The Opening Weekend is the first chance for teams to begin testing their bike setups for the Classics. The bone-shaking nature of cobbled racing mixed, more often than not, with merciless Flemish winds provides a unique challenge for both riders and equipment, which often produces some pretty unique bike setups.
But having been on the ground at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne for the opening weekend, it's fair to say that the bikes of the Classics are looking more 'normal' than ever. Giant leaps in carbon layup technology and the mass adoption of disc brakes undoubtedly mean that bikes are ever more capable - but that doesn't mean these bikes are boring.
