Amateur races

Spring Classics

Sure, the cycling year starts with the "Tour down Under". But is anybody (apart from Cadel Evans) really interested? Ask a Belgian and they'd tell you the year starts with "the classics": Milan-San Remo, Ronde van Vlaanderen, Paris–Roubaix and Liège–Bastogne–Liège. Four of the five "monuments of cycling". And apart from that there are still numerous other (semi) classics like Amstel Gold Race, Gent–Wevelgem (which Bernhard Eisel won in 2010 ;-), La Flèche Wallonne, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, E3 Harelbeke, Scheldeprijs, Brabantse Pijl, Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, you name it...


The good thing is, you can ride most of those the day before on the very same route that the Pros ride the following day. The main ones are part of the now called "Skoda Classic Challenge". It is super well organised and given the great success in recent years participation is now limited (to some 25,000 or so). This is ok. When I did the Ronde van Vlaanderen in 2011 (and 2008 and 2013) it was really too much on the cobble stone hills. 90% of the cyclists wouldn't make it uphill (22% gradient max) and block those who would have liked to cycle (like myself) on most hills.

The "Muur van Geraardsbergen" in the 2011 Ronde van Vlaanderen cyclo

As mentioned above I did the Ronde in 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2013. The 150 odd kilometer version apart from 2008 when temperatures barely came above 0 degrees and it was raining - typical for the Belgian classics, but hey, I'm not paid for it, so I only did the 75k version in 2008.

Me at the "Muur" in the Ronde 2011

The Ronde is really great. Well organised, great atmosphere, quite some spectators and spectacle around it. And lots of beer - after the finish line.

Bank van de Post Cycling Tour

However, apart from the main classics there is the "Bank van de Post Cycling Tour" which has lots of organised events as well. They are no real "races" as no time is taken apart from some uphill sections. This gives the whole event a certain relaxed atmosphere. About half of them follows the Flemish classics, the other one is in the Ardennes. Needless to say that the Ardenne ones are the more scenic ones. I did the Tour de Namur in 2012 and 2013 and can only recommend it. It is easy to reach by train from Brussels and the route is quite good. Nice climbs that are for once longer than a half a kilometer (not the Alps, though) and good organisation. And the final climb - after 160km - is up to the Citadel of Namur. Of course on cobble stones.

On the final climb to the Citadel of Namur in 2013

I also did the "La chouffe classic" in 2011 and this was even better. The landscape was just ideal for cylcing. Decent climbs, nice countrysides, good organisation - and a free "la chouffe" at the brewery just before finishing. Altough this was really tough with more than 3,000 m of climbing in total.

Just as tough as the Peter van Petegem Classic in Aalst which I did in 2013. 165km with all the "Ronde" climbs (Koppenberg, Paterberg, Muur, Bosberg). This was really the toughest so far. But also good since it starts in Aalst, not so far away from Brussels.