Micro Ronde van Vlaanderen

After my adventure riding some of the Paris-Roubaix course I took advantage of the local riding opportunity and spent Sunday morning on the famous roads used in the Ronde van Vlaanderen. 

The morning looked to be dry after the previous night of rain so I did not waste much time at the Hotel Leopold all you can eat breakfast buffet. I mean, I took full advantage of the buffet. I just ate fast so I was able to get out on the roads before the rain was scheduled to start up again in the afternoon.

I love riding around Belgium. The roads are fun. Traffic is not too bad and, for the most part, drivers are patient with cyclists. These photos don't show it but there were lots of people out Sunday morning hiking, walking, running and cycling. Lots of activity going on and I waved and said hello to lots of people. some of which waved and said hello back!

I crossed the river Scheldt on the south side of Oudenaarde and made my way to the bike path that runs towards Kluisbergen. From here you turn south and head towards the famous cobbled climb Oude Kwaremont. Oude Kwaremont is Flemish (which is not Dutch I have been told) for Old Kwaremont and this is the original road that runs from Kluisbergen to the village of Kwaremont. Oudenaarde is Flemish for Old Naarde and I don't know, nor want to know, what that is all about. 🤔

I am not sure when this began but these roads are now a part of, and marked with a designation from the Flandrien Challenge. 

The Flandrien Challenge is a cycling challenge where digital and physical worlds collide. It visualizes the digital STRAVA segments on the road surface of numerous storied climbs and cobbled roads in Flanders. This is a unique physical manifestation of cycling's most popular digital experience.

More details on their website.

The inclusion in the Flandrien Challenge means a Strava segment start and finish line along the road so you know when it's time to go all out and try and get the KOM. I did not attempt to do this. All the climbs for the day are part of the Flandrien Challenge with the accompanying Strava segment start and finish lines.

Kwaremont was my first cobbled climb of the day and was the first of the Flanders bergs that I ever rode back in 1991. 2.2km with a maximum gradient of 11% the Oude Kwaremont is a pleasant way to start a ride in Flanders.

Above is a photo I took the morning of my ride, October 29 2023. Below is a photo I took near this same spot in July of 1991 after navigating my way to this location from Ghent using a Michelin map. In the days before GPS and smartphones I don't know how anyone got anywhere but somehow I made it down there to take this photo, ride the climb and get back to Ghent without getting too lost. 

At the top of the Oude Kwaremont you ride across the Ronse Baan N36 and than can make your way along the Ronde van Vlaanderenstraat. All the past winners of the Ronde van Vlaanderen are listed along the roadway as you ride along. 

Less than 2 miles from the top of the Kwaremont you take a hard right and find the start of the Paterberg climb. 

The Paterberg is a bit of a brute, short and steep, but it's a fun road to ride. 400 meters with a maximum gradient of 20%. It was just a dirt farm road until the farmer decided that he wanted the Ronde to pass by his house and put down the cobbles in 1986. It's akin to building a track and fully expecting to see a Formula 1 race in your backyard next year. Obviously that's just how things work in Belgium I guess.

It's about 3 miles from the top of the Paterberg to the base of the Koppenberg. This climb is a real Flandrien challenge, 600 meters with a max grade of 22%. It was made most famous at the 1987 Ronde van Vlaanderen when the race commissaire vehicle knocked Jesper Skibby off his bike and ran over his rear wheel in a panic to get out of the way ahead of a hard charging chase group. 

The Koppenberg was promptly removed from the Ronde until it was reincluded in 2002 after being widened and repaved. 

On this morning the Koppenberg was a buzz of activity with some kind of running challenge going on. Halfway up the climb looking towards the right I saw the preparations being made for the Koppenbergcross scheduled to be taking place three days later. 

Once you reach the top of the Koppenberg you turn right on the Ronseweg N60 and left to a descent that turns to cobbles. This is the Steenbeekdries that feels most like a secteur from Paris-Roubaix. Downhill at speed on the cobbles and then a flat section before a climb and a railroad crossing. One more flat section of cobbles and then a turn back onto tarmac for about a mile before starting the Taaienberg. 800 meters with a max grade of 18% despite what the road marker has to say.

Tom Boonen made the Taaienberg his most favorite climb in Flanders and he used this berg to launch an attack four of the five times that he won the E3 Harelbeke race. His face is there at the start of the cobbles to inspire you to similar greatness.

Over the Taaienberg its onto the Eikenberg. My route shows that I rode up the Eikenberg but I have no memory of doing so and took no photos. I think I might have been looking forward to the Molenberg which was another four miles away.

On the way to the Molenberg.

The Molenberg is a great climb. 463 meters, fairly steep with a max grade of 14.2% and a rough road surface. Narrow like someone's driveway it just appears out of nowhere by the side of the road. I nearly rode past it before making the right turn up the cobbles.

Here I am halfway up the climb.

From the top of the Molenberg it was four miles back to the river and then the bike path on the north side of the Scheldt 6 miles to Oudenaarde. A couple miles outside of town it started raining a bit so I had timed the ride perfectly.

Here is my Strava upload for the day.

Once back to the hotel I got cleaned up and walked over to the Centrum Ronde van Vlaanderen for a sandwich and to see if there were any cool souvenirs I wanted.