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65-583: First held in 1946, the race was run from Kuurne , a small town known for its textile industry , to the Belgian capital of Brussels and back. In the 1950s it served as the opening race of the Belgian cycling season. When Brussels was becoming inaccessible for a cycling event in the late 1960s, the race was rerouted towards the Flemish Ardennes and renamed "Omloop der beide Vlaanderen" ("Circuit of both Flanders") . In 1979 organizers decided to rename

130-453: A cross of ash to the foreheads of the churchgoers. Later the priest spoke to him in exasperation, saying: "You were born an ass, and you will die an ass!" "Aha," said the sacrister, "I'll remember that!" and so saying, he continued giving the people of Kuurne their crosses of ash. The best-known donkey in Kuurne is 'Ambroos' (Ambrose), a larger-than-life and somewhat stylised statue in front of

195-533: A different day from the previously mentioned denominations, as its date is determined from the Orthodox calculation of Pascha , which may be as much as a month later than the Western observance of Easter. Many Lent-observing denominations emphasize making a Lenten sacrifice , as well as fasting and abstinence during the season of Lent , particularly on Ash Wednesday. The First Council of Nicaea spoke of Lent as

260-584: A meal because in place of that meal, I'm dining with God". Members of the Moravian Church may voluntarily fast during the season of Lent, along with making a Lenten sacrifice for the season as a form of penitence. Ash Wednesday is always 46 days before Easter. Easter is determined as the Sunday following the first full moon that happens on or after the March equinox (which is always 21 March). Lent

325-402: A period of fasting for forty days in advance of Easter, although it is unclear whether the prescribed fast applied to all Christians, or specifically to new Christians preparing to be baptized . Whatever the council's original intent, this forty-day fast came into wide practice throughout the church. While starting a Lenten sacrifice on Ash Wednesday (e.g. giving up watching television), it

390-421: A similar solemn ceremony outside of Mass. The Book of Blessings contains a simple rite. While the solemn rite would normally be carried out within a church building, the simple rite could appropriately be used almost anywhere. While only a priest or deacon may bless the ashes, laypeople may do the placing of the ashes on a person's head. Even in the solemn rite, laymen or women may assist the priest in distributing

455-520: A stoplight to change. The Anglican priest Emily Mellott of Calvary Church in Lombard took up the idea and turned it into a movement, stated that the practice was also an act of evangelism . Anglicans and Catholics in parts of the United Kingdom such as Sunderland , are offering Ashes to Go together: Marc Lyden-Smith, the priest of Saint Mary's Church , stated that the ecumenical effort

520-657: A stoplight to change." In 2013, churches not only in the United States but also at least one church each in the United Kingdom, Canada, and South Africa, participated in Ashes to Go. Outside of their church building , Saint Stephen Martyr Lutheran Church in Canton offered Ashes to Go for "believers whose schedules make it difficult to attend a traditional service" in 2016. In the United States itself 34 states and

585-512: A strong biblical base for fasting, particularly during the 40 days of Lent leading to the celebration of Easter. Jesus, as part of his spiritual preparation, went into the wilderness and fasted 40 days and 40 nights, according to the Gospels. Rev. Jacqui King, the minister of Nu Faith Community United Methodist Church in Houston explained the philosophy of fasting during Lent as "I'm not skipping

650-537: A total population of 12,591. The total area is 10.01 km which gives a population density of 1258 inhabitants per km . The Leie functions as a natural border between Kuurne and Harelbeke . Inhabitants from Kuurne are nicknamed 'donkeys'. This is said to be a term of derision given to them by the people of nearby Kortrijk because traders from Kuurne habitually set off for the Kortrijk market at an early hour, their ass-drawn carts laden with vegetables. Awoken by

715-562: A voluntary observance. The Reformed Church in America , for example, describes Ash Wednesday as a day "focused on prayer, fasting, and repentance." The liturgy for Ash Wednesday thus contains the following "Invitation to Observe a Lenten Discipline" read by the presider: We begin this holy season by acknowledging our need for repentance and our need for the love and forgiveness shown to us in Jesus Christ. I invite you, therefore, in

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780-484: Is 40 days long, not including Sundays. According to the calendar, that means the season is 46 days long overall. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday (in the Moravian Church , Lutheran Church , Anglican Church , Methodist Church , Reformed Churches { Continental Reformed , Presbyterian and Congregationalist }, Western Rite Orthodox Church , and United Protestant Churches ) or at

845-688: Is a "tremendous witness in our city, with Catholics and Anglicans working together to start the season of Lent, perhaps reminding those who have fallen away from the Church, or have never been before, that the Christian faith is alive and active in Sunderland." The Catholic Student Association of Kent State University , based at the University Parish Newman Center, offered ashes to university students who were going through

910-604: Is credited to Pope Gregory I the Great (c. 540–604), although this is probably incorrect since Ash Wednesday was not part of Lent in his time. In the 1969 missal of the Roman Rite , an alternative formula (based on Mark 1 :15) was introduced and given first place "Repent, and believe in the Gospel" and the older formula was translated as "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return." The old formula, based on

975-659: Is customary to pray for strength to keep it through the whole season of Lent; many often wish others to do so as well, e.g. "May God bless your Lenten sacrifice." In many places, Christians historically abstained from food for a whole day until the evening, and at sunset, Western Christians traditionally broke the Lenten fast, which is often known as the Black Fast . In India and Pakistan , many Christians continue this practice of fasting until sunset on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, with some fasting in this manner throughout

1040-632: Is included in the UCI Europe Tour ; in 2016 it was upgraded to a 1.HC event , the same ranking as Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, but Omloop was upgraded to UCI World Tour level in 2017 . Despite tandeming with Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, no rider has ever won the Omloop and Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne on the same weekend. As it is run in late winter, Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne has often been affected by poor weather. The race had to be cancelled three times because of snow or frost – in 1986, 1993 and 2013. The 2010 event

1105-535: Is observed by Catholics , Lutherans , Moravians , Anglicans , and United Protestants , as well as by some churches in the Reformed , (including certain Congregationalist , Continental Reformed , and Presbyterian churches), Baptist , Methodist and Nazarene traditions. Ash Wednesday is traditionally observed with fasting and abstinence from meat in several Christian denominations. As it

1170-423: Is observed by fasting , abstinence from meat (which begins at age 14 according to canon law 1252 ), and repentance . On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday , Roman Catholics between the ages of 18 and 59, whose health enables them to fast, are permitted to consume one full meal, along with two smaller meals, which together should not equal the full meal. Some Catholics will go beyond the minimum obligations put forth by

1235-462: Is the first day of Lent, many Christians begin Ash Wednesday by marking a Lenten calendar , praying a Lenten daily devotional , and making a Lenten sacrifice that they will not partake of until the arrival of Eastertide . Many Christians attend special Ash Wednesday church services at which churchgoers receive ash on their foreheads or the top of their heads, as the wearing of ashes

1300-831: The Evangelical Covenant Church , and some Mennonites . The Moravian Church and Metropolitan Community Churches observe Ash Wednesday. Churches in the United Protestant tradition, such as the Church of North India , the United Church of Christ (USA) and United Church of Canada honour Ash Wednesday too. Some Independent Catholics , and the Community of Christ also observe it. Reformed churches and Baptists have historically not observed Ash Wednesday, nor Lent in general, due to

1365-548: The Flemish Ardennes where a number of hills feature, before finishing in Kuurne after approximately 200 km. The route in the hill zone changes every year, but some of the regular climbs include Edelareberg, La Houppe, Kanarieberg , Kruisberg , Oude Kwaremont , Tiegemberg and Nokereberg. With a long and flat run-in to the finish, the course is less selective than the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. The race ends with two local laps around Kortrijk and Kuurne. With

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1430-756: The Sarum services for Ash Wednesday". From the Sarum Rite practice in England the service took Psalm 51 and some prayers that in the Sarum Missal accompanied the blessing and distribution of ashes. In the Sarum Rite, the Miserere psalm was one of the seven penitential psalms that were recited at the beginning of the ceremony. In the 20th century, the Episcopal Church introduced three prayers from

1495-460: The altar table where they are burned. In the Victorian era , theatres refrained from presenting costumed shows on Ash Wednesday, so they provided other entertainment, as mandated by the Church of England (Anglican Church). In Iceland , children "pin small bags of ashes on the back of some unsuspecting person", dress up in costumes, and sing songs for candy. In Hungary if someone in

1560-433: The town hall . The winner of the annual pro road cycling race Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne received a big bouquet and a soft toy version of 'Ambroos' to wave from the stage. Ash Wednesday Ash Wednesday is a holy day of prayer and fasting in many Western Christian denominations. It is preceded by Shrove Tuesday and marks the first day of Lent , the six weeks of penitence before Easter . Ash Wednesday

1625-530: The Church and undertake a complete fast or a bread and water fast until sunset. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are also days of abstinence from meat ( mammals and fowl ), as are all Fridays during Lent. Some Roman Catholics continue fasting throughout Lent, as was the Church's traditional requirement, concluding only after the celebration of the Easter Vigil . Where the Ambrosian Rite is observed,

1690-661: The District of Columbia had at least one church taking part. Most of these churches (parishes) were Episcopal, but there were also several Methodist churches, as well as Presbyterian and Catholic churches. Robin Knowles Wallace states that the traditional Ash Wednesday church service includes Psalm 51 (the Miserere ), prayers of confession, and the sign of ashes. No single one of the traditional services contains all of these elements. The Anglican church's traditional Ash Wednesday service, titled A Commination , contains

1755-619: The Priest places ashes on the head of those present who come to him, and says to each one ..." Pre-1970 editions had much more elaborate instructions about the order in which the participants were to receive the ashes, but again without any indication of the form of placing the ashes on the head. The 1969 revision of the Roman Rite inserted into the Mass the solemn ceremony of blessing ashes and placing them on heads, but also explicitly envisaged

1820-741: The Reformed regulative principle of worship . Since the mid-twentieth century, many churches in the Reformed tradition (including certain Congregationalist , Continental Reformed , and Presbyterian churches) do observe both Ash Wednesday and Lent such as the Church of Scotland , the Protestant Church of the Netherlands , the Swiss Reformed Church and the Presbyterian Church (USA) , although often as

1885-491: The Sarum Rite and omitted the Commination Office from its liturgy. In some of the low church traditions, other practices are sometimes added or substituted, as other ways of symbolizing the confession and penitence of the day. For example, in one common variation, small cards are distributed to the congregation on which people are invited to write a sin they wish to confess. These small cards are brought forth to

1950-576: The Student Center of that institution in 2012, and Douglas Clark of St. Matthew's Roman Catholic Church in Statesboro , among others, have participated in Ashes to Go. On Ash Wednesday 2017, Father Paddy Mooney, the priest of St Patrick's Roman Catholic Church in the Irish town of Glenamaddy , set up an Ashes to Go station through which commuters could drive and receive ashes from their car;

2015-606: The ashes are already blessed. The Catholic Church and the Methodist Church say that the ashes should be those of palm branches blessed at the previous year's Palm Sunday service, while a Church of England publication says they "may be made" from the burnt palm crosses of the previous year. These sources do not speak of adding anything to the ashes other than, for the Catholic liturgy, a sprinkling with holy water when blessing them. An Anglican website speaks of mixing

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2080-803: The ashes on the forehead for the rest of the day as a public profession of the Christian faith. Morgan Guyton, a Methodist pastor, and leader in the Red-Letter Christian movement, encourages Christians to wear their ashed cross throughout the day as an exercise of religious freedom . Since 2007, some members of major Christian Churches in the United States , including Anglicans, Lutherans, and Methodists, have participated in 'Ashes to Go' activities, in which clergy go outside of their churches to public places, such as city centres , sidewalks and railroad stations , to distribute ashes to passers-by, even to people waiting in their cars for

2145-465: The ashes were strewn over men's heads, but, probably because women had their heads covered in church, were placed on the foreheads of women. In the Catholic Church the manner of imposing ashes depends largely on local custom since no fixed rule has been laid down. Although the account of Ælfric of Eynsham shows that in about the year 1000 the ashes were "strewn" on the head, the marking of

2210-482: The ashes with a small amount of holy water or olive oil as a fixative. Where ashes are placed on the head by smudging the forehead with a sign of the cross, many Christians choose to keep the mark visible throughout the day. The churches have not imposed this as an obligatory rule, and the ashes may even be wiped off immediately after receiving them; but some Christian leaders, such as Lutheran pastor Richard P. Bucher and Catholic bishop Kieran Conry, recommend keeping

2275-632: The ashes" (Jer 6:26). The prophet Daniel recounted pleading to God: "I turned to the Lord God, pleading in earnest prayer, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes" (Daniel 9:3). Just before the New Testament period, the rebels fighting for Jewish independence, the Maccabees , prepared for battle using ashes: "That day they fasted and wore sackcloth; they sprinkled ashes on their heads and tore their clothes" (1 Maccabees 3:47; see also 4:39). Examples of

2340-437: The ashes. The rite of blessing has acquired an untraditionally weak association with that particular psalm only since 1970 when it was inserted into the celebration of Mass, at which a few verses of Psalm 51 are used as a responsorial psalm . Where the traditional Gregorian Chants are still used, the psalm continues to enjoy a prominent place in the ceremony. In the mid-16th century, the first Book of Common Prayer removed

2405-457: The ashes. In addition, laypeople take blessed ashes left over after the collective ceremony and place them on the heads of the sick or of others who are unable to attend the blessing. (In 2014, Anglican Liverpool Cathedral likewise offered to impose ashes within the church without a solemn ceremony.) In addition, those who attend such Catholic services, whether in a church or elsewhere, traditionally take blessed ashes home with them to place on

2470-556: The blessing, the rite of Blessing and Distribution of Ashes (within Mass) states: "Then the Priest places ashes on the heads of all those present who come to him." The Catholic Church does not limit the distribution of blessed ashes to church buildings and has suggested the holding of celebrations in shopping centers, nursing homes, and factories. Such celebrations presume preparation of an appropriate area and include readings from Scripture (at least one) and prayers, and are somewhat shorter if

2535-424: The ceremony of the ashes from the liturgy of the Church of England and replaced it with what would later be called the Commination Office. In that 1549 edition, the rite was headed: "The First Day of Lent: Commonly Called Ash-Wednesday". The ashes ceremony was not forbidden, but was not included in the church's official liturgy. Its place was taken by reading biblical curses of God against sinners, to each of which

2600-594: The day of fasting and abstinence is postponed to the first Friday in the Ambrosian Lent, nine days later. Several Lutheran parishes teach communicants to fast on Ash Wednesday, with some parishioners choosing to continue doing so throughout the entire season of Lent, especially on Good Friday. One Lutheran congregation's A Handbook for the Discipline of Lent recommends that the faithful "Fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday with only one simple meal during

2665-522: The day, usually without meat". In the Church of England, and throughout much of the Worldwide Anglican Communion, the entire forty days of Lent are designated days of fasting. Fridays are designated as days of abstinence in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer . Saint Augustine's Prayer Book , a resource for Anglo-Catholics, defines "Fasting" as "usually meaning not more than a light breakfast, one full meal, and one-half meal, on

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2730-541: The event to Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne nonetheless. For many decades, Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne serves as the second race of the opening weekend in Belgium, after Omloop Het Nieuwsblad on Saturday, as well as the first weekend of racing in Northwestern Europe . Although second after the Omloop , and considered the smaller of the two events, it holds significant prestige because of its calendar date. Since 2005 it

2795-475: The first two elements, but not the third. On the other hand, the Catholic Church 's traditional service has the blessing and distribution of ashes but, while prayers of confession and recitation of Psalm 51 (the first psalm at Lauds on all penitential days, including Ash Wednesday) are a part of its general traditional Ash Wednesday liturgy, they are not associated specifically with the rite of blessing

2860-665: The forehead is the method that now prevails in English-speaking countries and is the only one envisaged in the Occasional Offices of the Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea , a publication described as "noticeably Anglo-Catholic in character". In its ritual of "Blessing of Ashes", this states that "the ashes are blessed at the beginning of the Eucharist. After they have been blessed they are placed on

2925-797: The forehead of the clergy and people." The Ash Wednesday ritual of the Church of England , Mother Church of the Anglican Communion , contains "The Imposition of Ashes" in its Ash Wednesday liturgy. On Ash Wednesday, the Pope , the Bishop of Rome , traditionally takes part in a penitential procession from the Church of Saint Anselm to the Basilica of Santa Sabina , where, by the custom in Italy and many other countries, ashes are sprinkled on his head, not smudged on his forehead, and he places ashes on

2990-620: The forty days of Lent." The same text defines abstinence as refraining from flesh meat on all Fridays of the Church Year, except for those during Christmastide . In the Methodist tradition, John Wesley's sermons on the topic of the Sermon on the Mount stress the importance of the Lenten fast, which begins on Ash Wednesday. The United Methodist Church therefore states that: There is

3055-567: The heads of other members of the family, and it is recommended to have envelopes available to facilitate this practice. At home the ashes are then placed with little or no ceremony. Unlike its discipline regarding sacraments , the Catholic Church does not exclude anyone from receiving sacramentals , such as the placing of ashes on the head, even those who are not Catholics and perhaps not even baptized. Even those who have been excommunicated and are therefore forbidden to celebrate sacramentals are not forbidden to receive them. After describing

3120-654: The heads of others in the same way. The Anglican ritual, used in Papua New Guinea states that, after the blessing of the ashes, "the priest marks his forehead and then the foreheads of the servers and congregation who come and kneel, or stand, where they normally receive the Blessed Sacrament." The corresponding Catholic ritual in the Roman Missal for celebration within Mass merely states: "Then

3185-501: The last climb of the race coming at 53 km from the finish, Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne has established itself as something of a sprinters’ classic . A junior version of the race has been held since 2000. Kuurne Kuurne ( Dutch pronunciation: [ˈkyːrnə] ) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders . The municipality comprises only the town of Kuurne proper. On January 1, 2006, Kuurne had

3250-404: The more afraid to offend. Instead whereof, until the said discipline may be restored, (which is much to be wished,) it is thought good that at this time (in the presence of you all) should be read the general sentences of God's cursing against impenitent sinners". In line with this, Joseph Hooper Maude wrote that the establishment of The Commination was due to a desire of the reformers "to restore

3315-515: The name of Christ, to observe a Holy Lent, by self-examination and penitence, by prayer and fasting, by practicing works of love, and by reading and reflecting on God's Holy Word. The Eastern Orthodox Church does not, in general, observe Ash Wednesday. Instead, Orthodox Great Lent begins on Clean Monday . There are a relatively small number of Orthodox Christians who follow the Western Rite . These do observe Ash Wednesday, although often on

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3380-457: The parish church also had "drive-through prayers during Lent with people submitting requests into a box left in the church grounds without having to leave their car". Reverend Trey Hall, pastor of Urban Village United Methodist Church, stated that when his local church offered ashes in Chicago "nearly 300 people received ashes – including two people who were waiting in their car for

3445-499: The people were directed to respond with Amen. The text of the "Commination or Denouncing of God's Anger and Judgments against Sinners" begins: "In the primitive Church there was a godly discipline, that, at the beginning of Lent, such persons as stood convicted of notorious sin were put to open penance, and punished in this world, that their souls might be saved in the day of the Lord; and that others, admonished by their example, might be

3510-570: The practice among Jews are found in several other books of the Bible , including Numbers 19:9 , 19:17 , Jonah 3:6 , Book of Esther 4:1 , and Hebrews 9:13 . Jesus is quoted as speaking of the practice in Matthew 11:21 and Luke 10:13 : "If the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago (sitting) in sackcloth and ashes." Christians continued

3575-434: The practice of using ashes as an external sign of repentance. Tertullian ( c.  160  – c. 225) said that confession of sin should be accompanied by lying in sackcloth and ashes. The historian Eusebius (c. 260/265 – 339/340) recounts how a repentant apostate covered himself with ashes when begging Pope Zephyrinus to readmit him to communion. John W. Fenton writes that "by

3640-456: The primitive practice of public penance in church". He further stated that "the sentences of the greater excommunication" within The Commination corresponded to those used in the ancient Church . The Anglican Church's Ash Wednesday liturgy, he wrote, also traditionally included the Miserere , which, along with "what follows" in the rest of the service (lesser Litany, Lord's Prayer, three prayers for pardon and final blessing), "was taken from

3705-538: The rattle of the cart wheels and the braying of the asses, the people of Kortrijk exclaimed: "It's those asses from Kuurne again!" An alternative, more legendary explanation originates from the tale of a priest who had to hold a funeral on Ash Wednesday . He asked the sacrister to take over his regular service, but the latter couldn't remember the Latin words "Memento, homo, quia pulvis es, et in pulverem reverteris" (Remember, man, that dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return), which are to be proclaimed while applying

3770-547: The start of the Easter Triduum on the evening of Maundy Thursday in the Catholic Church . Ashes are ceremonially placed on the heads of Christians on Ash Wednesday, either by being sprinkled over their heads or, in English-speaking countries, more often by being marked on their foreheads as a visible cross. The words (based on Genesis 3:19) used traditionally to accompany this gesture are, " Memento, homo, quia pulvis es, et in pulverem reverteris. " ("Remember, man, that thou art dust, and to dust thou shalt return.") This custom

3835-522: The village didn't receive ash, they "shared their blessing" by rubbing their foreheads together, and the Csángó people of Moldova even cover the pots with ashes to bring good luck. Ash Wednesday also marks the start of Lent. An interesting related tradition is that since dancing was forbidden, children played dancing games (like ulicskázás and hajujvárazás) and ball games (as mancsozás, csülgözés, kutyasatú and sajbózás), all specific to Hungary. Ashes were used in ancient times to express grief. When Tamar

3900-428: The whole season of Lent. In India, Ash Wednesday is called व्रत विभूति ( Vrat Vibhuti - meaning, "the sacred ash of the Holy Fast"). After attending a worship service, often on Wednesday evenings, it is common for Christians of various denominations that celebrate Lent to break that day's Lenten fast together through a communal Lenten supper , which is held in the church's parish hall . Among Catholics, Ash Wednesday

3965-399: The words spoken to Adam and Eve after their sin , reminds worshippers of their sinfulness and mortality and thus, implicitly, of their need to repent in time. Various manners of placing the ashes on worshippers' heads are in use within the Latin Church, the two most common being to use the ashes to make a cross on the forehead and sprinkle the ashes over the crown of the head. Originally,

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4030-642: Was a sign of repentance in biblical times. Ash Wednesday derives its name from this practice, in which the placement of ashes is accompanied by the words, "Repent, and believe in the Gospel" or the dictum "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return." The ashes are prepared by burning palm leaves from the previous year's Palm Sunday celebrations. Ash Wednesday is observed by numerous denominations within Western Christianity . Latin Church Catholics observe it, along with certain Protestants like Lutherans , Anglicans , some Baptists , many Methodists (including Nazarenes and Wesleyans ),

4095-413: Was cancelled because of snow, before thaw set in on the night before the Sunday race. Despite its name, the route does not actually extend to Brussels. The race starts on the hippodrome of Kuurne , in the south of West Flanders , before heading east in the direction of Brussels, but its easternmost point is somewhere near Ninove , 23 km west of Brussels. After the turning point, the race addresses

4160-579: Was raped by her half-brother, "she sprinkled ashes on her head, tore her robe, and with her face buried in her hands went away crying" ( 2 Samuel 13:19 ). The gesture was also used to express sorrow for sins and faults. Ashes could be symbolic of the old sinful self dying and returning to the dust. In Job 42:5–6 , Job says to God: "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." The prophet Jeremiah calls for repentance by saying: "O daughter of my people, gird on sackcloth, roll in

4225-408: Was run in extreme weather as the remnants of cyclone Xynthia hit Belgium, with strong winds and torrential rain ravaging the peloton. The race had to be shortened by 20 km because a fallen tree obstructed the road. The edition was won by Dutch outsider Bobbie Traksel ; only 26 of 195 riders finished the race. In 2004 Kuurne served as the opening race of the season, after Omloop Het Nieuwsblad

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