Author Topic: Belgian brevets in 2020  (Read 6894 times)

Belgian brevets in 2020
« on: 09 October, 2019, 02:17:47 pm »
The new calendar for Belgian rides has just been released -

* No need to pre-warn, simply appear at the start 30 mins before the off. The exception is 10th April which is a "team" event.
* 200K=€5, 300k=€6, 400k=€7 
* GPS files and paper routes are released about 2 weeks before the day. Check www.randonneurs.be
* 27th June is Groot-Bijgaarden, Brussels-Paris-Brussels. 1st July Herentals goes from there (North East of Brussels) to Champagne and back and 3rd September is "Borders of Belgium" which follows the circumference around the entire country   :)
* Eurostar offers a good service - pity that they have put the prices up, so book early. Oostende, Assebroek (Bruges) and Oudenburg are very near the sea, if you are ferrying it.
* I look forward to seeing ALL of you soon.... in Tervuren, which I run!

Happy to answer (easy) questions.......

07/12/19     Tervuren    200 km
      
04/01/20    Wachtebeke   200 km
      
18/01/20   Assebroek   200 km
      
22/02/20   Herentals   200 km
      
29/02/20   La Louvière   200 km
      
07/03/20   Anderlecht   200 km
      
14/03/20   Auvelais   200 km
      
21/03/20   Oostende   200 km
21/03/20   Villance   200 km
      
29/03/20   Leuven   200 km
      
04/04/20   Tournai   200 km
      
10/04/20   Oudenburg   Flèche belge
      
18/04/20   Sint-Truiden   200 km
19/04/20   Gent                 200 km
      
25/04/20   Anderlecht   300 km
      
01/05/20   Leuven   200 km
01/05/20   Oostende   300 km
      
09/05/20   Lier   200 km
09/05/20   Oudenburg   400 km
      
16/05/20   Tournai   300 km
      
21/05/20   Oosteeklo   200 km
21/05/20   Villance   600 km
22/05/20   Tournai   400 km
23/05/20   Herentals   300 km
      
30/05/20   Anderlecht   400km
      
01/06/20   Vlamertinge   200 km
      
06/06/20   Leuven   400 km
06/06/20   Oostende   600 km
      
13/06/20   Lier   300 km
14/06/20   Malmedy   200 km
      
20/06/20   Oudenburg   600 km
      
27/06/20   Groot-Bijgaarden   600 km
      
01/07/20   Herentals   1200 km
      
11/07/20   Tervuren   200 km
      
18/07/20   Oostende   400 km
      
21/07/20   Oostende   200 km
21/07/20   Leuven   300 km
      
01/08/20   Herentals   600 km
      
08/08/20   Malmedy   200 km
      
15/08/20   Oostende   200 km
      
22/08/20   Herentals   400 km
      
29/08/20   La Louvière   200 km
      
03/09/20   Wachtebeke   1000 km
      
12/09/20   Auvelais   200 km
      
19/09/20   Herentals & Ternat   200 km
      
03/10/20   Anderlecht   200 km
      
10/10/20   Assebroek   200 km

bludger

  • Randonneur and bargain hunter
Re: Belgian brevets in 2020
« Reply #1 on: 09 October, 2019, 03:07:21 pm »
You know time allowing I think I'm going to get the ferry over again! Hopefully not arriving at Dunkirk at 2am this time :D

Audax in Belgium is a blast. Just make sure you fill your bags with food and drink before the shops close.
YACF touring/audax bargain basement:
https://bit.ly/2Xg8pRD



Ban cars.

Re: Belgian brevets in 2020
« Reply #2 on: 09 October, 2019, 04:45:30 pm »
Great stuff chocjohn9, thank you.
#makewattsnotwar

Re: Belgian brevets in 2020
« Reply #3 on: 09 October, 2019, 08:09:13 pm »
I'm in! Booked ferry for the Groot-Bijgaarden 600. Looking forward to it. Civilised crossing times too!

Re: Belgian brevets in 2020
« Reply #4 on: 09 October, 2019, 08:19:48 pm »
[...]

The exception is 10th April which is a "team" event.

[...]

It's an Easter Arrrow, I presume. I may get a team together for that event, but we usually start from my home town (Groningen in the northeast of the Netherlands) which is at least 420km from Oudenburg if you follow the most direct route. So, we probably have to consider an alternative starting location as well.

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: Belgian brevets in 2020
« Reply #5 on: 09 October, 2019, 09:51:10 pm »
[...]

The exception is 10th April which is a "team" event.

[...]

It's an Easter Arrrow, I presume. I may get a team together for that event, but we usually start from my home town (Groningen in the northeast of the Netherlands) which is at least 420km from Oudenburg if you follow the most direct route. So, we probably have to consider an alternative starting location as well.

More importantly you'd most likely be slogging into a headwind the whole way...

Quote
* I look forward to seeing ALL of you soon.... in Tervuren, which I run!
Quote

I'm thinking of doing the December 200. What is the start time for this? What is the start location? I can't seem to find it on the website beyond Tervuren.

J
--
Beer, bikes, and backpacking
http://b.42q.eu/

Re: Belgian brevets in 2020
« Reply #6 on: 13 October, 2019, 05:38:43 pm »
Start times tend to be -
200k at 8am
300k at 6am
400k at 4am.
Check the website though because this is only a guide.

Tervuren is 10k east from the the centre of Brussels, just off "the ring", the circular motorway around brussels.

Re: Belgian brevets in 2020
« Reply #7 on: 13 October, 2019, 05:52:57 pm »
My work schedule for the start of december isn't out yet so I don't know if I can join the Tervuren event.

Holidays have been requested and received for the Flèche.

Pedal Castro

  • so talented I can run with scissors - ouch!
    • Two beers or not two beers...
Re: Belgian brevets in 2020
« Reply #8 on: 14 October, 2019, 03:25:09 pm »
The 200 on 11/11/19 looks very inviting, shame the info links aren't working.

Re: Belgian brevets in 2020
« Reply #9 on: 14 October, 2019, 07:19:46 pm »
The 11/11 is a public holiday in Belgium and France. Last year this event was a ride to Ypres taking in various ww1 battle sites and cemeteries as it coincided with 100 years since the end of ww1, it might be a repeat of that.  Usually the info links do get activated a little closer to the event date. I can't go as it falls on a Monday this year and I can't get the time off.
Regards,

Alan

Re: Belgian brevets in 2020
« Reply #10 on: 14 October, 2019, 07:32:41 pm »
Full details of each ride are released about 2 weeks prior to the date of the BRM. (This is so that a full route check can take place)
Rough details are produced well in advance...... bear with us during the calendar change over.

Pedal Castro

  • so talented I can run with scissors - ouch!
    • Two beers or not two beers...
Re: Belgian brevets in 2020
« Reply #11 on: 28 October, 2019, 07:21:47 am »
The 11/11 is a public holiday in Belgium and France. Last year this event was a ride to Ypres taking in various ww1 battle sites and cemeteries as it coincided with 100 years since the end of ww1, it might be a repeat of that.  Usually the info links do get activated a little closer to the event date. I can't go as it falls on a Monday this year and I can't get the time off.
Info now up, not a battlefield tour but looks a lovely route. I'll probably camp on the coast 11km from the start. Also need to remember to hit the St Sixtus beer hotline this coming Wednesday, at least the new online system will be a bit easier...

Edit: 2 crates of Westvleteren 12 ordered to be picked up on the Tuesday after. ;D

Pedal Castro

  • so talented I can run with scissors - ouch!
    • Two beers or not two beers...
Re: Belgian brevets in 2020
« Reply #12 on: 13 November, 2019, 07:19:41 am »
Well that was fun (type 2), cold, windy and wet, with hail for added drama on the seafront section! Also, my rear brakes started making an unwelcome noise at around 130km due to one pad wearing away so I rode on using front brake only and therefore taking every junction very easily as I didn't have a lot of stopping power, could have been rather tricky had it not been pan flat.

On the plus side I did manage to ride the first 50km into the wind in a fast group, the organiser had a Paris Brest pastry waiting for me at control 1  :thumbsup: , France up to The Netherlands was in theory a tailwind but wetter and therefore colder so more stops. At control 3 cafe I took off my so called waterproof socks and wrung them out, psychologically it was good to replace them with dry socks even though they pretty much were wet through within seconds of putting my sodden winter boots back on.

I did have a nice chat with the president of the Belgium Randoneurs on the run in to the arrivee.

All in all, a great day, tough enough to be worthy of riding on Remembrance Day, when the going got tough I was reminded of the sacrifice others had made and actually my day is rather easy.

Re: Belgian brevets in 2020
« Reply #13 on: 16 November, 2019, 10:41:41 am »
My work schedule for the first full week of december is out and I have the weekend off. So I'll start in Tervuren. Now the decision where I stay before/after the event, in Brussels or Leuven ;).

Re: Belgian brevets in 2020
« Reply #14 on: 17 November, 2019, 09:01:04 pm »
I route checked it yesterday and so full details can be found at
www.randonneurs.be

see you there Ivo!

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: Belgian brevets in 2020
« Reply #15 on: 17 November, 2019, 09:13:55 pm »
My work schedule for the first full week of december is out and I have the weekend off. So I'll start in Tervuren. Now the decision where I stay before/after the event, in Brussels or Leuven ;).

I considered this event, but kinda decided against due to the cost of a hotel for 2 nights. I was about to ask you about the idea of sharing a room, but now I've looked at the route, and the 2200+m of climbing. I'm too fat for such shenanigans...

Good luck!

J
--
Beer, bikes, and backpacking
http://b.42q.eu/

Re: Belgian brevets in 2020
« Reply #16 on: 17 November, 2019, 11:29:12 pm »
My work schedule for the first full week of december is out and I have the weekend off. So I'll start in Tervuren. Now the decision where I stay before/after the event, in Brussels or Leuven ;).

I considered this event, but kinda decided against due to the cost of a hotel for 2 nights. I was about to ask you about the idea of sharing a room, but now I've looked at the route, and the 2200+m of climbing. I'm too fat for such shenanigans...

Good luck!

J

There's a hostel in the € 25,- per night/per bed pricerange 5km from the start.
It'll be tough, I'm still quite unfit after PBP but I'll be my only chance for a BRM 200 in december so I'll give it a go.

Re: Belgian brevets in 2020
« Reply #17 on: 18 November, 2019, 08:51:50 am »
Since openrunner is notoriously unreliable when it comes to denivellation I've let gpsies recalculate it. They state about 2350m of climbing.
The detailed altitude profile on gpsies is a lot more detailled. It certainly shows me that the final 30km wil break your legs.
Starting to doubt considering my current lack of fitness.

Re: Belgian brevets in 2020
« Reply #18 on: 20 November, 2019, 09:07:22 pm »
I'm going to do my best to get to the Tevuren ride, although it seems to be an awkward place to get to by public transport.  Just to make sure though, it starts at 8am and you can sign up on the day?

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: Belgian brevets in 2020
« Reply #19 on: 20 November, 2019, 09:47:09 pm »
I'm going to do my best to get to the Tevuren ride, although it seems to be an awkward place to get to by public transport.  Just to make sure though, it starts at 8am and you can sign up on the day?

Yep, same for all Belgian brevets.

J
--
Beer, bikes, and backpacking
http://b.42q.eu/

Re: Belgian brevets in 2020
« Reply #20 on: 21 November, 2019, 06:37:52 am »
The Malmedy brevet in June is starting to look interesting (http://www.randonneurs.be/page/31-malmedy-200): 3000 meters of climbing in 200 km. Given the place names mentioned in the route description, it seems like we get to do some classic climbs from Liege-Bastogne-Liege.

Re: Belgian brevets in 2020
« Reply #21 on: 21 November, 2019, 10:36:51 am »


Yep, same for all Belgian brevets.

J

Thank you!  It will be my first BE brevet.

S2L

Re: Belgian brevets in 2020
« Reply #22 on: 21 November, 2019, 10:57:04 am »


Yep, same for all Belgian brevets.

J

Thank you!  It will be my first BE brevet.

It will com with fries and mayo then...  :thumbsup:

Re: Belgian brevets in 2020
« Reply #23 on: 21 November, 2019, 01:01:37 pm »
Fries and mayo are extra, but....... "Free - Sun, no wind, coffee and pastry at the start. "   :)

Ivo - the last 30k does have a few steep climbs, but they are short.  :)

Turn up on the day, from 7h30, fill in a sheet of paper and receive your brevet card. It's true, public transport isn't great, especially at that time in the morning. Tervuren is about 10k from the centre of Brussels. You can not take your bike on the tram. Markcc - where are you coming from? 

Re: Belgian brevets in 2020
« Reply #24 on: 21 November, 2019, 05:40:16 pm »
Tervuren is about 10k from the centre of Brussels. You can not take your bike on the tram. Markcc - where are you coming from?

Likely from Gent, so will take the train to Brussel Zuid and ride out to Tervuren from there. 

Looking forward to it!!