Refreshed after breakfast, a short stroll across town brought us to the Centrum Ronde van Vlaanderen, (Tour of Flanders Museum) Prior to our arrival “Cycle Sport” magazine had visited the Centrum and their April edition (pages 131 – 136) gives a good insight to the Museums facilities and exhibits. As the article informs the reader, the Centrum has a new manager, Freddy Maertens, twice World Champion, multi stage winner and one day specialist. He was present at the time of our visit and totally against my nature, I imposed upon him to sign my copy of the magazine.

One of my hero’s, Tom Simpson, won the Tour of Flanders in 1961, the bike he rode to victory is on display in the Centrum, together with other artefacts relating to Tom, among them is the Bronze Bust from the Ghent Sportspalaise and on a more modest level, my copy of “Cycling” with the black front cover, issued on the Thursday
following his death in the Tour, in July 1967,
(I had donated my copy on a previous trip)

For “older” cycling fans and our gang of four range in age from 40 to 62, a trip to Belgium was not complete without the purchase of some “proper” cycling clothing (it not being as readily accessible in Britain as it is today) and so the tradition continues as we make our first day in Belgium, “Bike Shop” day.

So before leaving Oudenaarde, we pay our bi-annual visit to Asfra Fietsen. Managed by Luke and his nephew Ronnie Assay, the shop supports local cyclists, sponsors a top class team, providing support vehicles, clothing and equipment and as the Ronde route passes its door, provides excellent service to the Ronde Sportivistas. Whilst we where there, their supply of racing capes was dwindling rapidly, this years edition of the event being undertaken in typical Flandrian weather.Next stop was “Jowans” which is situated in the village of Ruien, some 2km from Berchem. Large, recently refurbished and extended, this well stocked shop provides for all cyclists needs; racing, touring, commuting, cyclo cross and has a large section specifically for Women and Children’s clothing. This is another shop on the Ronde route and we noticed the purposely erected gazebo, supplying free coffee to this years sportive’s bedraggled riders.

After lunch at a restaurant on the top of the Kluisberg, we drove to Aalst, our destination for the first three nights of this trip. A stay in Aalst is not complete without a visit to Van Eyck Sports. This is a large, lavish shop, full of equipment and clothing of the best quality and it is probably fortuitous that they only accept Belgian credit cards. Regardless, the next call after van Eycks is inevitably an auto bank.

After breakfast on Sunday morning, we drove back to Oudenaarde to witness the presentation and start of the “de Ronde voor Vrouwem” a round of the UCI World Cup for Women. Thirty Two teams (188 riders), complete with back-up ranging from the “professional”, to the “basic” were assembled in the Towns main square the Grotemarkt, providing an impressive spectacle prompting many comments and talking points.

After the start, we purchased our baguettes, for lunch later in the day, and drove to the Molenberg, to await the arrival of the ladies. The first of three cobbled climbs, the surface was still slippery after yesterdays rain and as anticipated, the leaders coped reasonably well with a clear run at the climb, whilst the intermediate group’s that had formed required assistance, firstly in the form of pushes from the crowd leaning over the rope barriers, and then eventually reduced to walking, as where their male counterparts, later in the day.

Once the Women had passed through we raced back to our pre-positioned car and made straight for our appointed vantage point for this year’s Ronde, a bar on Ronde van Vlaanderenstraat, in Kluisbergen. From this bar you can walk across the N36 and find yourself a good vantage on the Oude Kwaremont, should you so wish, alternatively the race passes the bar itself.

Belgian Bar
This is a quintessential Belgian Bar on race day; basic, loud, smoky, packed with Belgian, French and English supporters, it provides cheap beer, a great atmosphere but no food,(hence our purchase of baguettes earlier in the day). Also on sale (somewhat unofficially) was race clothing in the form of woollen Retro Jerseys at 7 Euros each, of dubious quality, nevertheless, sales increased along with alcohol intake.

I’ve often been told, you can never go anywhere in the world without encountering a “Scouser” and in this bar we met a dozen, some, like the Mersey Road’s contingent, by prior arrangement, (two of our foursome being ex-Mersey Roaders themselves) others, coincidentally, all adding to a great atmosphere of a great Ronde.

As the battle developed between Stijn Devolder and his chasers, the bar was engulfed in a cacophony of sound, cheers for the former and boo’s for the latter as the race coverage switched from camera to camera and Devolders advantage dwindled to some 9 seconds, before his superior strength and Time Trial skill propelled him to a deserved victory.

After the race we escaped the smoke and lingered outside in the spring sunshine and chattered with old friends. We said our goodbyes, then after an evening meal in Oudenaarde, we returned to Aalst.

Stopping for a beer in the Ibis Hotel, we where somewhat puzzled to notice several members of the Spots Media in the hotel Lobby. The bar was almost deserted, save for our group and one or two others at peripheral tables. Within minutes of our arrival, Stijn Devolder and his wife, clutching the winner’s bouquet, appeared in reception. The newsmen got their quotes and photographs after which Stijn, having collected his overnight luggage, his wife and the newsmen promptly departed, the whole undertaking lasting no more than 5 minutes.

Nobody in the hotel bar seemed to pay this surreal scene any attention; we on the other hand sat stunned, open mouthed looking from one to another. We noticed too, a bottle bin adjacent to the bar, with an inordinate amount of empty Champagne bottles lying on the top. We wondered if indeed we had imagined the whole scene, until that is the following mornings Het Nieuwsblad carried the very same photographs within the Sportswerld supplement, depicting both Mr and Mrs D as described and the Quick Step team toasting a hard day’s work.

And so to our riding bit.
We are staying for ten days this trip, with a view to taking in the Ronde, Gent Wevelgem and Paris Roubaix, as well as enjoying the races live and simultaneously enjoying the beer, we intend, as usual, to sample the parcours ourselves.

With our age range and various levels of fitness, we haven’t come to break any records, simply to ride over the terrain frequented by our hero’s, albeit at a vastly reduced speed.
As we are staying in Aalst tonight, before moving on to Poperinge for our next three nights stay and allowing for the fact we haven’t got the legs for a 150Km round trip required to take in our desired Bergs, we therefore loaded the bikes on to the car and drove off to Brakel.

Today’s ride will be circa 90Km with as many stops for coffee as need be. We parked on the outskirts of the town and set out on the Ronde route, from the bottom of the descent of the Berendries, we took a right turn in the town centre and right at the Roundabout to climb the Valkemberg. Once over the top we joined the N8 at its junction with the N415 and turned right, leaving the Ronde route and headed towards Oudenaarde.

At Zeglesem, we turned right, off the N8 to ride the kasseien at Haaghoek (2000m), this is the section of the Ronde immediately prior to the Leberg, however, this morning we would ride it in the reverse direction as our intended route is also to incorporate sections of this years Het Volk and we will, therefore, attempt the Leberg later in the day.

At the top of Haaghoek we turn right for Sint Kornelis Horebeke, past Peter Van Petegem’s house and new Bed and Breakfast venture, (See Pro Cycling March 08 edition “In Flanders Fields” pages 84–94) on to the N415 to momentarily, join the Ronde route once more, turning left and
first right, on to an un-classified road for a
kilometre or so and then sharp right to climb
the Molenberg.

The Molenberg gets its name from the Water Mill at the bottom of the climb, the Flemish “Molen" and “Berg”, Mill Hill. The climb is only some 463m long with a maximum gradient of 14.2% however, its kasseien are incredibly uneven with gaps wider than our 23mm Vitorria Pave tyres. Add the overnight rain and sitting down on the ascent is the order of the day, we have the luxury of having the climb to ourselves and so, there is plenty of time to pick our line and not be
reduced to walking or indeed waiting at the bottom, for the climb to clear, a la Eric Zabel
the day before.

Het Volk
Over the top and we leave the Ronde route again and turn right to follow this years Het Volk route on un-classified lanes through Wijlegem, across the N415, through Roborst on to the Kerkplein (300m) and then to ride the Paddestraat (2400m) to Velzeke –Ruddershove, where we turn right and second left on to Lippenhovestraat (1700m).

At the end of Lippenhovestraat, we turn left to the N46 and left again and then right on to the Lindeplein kasseien heading for Balegem. Left through the lanes to join the kasseien on N415 at Langemunte and left via Meilegem, Hermelgem and Nederzwalm to join the N435, cross the river Schelde and left along the Schelde path bound for Oudenaarde.

The Schelde path, for the uninitiated, is a tarmac road the hugs the banks of the Schelde from Oudenaarde to Gent and beyond. This pan flat road is used almost every day by the “Schelde Gang” a chain gang of up to 100 riders, on their speed work sessions, its not unusual to see the odd pro rider involved too.

Today however, being the day after the Ronde, things are a little more sedate, we pass four members of the Gerholstiener squad, coming from the opposite direction, out for a gentle wind down and a little further on none other than Frank Hoi doing likewise.

Further on still as we head for Oudenaarde we bump into an old friend from Liverpool, now resident in Belgium, the shouts of “Orrite Laa” seeming surreal in the Belgian Spring sunshine. He turns around to join us for a natter on our ride to the Ice Cream parlour just off the Centrum in Oudenaarde, a rendezvous for local riders, Nico Eekhout included, for coffee and apple tart.

After a good catch up we are on our way again, out of town on the N46 to join the N60 heading for Ronse and almost immediately left on to the N457, through Maarke-Kerkem and left to climb the Varentberg, a gentle climb with a mixture of tarmac and kasseien.

At the top we turn right on the N8 at the Roman Brewery, to re-join the Ronde route and second left, to Sint-Kornelis Horebeke and right on to the kasseien at Haaghoek, this time to ride in the direction of the Ronde, and hence, climb the Leberg and Berendries.

No trip to Brakel would be complete without a stop for coffee at the Taverne-Eethuis, Cappuccino, a favourite haunt of “De Peet” and his friend Serge Baguet and so that is where our ride ends. A gentle roll back to the car and job done, great day out, great company, bergs, kasseien, coffee, and of course a beer at the end of the ride. Life is good.

Part 2
Part 3