Koppenberg

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Koppenberg
Roger De Vlaeminck riding the Koppenberg.
Elevation	77 m
Location	The Flemish Ardennes
Start	Oudenaarde
Altitude	64 m
Length	600 m
Average gradient	11,6 %
Maximum gradient	22 %
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Koppenberg is a 77 m high hill located in Oudenaarde, the Flemish Ardennes, Belgium. This climb is part of the route of the Ronde van Vlaanderen professional cycling race and is feared by many riders because of its extreme steepness (22% on the trickiest parts) and because it's paved with cobblestones. This makes Koppenberg extremely difficult to negotiate even for top professional cyclists. Quite often, riders slow almost to the point of losing their balance (especially those riding at the back of the peloton) who have to dismount and scramble to the top on foot, pushing their bikes.

Strategically, the climb has little importance: it's too far from the finish (in 2006, on km 185 of 259). Even if a breakaway forms on the Koppenberg it is difficult for the riders to hold off the peloton in the finishing stages.

[edit] Koppenberg history

Koppenberg was first climbed by the Ronde van Vlaanderen riders in 1975 and featured annually until 1987.

In that year, Danish rider Jesper Skibby broke away from the peloton early in the race and had been riding by himself for a considerable time when he approached the Koppenberg. With a lead of nearly two minutes, he began the climb but fell after losing balance. The race commissaire, who followed the rider in his car, could not wait because the chasing peloton was approaching. He ordered his driver to move and the car passed over Skibby's front wheel (destroying it but avoiding Skibby) while the rider and his bike were both still lying on the cobblestones.

After the Skibby incident, the Koppenberg climb was excluded from the route for 15 years. After renovations, which included widening the road and re-paving it, the climb was re-introduced in 2002.

The Koppenberg formed part of the Ronde van Vlaanderen route until 2006. ^[1] Following further resurfacing in 2007, it was again included in the 2008 edition of the race.