You might like to think of riding this 600k - perhaps for your SR next year or in 2019 as a qualifier for PBP (which is what it was for me). I found it do-able, interesting and reasonably easy to get to. I think it would be a good introduction to audaxes on the continent so if/when you go to do PBP you won’t have extra stress because of the “foreign-ness” of it all, as you’ll already be familiar with some of that.
It's probably an excellent 600k ride for 2018 to allow you to pre-enter PBP 2019.
I post this here so in future years it might help someone decide.
I’m considering it as part of my SR for next year, if I’m not away cycle touring.
The route is from a suburb to the west of Brussels through countryside that rolls rather than has steeps hills, to a motorway junction north of Paris where you sleep in a F1 hotel. The return section was further but much flatter and the last three hours was pan-flat, by a canal on perfect tarmac.
For the hard men among you, I’d suggest this is eminently suitable for “fixie” riders.
Many of the villages were very pretty, and the drivers were much more polite than in the UK.
I thought it astounding how empty the roads and countryside were given that I was riding through some of the most crowded parts of Europe.
For the entry fee of €30 in 2015 you get
a very nice coffee at the start at the cyclists’ cafe,
a water and snack top-up at the “secret” control in the forest, and
half of a F1 hotel room plus
a (small) bag drop.
On your return to Frank’s house there is beer and wine.
plus in 2015 at the arrivee we were given a little paper bag containing very nice chocolates in the style of that little boy pee-ing into the fountain in Brussels
There were about 30 entries in 2015, which was a PBP year. There is a very civilised 8am start on the Saturday and a midnight Sunday cut-off.
The route is available here:
http://www.openrunner.com/index.php?id=4792087 By and large the roads were pretty empty - be aware that you go through some fairly deserted terrain and it’s necessary to carry food. On the second day I ate in a really good Turkish place (vegetarian kebab - recommended by the Belgies riding and it was very good - with chips too!) but think I saw no other places open. (In that respect it’s a bit like PBP where you go for a a few hours and pass nothing open.) For water you just ask at bars, most of which do not sell food. Belgium is the home of cycle racing: they really do understand it.
The first thing you’re going to do if you are interested is Google “audax Brussels-Paris-Brussels” and you’ll probably find this link:
http://cyclinglifeafterlel.blogspot.co.uk/p/bpb-2010.htmlwhich is what persuaded me to enter.
Be aware you can’t take [non-folding] bikes on Eurostar to Brussels, only London-Paris. We used the Dover-Calais ferry, then it was a two hour drive to Brussels. We stayed in the Best Western hotel on the Friday and left the car there until our return on the Sunday night, it was 3k from the arrivee, and a reasonable price. There is a place next to the hotel where we ate on the Friday.
The organiser, Frank Steenput, is one of the nicest blokes you could wish to meet. His email address if you want to be informed is
Frank.Steenput AT skynet.be
When I did it there was a group of fast locals who plainly knew the route and were quick enough to have five hours sleep. It’s possible that a faster rider than me could do the whole thing in daylight - in 2015 it was on June 27 so close to the longest day.
(It thus finished on June 28 which was the deadline for PBP qualifying - I made it with five minutes to spare, which was a bit tight.)
Here are links to the hotels nearby:
http://hotels.autogrill.be/hotel/best-western-hotel-brussels-e40groot-bijgaardenThis hotel is at the E-40 motorway Brussel-Oostende (2,5 km from departure)
http://www.gosset.be/nl/hotel-kamers.aspThis hotel is closer to centre of town (1 km from departure)
http://www.hotelvictory.be/Hotel between Groot-Bijgaarden and Brussels (3 km from departure)
You can, if you wish, park opposite the cafe where we started.
Frank told me: “A helmet is obligated.” I had aerobars on the bike - he had no objection.
Details closer to the time will no doubt be posted on
http://www.randonneurs.be/page/homewhich is the home page for the Belgian audax club.
One chap took pictures:
https://plus.google.com/photos/+GuyRoefs/albums/6165878070963825729notice the absence of cars on the roads…….. we were lucky with the weather.
We did it in a “clockwise” year, the first day is slightly undulating and 285k, the second day of 324k was much flatter. The whole thing is 309k (I think), so not overdistance.
Be aware that if this is your PBP 600 qualifier and takes place on June 27, it’s the last possible date and if it goes wrong for some reason you don’t then have an opportunity to enter and ride a fall-back 600k.
If you have any questions, PM me.
