RIDING LIKE A FLANDRIAN: First Pilgrimage To The Heartland of Cycling
SURE, FRANCE, SPAIN AND ITALY MAY ROLL OFF THE tongue as the world’s ‘go-to’ cycling destinations, but for true purists the heart of the sport is Belgium and without a doubt the common carotid arteries criss-cross the rolling region of Flanders.
Flanders, the Dutch speaking portion located in the north of Belgium, is known for roads that are notoriously tough for cyclists. Cobbles, just like the small boulders Stuart O’Grady & Matt Hayman held aloft after winning the world’s toughest one-day race the Paris-Roubaix, form the basis of the challenge.
“...We’ll ride the Kwaremont, Paterberg and Koppenberg, plus I’LL SHOW YOU A FEW OF THE LOCAL HIDDEN GEMS...”
Oddly shaped, ancient, uneven, and more like rounded rocks than the smooth blacktop bitumen we cyclists tend to dream about, these cobbled sectors – often embedded in steep, narrow, winding climbs – test the mettle of even the toughest, fittest, and best-prepared visitors.
