Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => Rides and Touring => Cyclosportives and commercial or charity rides => Topic started by: bludger on 03 August, 2018, 11:06:37 am
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After watching A Sunday in Hell last night I'm oddly drawn to the idea of riding the famed route. Not with an intent to compete, just to survive.
Looking around on google it seems the right way to do it would be to enter the annual open sportive, which this year was in April.
April 2018 highlights reel: https://youtu.be/Rf2ET5cLWjY
The sportive FAQs ( http://www.parisroubaixchallenge.com/en/practical-information/faq ) say that you enter online via the 'ASO website' but it seems this website is now offline.
Any bright ideas on how to plan a weekend stripping my knee joints of their cartilage would be appreciated. To save dough I don't plan on going through a professional travel agent. I have read this thread https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=106081.msg2294472#msg2294472 which certainly clues me in to what I'm in for, what I'm most keen to know about is how to keep track of the bookings so I can snaffle up reasonably priced accommodation as early as possible.
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There is more than one sportiv on the Paris Roubaix route. I did this one this year:
http://www.vc-roubaix-cyclo.fr/site/
I did the shorter version of the route, with 35km of Pavé. Which is 35km more Pavé than I want to do in my life ever.
I've done it once, never again.
Good luck.
J
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Ah so I see - I do want to do the one that's at the same time as the classic just for the banter. I will be using some learning points from your thread!
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You want the Paris-Roubaix challenge, 2019 is 13th April, the day before the race. Quite a few tour and sportive operators taking bookings . I have a booking , including hotel, already. I'm doing the 147km route as I'll have Mrs Aidan with me
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You want the Paris-Roubaix challenge, 2019 is 13th April, the day before the race. Quite a few tour and sportive operators taking bookings . I have a booking , including hotel, already. I'm doing the 147km route as I'll have Mrs Aidan with me
Cheers Aidan - do you have a link to register for 2019? All I can find are dud links and registrations for 2018 e.g. https://www.parisroubaixchallenge.com/en/the-race/registrations
However appreciate it may be that touring companies get first dibs on places.
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It's far too early to register - it'll probably be at least mid November time.
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You want the Paris-Roubaix challenge, 2019 is 13th April, the day before the race. Quite a few tour and sportive operators taking bookings . I have a booking , including hotel, already. I'm doing the 147km route as I'll have Mrs Aidan with me
Good luck. I watched it a few years ago at the Arenberg trench, it looked a lot of fun but the biggest danger seemed to be from other riders rather than the Pavé. I had a ride up it in the evening when all was quiet, even on a touring bike it was hard going.
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You want the Paris-Roubaix challenge, 2019 is 13th April, the day before the race. Quite a few tour and sportive operators taking bookings . I have a booking , including hotel, already. I'm doing the 147km route as I'll have Mrs Aidan with me
Cheers Aidan - do you have a link to register for 2019? All I can find are dud links and registrations for 2018 e.g. https://www.parisroubaixchallenge.com/en/the-race/registrations
However appreciate it may be that touring companies get first dibs on places.
Registration doesnt open for ages I dont think, but I've booked a package through one of the tour companies which guarantees a place, also means my hotel is booked and sorted.
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You want the Paris-Roubaix challenge, 2019 is 13th April, the day before the race. Quite a few tour and sportive operators taking bookings . I have a booking , including hotel, already. I'm doing the 147km route as I'll have Mrs Aidan with me
Good luck. I watched it a few years ago at the Arenberg trench, it looked a lot of fun but the biggest danger seemed to be from other riders rather than the Pavé. I had a ride up it in the evening when all was quiet, even on a touring bike it was hard going.
Thanks, I do wonder why I do these things!!!! I reckon it'll be hard, really hard, but I'm slow enough that all the fast guys will be gone ;D added bonus is I'm there to see the race the day after.
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Out on tramping the two loop yesterday I bumped into one soul who'd done Paris Roubaix... Twice! Which is a personal first as everyone I've ever met has just said "never again."
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The April sportive doesn't do the entire course that the pros ride as it misses out the first 80km or so of tarmac between Compiegne and Busigny. You do get to ride all of the cobbled sectors though.
I stayed in Roubaix itself which is a bit of a dump to be honest. I'd think about staying in Lille if I were ever to do it again, although that would likely make getting the bus out to Busigny a bit of a challenge.
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Out on tramping the two loop yesterday I bumped into one soul who'd done Paris Roubaix... Twice! Which is a personal first as everyone I've ever met has just said "never again."
:o
Count me in the "never again" category!
(admittedly, if I won a free entry to the short sportive, on Someone Else's Bike, I'd probably do it. Otherwise ... naaah ... )
The April sportive doesn't do the entire course that the pros ride as it misses out the first 80km or so of tarmac between Compiegne and Busigny. You do get to ride all of the cobbled sectors though.
I stayed in Roubaix itself which is a bit of a dump to be honest. I'd think about staying in Lille if I were ever to do it again, although that would likely make getting the bus out to Busigny a bit of a challenge.
I don't see the point of these shortened versions ( just MHO of course!) I mean, you're only riding this stupid route to see what the pros ride, right?
I am told the AUDAX version still runs (every other June??); I can recommend it. And we started at sparrow's fart, so it didn't matter what shit-hole town we stayed in, we weren't seeing much of it anyway. Just book a hotel that lets you get out of the car-park before the staff get out of bed :facepalm:
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Did the sportive today. Just me; I had a really great time. Helps that I was running 32s but I'd definitely do it again especially in weather as good as today's.
Had four flats but over the course of just under 7 hours moving tome that wasn't such a terrible hardship. I had a LOT of fun on the cobbles dropping people who didn't research how to do them right and/or were on skinny 28s. The YouTube gurus advised that one guns the motor on the cobbles and I practically flew over them.
The arenberg was horrendous but also pretty jaw dropping. I can't even imagine what doing it with the demons of the peloton vhadong after you.
Don't think I'd want to do it in company though (i.e. as a group). I'd hate to be stopping and waiting as often as I saw others doing.
I stayed in Airbnbs the whole time; staying in Roubaix tonight, will watch the first part of the race and then ride to Dunkirk for the ferry with a souvenir cobblestone in the saddle bag for good.measure :)