Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2019 Prediction
The first of the Flanders spring classics is nearly there: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. Some consider this the official start of the cycling season, but we think you miss out on quite some interesting races if you do.
The predictions in Table 1 are based on Zweeler points for the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad game (so you do not see e.g. probabilities). In this game riders score points by ending up in the top 25 of a race. The first place is good for 120 points, the 25th spot yields just 1 point. Points scored as overall winner (separate prediction) are not included. Since it is a single race game more expected points indeed mean a higher probability of winning.
Usually we do not comment on any of the predictions, but this time we make an exception, because we were quite surprised with Pascal Ackermann ranked as number two. Sure, he has been doing well in Portugal (sprint jersey) and won the Clasica de Almeria, but he has historically not really a classics track record. Fortunately the ‘Wielerkrant’ (in Dutch) also considers him as an outsider for the victory so let’s be patient and see how this unfolds.
- Our predictions are based on quantitative models and are presented in hard tables instead of stories.
- We are continuously improving our prediction models and some type of predictions may be better than others (especially the classics/single day race algorithms have room for improvement).
- Always combine these cycling predictions with other information.
- The predictions are generated for the riders on the startlist that we downloaded the 28th of February from Zweeler.
If you have any questions don’t hesitate to send us a message.
