Koppenberg unclimable

"Even when he tried several times and deflated our inner tubes, the rear tyre would slide, and the support car had to try again to climb in first gear," added the Belgian Française des Jeux rider.

The cobbled Koppenberg - one of 17 climbs in Sunday's race - was so steep that one year (1975) the great Eddy Merckx himself had to walk it, and so did the rest of the pack. In 1987, Jesper Skibby skidded, fell and got hit by a car. The 550m climb was reintroduced in 2002 after being restored.

Every year since, the weather was dry... until now.

"They probably underestimated the climb and started it without being really motivated," said former T-Mobile boss and past Ronde winner Walter Godefroot, who is now one of the organisers of the race.

Quick Step's Serge Baguet did a reckie on Wednesday with some of the other supporting cast members of overwhelming race favourite Tom Boonen and disagrees:

"Even Boonen won't get up it," warned Baguet.

"It wasn't raining, yet none of us got to the top on our bike. We had to finish on foot. The road is bad, the cobblestones are loose, there's mud, humidity," added the Belgian national champion.

FORUM: Should organisers kill the Koppenberg?