don’t forget that even Martians are not invincible…and can get tired.
  
   peddelen
  
   The only Dutch team to with a realistic chance to do well in the GC. Lowell Shingleton is the young captain of the team but only five days older than he is supposed to be for a real contender for the YC. Shingleton could become the future big cobbler together with Semerjaks. This year, it is difficult for them to see the podium without any help. But with top form stage results are not beyond the reach of the British. His debut in Roubaix Classic was an impressive fifth and if that’s is repeated in the tour the lines written above may well be regretted.
  
   Quick step minded
  
   This Belgian team also has a captain from another country: Stewart Marzec. His manager wants him to get a podium with top form actually Belgian papers say it is the last chance for Austrialian in QSM. But with little help, even top form may not be sufficient for anything beyond top 9 results in stages but not podium.
  
   Radu
  
   Sebastien Persoens finished the last Tweedaagse at the same time with the eventual winner Uttenberger but remained as the uncrowned king of cobbles. He is likely to have top form this year and he can be the only rider ‘without help’ who would fight against Rivera, Uttenberger and Terrier. He was eighth in the Pre-Roubaix but will rest in the real Roubaix.
  
   Red Star
  
   Rytis Kondrotas has won the prologue twice and who knows he can repeat it for the third time. In the absence of any big cobblestone wonderkids except Semerjaks, if we may still consider him a youngster but not a veteran, Dino Velloso might be contender in YC.
  
   TACXkin
  
   Alexis Terrier is the reason behind TACKXkin becoming a Division 1 team. He rode in Roubaix that he has dreamed of winning since childhood and he became fourth. For Tweedaagse the number one French in the OCM has a very strong lineup… Wait

what?? Is Alexis Terrier going to ride for Pajak? It is very humble for the young French to help a younger Polish for YC ambitions. We find out that Terrer is a very religious man and avoids being arrogant. That is why he accepted to help Pajak willingly. Otherwise, he would have been a big contender for the podium. But can Pajak overcome Semerjaks? Probably not.
  
   Team Tirilla
  
   Firmino Botelho, a former winner is now older and does not have top form. But Team Tirilla has one of the strongest cobblestone teams around and the veteran Portuguese is still a force to be reckoned with. Even though he is tired after 9th place in the Roubaix Classic, he might feat a similar result in Antwerpe. Stage results and top 9 in GC is possible but not the highest ranks in this fierce competition.
  
   Team Trier
  
   Fred Dobbelaere, the experienced captain is back on top. Team Trier has sponsors in Belgium therefore it has always been a priority for the team. The local hero hopes to be a contender for the tour but he needs top form to be podium candidate. However, top 9 is would not be an overachievement for him. Clay Lodge’s injury means a further blow to the hopes for success.
  
  
  
  
   Stage 1: Hoogstraten Prologue (4 km)
  
   Time trialers are are rubbing their hands in glee for the short prologue, however the short and technical stage offers sprinters good opportunities to perform well. Apart from the time trialers, GC contenders will try to check each others times. Baumling, Uttenberger, Semerjaks and Shingleton are likely to perform beter in the prologue than the others.
  
   ***** Lars Gjerde (Hard Gaat Ie)
   **** Richardas Mikaitas (Nairobi City Cycling Club) , Benjamin Zkumavka (ABK)
   *** Elias Van Der Eyde (NECFTW)
   ** Aarón Alemao (Megaman)
   * Karel-Jan Deroek (Die Tour Phantome), Alan Klostergård (ABK)
  
   Stage 2: Hoogstraten – Arendonk (217 km)
  
   King’s Stage of Twedaagse is not only the climax of the cobblers’ season but also for the thousands of Telowerelè'ers who will be cheering out for the heroes of cycling along the sixteen different cobbled sections where wind is blowing to riders’ face, every cell in their bodies trembling while on those jagged surfaces. Whether the nameless breakaways would succeed or one of the big guns would throw their arms in the finish we will see.
  
   ***** Bartoli Rivera (omega pharma lotto)
   **** Heinrich Uttenberger (Drapeau Noir), Alexis Terrier (TACXkin)
   *** Mauricio Viola (Glamourade), Sandijs Semerjaks (JJL24SS), Lowell Shingleton (peddelen), Sebastien Persoens (radu)
   ** Firmino Botelho (Team Tirilla), Stewen Marzec (Quick Step minded)
   * Edward Simon (lastplace1414), Timo Bäumling (Equipo Easy On)
  
   Stage 3: Arendonk – Geel (165 km)
  
   Not as cruel as second stage but still a difficult one. Teams will be already tired from the King’s stage and individual efforts might prove more important for the result. The cobbler specialists with less support might win stage.
  
   **** Bartoli Rivera (omega pharma lotto), Heinrich Uttenberger (Drapeau Noir),
   *** Mauricio Viola (Glamourade), Sebastien Persoens (radu),
   ** Sandijs Semerjaks (JJL24SS), Lowell Shingleton (peddelen), Stewen Marzec (Quick Step minded)
   * Edward Simon (lastplace1414), Timo Bäumling (Equipo Easy On), Timo Bäumling (Equipo Easy On), Alexis Terrier (TACXkin)
  
   Stage 4: Geel – Antwerpen 150 km
  
   The closing stage is different from others. Wind and hills leading back to the center of Antwerpen will be factors in determining the outcome. The route of Tweedgaase is never merciful to the riders.
  
   **** Heinrich Uttenberger (Drapeau Noir), Bartoli Rivera (omega pharma lotto)
   *** Sandijs Semerjaks (JJL24SS), Timo Bäumling (Equipo Easy On),
   ** Sebastien Persoens (radu), Alexis Terrier (TACXkin), Fred Dobbelaere (Team Trier) Mauricio Viola (Glamourade),
   * Lowell Shingleton (peddelen), Stewart Marzec (Quick step minded)
  
   GC
  
   ***** Bartoli Rivera (omega pharma lotto)
   **** Heinrich Uttenberger (Drapeau Noir),
   *** Sandijs Semerjaks (JJL24SS), Sebastien Persoens (radu)
   ** Firmino Botelho (Team Tirilla), Mauricio Viola (Glamourade)
   * Lowell Shingleton (peddelen), Stewart Marzec (Quick step minded), Fred Dobbelaere (Team Trier)
  
   YC
  
   ***** Sandijs Semerjaks (JJL24SS)
   **** Ignacy Pajak (TACXkin)
   *** Dino Velloso (Red Star), Nikanor Somov (Luveaucek)
   * Lisandru Bojescu (omega pharma lotto)
  
  
  
  Written by freelancer Ozgur Akman from
  Manisaspor to OCM Magazine