Ronde van Vlaanderen / Tour of Flanders Sportive 2015

[Simon_A]

http://www.sport.be/rondevanvlaanderen/2015/en/

Entries have just opened and I've signed up for the 245km.  Thoroughly enjoyed the mid-distance 134km event in 2014 and Audaxing since has made me feel up to the full fat version.

Anyone else doing it?

[markcc]

I've ridden the full length version twice, but probably won't do it again. 

The amount of participents is huge now and the first 120km from Bruges to Oudennaarde is a bit too twitchy for me.

I'll probably do LBL which has a much smaller field, but is a tougher ride! 

[Veloman]

The size of the field (and mentality of the field) will define the appeal for many.

I shunned the Paris-Roubaix sportive, which occurs the day before the race, and instead did exactly the same route as organised by the VC Roubaix, the club adjacent to the finishing circuit on the track, and very enjoyable it was too (and much cheaper!).

http://www.vc-roubaix-cyclo.fr/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=164&Itemid=34

If a similar option was available for the Ronde, then I would probably opt for that rather than the sportive.  (Each to their own!)

[Vs4b]

ive entered the med distance route. looking forward to it, a bit surprised to see it has 1600m of climbing in 130km! shoudl be fun

[LittleWheelsandBig]

I am in for the medium distance, with a few mates for a boys' weekend away.

[Aunt Maud]

I tried to get to ride last year, booked and paid, but got diverted to a 600 with the Tournai club instead.

I'd booked a this hotel overlooking the main square.....Hotel-Brasserie CESAR

But the F**%$*rs gave my room to someone else without letting me know. Arse!

[Simon_A]

I'd booked a this hotel overlooking the main square.....Hotel-Brasserie CESAR
But the F**%$*rs gave my room to someone else without letting me know. Arse!

Well Aunt Maud the most recent TripAdvisor review for a stay over RVV2014 says:

very friendly and helpful staff when we turned up with an 8th person without prior warning. They only charged a small supplement as well

...so perhaps that's where your room went?!?!?!

[kcass]

I'll be doing the medium version for the 4th time, but the first with minimal training. I'm already working on shortcuts.

http://www.sport.be/rondevanvlaanderen/2015/en/parcours/map/#2

The Oude Kwaremont is a great place to watch the race. Big screen, beer, and the race passes twice

[Veloman]

........ I'm already working on shortcuts.

If you are referring to the sportive/cyclo, does taking shortcuts miss the whole point of riding the event?

Surely you either ride the event or you don't.

[kcass]

It's not an audax. I've paid for entry so I can eat as many waffles and bananas as I want at the feed stops.

[Veloman]

My comment was not made out of malice, merely curiosity.  And I don't believe I suggested it was an audax.

I note you have deleted your previous post in response to my posting, which I think was a better post than the one above.

Enjoy your day.

[kcass]

I understand the curiosity, which the first sentence of your initial reply ably conveys. The 2nd sentence made me feel a bit stupid thats all. It wasn't particularly nice.

I deleted the reply because I thought it sounded a bit arsey.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

I read Veloman's second sentence as factual. Same approach as entering Paris-Roubaix Cyclo but dodging the worst pave by riding alongside those sectors. You can certainly do it (no skin off my nose) but why enter an event with a specific route and then not ride that route?

[kcass]

Sorry. I meant the reply to my initial post.

I haven't been on here for ages. I think I need some practise

[Veloman]

..... entering Paris-Roubaix Cyclo but dodging the worst pave by riding alongside those sectors.

Quite a few were doing that on the Ardenberg section last year.  I thought the whole point of taking part was to ride the pave so I rode the pave, even though some were zipping past me on the track where the spectators normally gather.  At least the people walking the dogs cheered me on!

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Every time, a percentage of PR Cyclo riders dodge the cobbles. It helps them get to the finish a bit quicker I suppose but 'whatever'... I reserve the right to look down my nose at folk sometimes.

[markcc]

Every time, a percentage of PR Cyclo riders dodge the cobbles. It helps them get to the finish a bit quicker I suppose but 'whatever'... I reserve the right to look down my nose at folk sometimes.

I'll 'fess up to dodging a bit on the last secteur.  My arms were hurting so much by then, I was worried I might fall off.  Mind you the strips of pavement to the side aren't exactly in top notch condition.

[mattc]

..... entering Paris-Roubaix Cyclo but dodging the worst pave by riding alongside those sectors.

Quite a few were doing that on the Ardenberg section last year.  I thought the whole point of taking part was to ride the pave so I rode the pave, even though some were zipping past me on the track where the spectators normally gather.  At least the people walking the dogs cheered me on!

Well done!

When I rode the full 250ish km sort-of-audax, I saw about 1 rider on those. I was probably mid-field at the time (I rode slower than most, but started earlier than most).

To me, those cobbles are just stoopid for the layman to ride on their main tarmac bike. But those that did ride them have every right to look down their nose at me. (just as I look down my nose at those on the routes that were less than 200km )

[Veloman]

.............. (just as I look down my nose at those on the routes that were less than 200km )

It was rather a badge of honour as by the time we arrived at the point where the shorter distance riders joined the route the conditions were markedly different.  Morning saw very localised (south part of route) torrential downpour at the start leading to this mud fest effect:

http://cdn4.coresites.mpora.com/rcuk/wp-content/uploads/old_images/uploads/images/Huge/8361.jpg

While by mid-day it was scorching and the parcour that did not have rain resulted in this dust-bowl effect:

http://pelotoncafe.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/2013-Paris-Roubaix-Martin-Elmiger.jpg

So all those with mud encrusted bikes tended to leave them that way to show what had been experienced!

And yes, I was very stoopid and did it on my normal audax machine with 25mm Conti 4 Season.  If I ever did it again, or anything similar, I would do it on the CX machine with minimum 28mm and similar to what is used on Three Peaks CX race.

[Simon_A]

I hope everyone who rode enjoyed themselves.  I did despite the rather manky weather from the start.  Failed to ride the Koppenberg again but managed everything else.  Didn't see ANY other bikes all day sporting mudguards.  The final 15km into the northerly headwind at last brought me to my senses and drop fanciful ideas of riding back to Brugge.  Watching the Pro Race start from The Markt on Sunday was good, including the beer for breakfast.  A good weekend

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Our band of four enjoyed the middle distance on Saturday. I walked the Koppenberg and Patenberg, triggered by domino-effect cyclists just in front. I was marginal on the Koppenberg anyway, just so slippery.

We saw the race three times, including the final time up Ould Kwaremont.