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Part 2 (days 4 to 6)
It’s Tuesday morning and a “Transition Day”,
which means we’re moving to a new location and new Hotel, a fairly
obvious statement I will admit. However, along with checking out and checking
back in obligations and of course the drive from Aalst to Poperinge, we
want to fit a ride in too.
So, with that in mind we drive once more to Oudenaarde, park on the banks of the Schelde within sight of the Tea Room that will provide sustenance once our ride is complete. Whilst time constraints dictate that today’s ride will be only circa 50Km, we will still have time to experience our beloved Kasseien.
We
left Oudenaarde on the N46 heading for Ename and turned right to climb
the Kattenberg. This is a relatively gentle climb with small regular shaped,
almost “modern” cobble stones, hardly noticeable to the armchair
viewer watching a Ronde DVD and listening to a Paul Sherwen or Phil Liggett
commentary, mainly because this climb is in fact a descent on the Ronde
Route, traversed at great speed.
The Kattenberg decent comes almost straight after the Ronde climbs the Wolvenberg, however, it is as a climb, that it features in various other Belgium Semi-Classics, from time to time, Dwaars Door Vlaanderen for example and as we haven’t ridden it before we give it a go. Though “gentle” the climb still servers as a reminder as to the exact location of ones lungs!
At the top we turn left, on unclassified lanes and within
3Km descend to the cross roads at the approach to Kerkgate and turn right
on to the Kasseien. This stretch up to Mater rises appreciatively over
a length of 3000m.
Today we are experimenting and so when we reach the village, after some
1500m, we turn left towards Sint-Maria-Horebeke and in so doing, ride
a 1000m or so and encounter a cross roads, A steady look left and right
and we have discovered yet another unexplored lane, more importantly,
an unexplored lane with Kasseien and make a mental note to ride this lane
on our next trip this coming September.
We take a left on the N454 towards Sint-Blasius-Boekel,
right for Sint-Kornelis Horebeke,
right on the N8 briefly, to the Roman Brewery and left to descend the
Varentberg to the N457 valley road.
A left turn to Schorisse and right on the N454 to climb the Berg Tenhoute through Maarkedal, Koekamer and Louise-Marie, right on the N425 and left at an unclassified crossroads, to descend to Ronse.
We have ridden to Ronse to climb the Oude Kruisberg, another
classic cobbled climb, 1800m, 9% and more of a test than the Kattenberg.
This climb runs parallel to the main N60b road, which was the climb on
the 1988 World’s circuit, scene of the infamous Claude Criquielion
/ Steve Bauer incident, allowing Maurizio Fondriest to take that years
title
Although we were at that event some 20 years ago, at the time we didn’t
realise the proximity of the Oude Kruisberg and consequently we didn’t
get to climb it until some 16 years later.
This is our second traverse and as we climb it in 2008,my minds eye recalls
Frans Massen doing a sterling ride in a vain attempt to pull back the
winning break , on this very same climb, in the 1992 Ronde and indeed,
Paolo Bettini coming to grief here in this years Het Volk.
As the climb finishes we joins the N60b and turn right, at the traffic lights we turn right again on to the N425 and left at unclassified crossroads to descend through Terpoort and right to climb the Taaienberg.
This is another cobbled climb on the Ronde, 530m in length, 500m kasseien, with a maximum gradient of 15.8%. The Ronde turns left at the top and descends almost immediately to Etikhove. We experiment again here and take a right and after 500m a left at a T junction and ride along the top of the ridge past the Wind Mill.
Descending
off the ridge, we cross the N457 at a crossroads and immediately start
to climb the Eikenberg. The Eikenberg is yet another cobbled climb, 1000m
long, 12.4% maximum gradient, its was on this climb that Philippe Gilbert
made his acceleration in this years Het Volk.
At the top we join the N8 once more, turn left and descend the Edelare to Oudenaarde, cross the Schelde and park ourselves at a table in the sun for coffee (why does coffee taste infinitely better in Belgium?) and Pastries. On each visit I promise myself that I will have two pastries at this particular café, this trip I get my wish. Fantastic though they are, two are too much, even with a second coffee to help them down.
Bikes on the roof rack and an hour’s drive later we arrive in Poperinge, our destination and location for our next three nights stay. We are staying in the Gasthof De Kring, just off the Centrum; we had located this hotel on a previous trip and thought it looked good. The Hotel is out of the ordinary in so far as it has the most fantastic restaurant, the Hotels owner being the resident Chef of some renown.
Next morning, Wednesday, after breakfast,
the plan is to drive to Diense for the start of Ghent Wevelgem, by way
of Eeklo, to visit yet another bike shop. This is no ordinary bike shop;
this 
has
connections with Mr Paris Roubaix himself, Roger De Vlaeminck.
We arrive as the shop opens, Ronnie, the shops proprietor and close friend
of Roger, regales us with tales of the great man and also reminded us
that a young Roger Hammond had spent his formative years in Belgium just
outside of Eeklo under the tutelage of De Vlaeminck.
Leaving Eeklo later than anticipated, we
have to forego the start of this years Ghent Wevelgem at Diense and instead
make our way directly to Kemmel for the passage of the race at our chosen
vantage point, the Hotel Belvedere, at the top of the Kemmelberg.
The race provides the Belvedere with its busiest day of the year. It’s
a large spacious restaurant with panoramic views, provides a three course
meal, coffee and unlimited supply of wine for 52 Euros. A similar option
can be had in an adjacent Marquee, along side a more modest menu; soup,
steak and frites for 18 Euros. (We sampled this last year, great craic)
Tables can be booked in advance (at no extra cost) includes Car Parking in a field just outside the village and a shuttle bus service via closed roads to the top of the Kemmel. The Belvedere also has a beer tent and six TV’s that allows everyone access to the live coverage.
Our ride in this region will take in the climbs of the GHENT Wevelgem along with the general route taken by Nico Mattan, when he completed a “Euro Ride” last October for Cycling Weekly. So Thursday morning we set off on a planned route of 100km.
We left Poperinge on the N304 and at its junction with R33 we turned right and second left on an unclassified road to join the N315 to Westouter.
Right on N398 to climb the Vidaigherberg, left on N372 descend the Rodeberg to N322 where right, through Loker to Dranouter.
Left at the Church on unclassified lane and
climb the Monteberg and left to climb the Kemmelberg, once over the top
we opted for the narrow tarmac descent of this years edition, however,
the option of descending the kasseien is still there for those willing
to risk, if not life and limb, then at the very least. expensive equipment.
At the bottom of the climb, turn right at the crossroads and descend to
Kemmel Village, right on N303 and right at the roundabout on the N331
to Nieuwkerke and then right and first left to Ploegsteert and coffee
in the café run by Frank Vandenbruke’s parents.
On leaving the village take the N365 through
Mesen to Wijtschate. This is typical “Heuvelland” or Hill
Country and in these quiet rural lanes and rolling countryside, ideal
for cycling, we pass numerous War Cemeteries, large and small, containing
the remains of victims of the First World War, lost in numerous battles
to take or defend these very hills.
It’s well known amongst cyclists, that a good bike ride clears the
head but riding through this area, the effect is more profound. Although
the victims were killed some 94 years ago, the well tended graves give
the impression that they died only recently, that they were our contemporaries
and not ancestors. Contrasting their visit with ours induces emotions
raging from sombre sadness to, good to be alive and among friends in spring
sunshine and on a bike.
At Wijtschate we turn right and traverse a plethora of unclassified lanes and head for Linde, Hollebeke, Zandvoorde and Geluveld to join the N303 to Beselare. Turning left to Reutel, hungry, we stop for lunch at a café on a crossroads, which provided us with a cold beer and a welcome sandwich and displayed the current odds for the riders of the coming Sundays Paris Roubaix.
We cross the N8 and bear towards Voormezele. We want to take in a particular lane we found on a previous trip. After crossing the N8 on an unclassified lane continue to take a left as the lane bears right. At the T junction, take the right and first left, under the railway bridge to a T junction, left and immediately right on to a lane in protected woodland. This lane is fantastic, closed to motor vehicles its 4Km of Kasseien of varying quality, a gentle reminder of the sectures we will ride a couple of days later in France.
Leaving Voormezele through the village, to
the cross roads on N331at Kruistraat, left to Vierstraat and right to
Hallebast. Left on the N375 to Klite, straight on at the roundabout to
climb the Scherpenberg to the café “In De Zon”
This café featured in a “Euro
Rides” article in Cycling Weekly in October last year and having
read Nico Mattan's enthusiastic account of one of his favourite rides,
and favourite cafes we had to come and ride it ourselves, with one or
two deviations of our own. Unfortunately, on this visit the café
was closed, we’ll get a coffee there next time.
Leaving the café we turn right at the junction with the N315 and first left on N373 to Reningelst, left on N304 and back to Poperinge, part two of our trip almost over, we look forward to part three and a ride on the Pave of Paris Roubaix,