2025 Tour Day 31 - Ronde de Flanders

We have some extra time before we need to be in Brussels, and we wanted to experience the Ronde de Flanders since we are right here. We have watched the races, now we want to live them. So we left our tent up, and we left of panniers, and we loaded up our water bottles for a hot day, and an adventure to create our own Ronde de Flanders. 

We set off for Oudenaarde in search of the "museum". It was really more of a store and a cafe, but with lots of jerseys and posters celebrating Belgian cyclists. 

Fun lamps made of bike wheels. 

Racing cookies with our coffee. 

Reminiscent of our Gaspe jersey. Who copied who? 

We bought a map of the 3 routes that have been created and are signed. Blue, red and yellow. 

Today we set out to do a portion of the blue route.  It is the shortest, and has some famous climbs. 

From a cycling website:

The Tour of Flanders brings together all the elements that define the cycling culture of the Flemish region: steep bergs, cobblestones and passion. This Belgian region is a territory that knows how to care for and protect the cobbled roads that are part of its history.

Our route took us first to the Oude Kwaremont. Here is the description:

At 2.2km it’s the longest berg in Flanders, and with its steep mid-section and 1.6km of cobbles, one of the most revered. The first 600m are relatively easy, the road tarmacked and the gradient shallow, but by midway the cobbles are in full flow and the gradient has risen to 12%.

Then suddenly it’s over. Only it isn’t. With a kilometre to go comes a false flat, as punishing to the mind as it is to the legs. Pity the professionals, then, who have to climb the Kwaremont not once but three times at the Tour of Flanders.

Some of the statistics. 

2.2 km climb with 1.6 of it cobblestones 

104 meters of elevation 

Ave grade 4.3%

Maximum grade 11.6%

And we did it!!!!

Cobblestones. Seriously. Who invented them? And who took the trouble to install them on hills in Flanders??

Rolling hills and fields brought us suddenly to our second big, famous climb. 

The Paterberg. 

From Wikipedia:

The Paterberg is a hill in the municipality of Kluisbergen, in the Belgian province of East Flanders. With its top at 80 m, it is one of many hill formations in the Flemish Ardennes, close to Wallonia. The slopes of the hill were unpaved until 1986, when a local farmer paved the road in cobbles because he wanted the Tour of Flanders cycling race to pass by his house. The cobbled climb became one of the iconic sites of Belgian cycling, and in 1993 the road of the Paterberg was classified as a protected monument.

When we bought the map and we were getting advice from the lady at the store she just simply said "you will walk this one". 

Um, ya. 

The stats are:

350 meters in length

71 meters of elevation (you end up at the highest point in Flanders). 

Average grade 11.7%

Maximum grade 20.3%

And did I mention cobblestones. 

We had the hill to ourselves. No competitors and no spectators, but honestly it was still very cool, very spectacular! 

More cycling, more heat. 

In Belgium we just don't find the same availability of bakeries or sandwiches. We finally stopped, close to 2pm as we needed a break from the sun. 

A cold beer was welcomed, as was the Billy Joel playing as we ate. 

There were other cyclists out today. Not too many but a few serious ones and some groups. At one point climbing a hill I heard from behind me "Hello Brampton Cycling Club, I saw you at the museum. How are you enjoying your ride?". 

Hehe. I huffed out that I was really enjoying the ride as the group of roadies flew by "on my left". 

Home sweet home with another beer needed in 30 degrees at 5pm. 

Cheers to the Solby Ronde de Flanders,