Cycling in Flanders

Discover everything about cycling in Flanders 10 REASONS TO CHOOSE FLANDERS FOR YOUR NEXT CYCLING HOLIDAY.

10

Reasons to choose Flanders for your next cycling holiday.

Flanders - the northern part of Belgium - is an international cycling region par excellence. Given Flanders’ compact cities – filled with castles, churches and other historic sites – and its green meadows and meandering tree-lined canals, bikers can experience the best of Europe in a short time while sharing the Flemish passion for their national sport.

01

Watch the spring classics.

Spring in Flanders brings with it a frenetic opening of the cycling season. In the space of a few weeks, all the classics take place: the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Dwars door Vlaanderen, E3 Prijs, Gent-Wevelgem – the list goes on. These races make for an exciting run-up to the Holy Sunday of biking - the Ronde van Vlaanderen, a 260-kilometre (162 mile) apotheosis. This is when the Flemish passion for cycling is on view for the whole world – the Flemish do not just like racing it; they breathe it.

They are the race.

More on races in Flanders: www.flandersclassics.be

04

Visit a cycling museum.

1. CENTRUM RONDE VAN VLAANDEREN (OUDENAARDE) The Tour of Flanders Centre is a unique visitor center and museum in Oudenaarde that immerses visitors in the typical atmosphere of the Ronde van Vlaanderen. You can follow in the tracks of the heroes of the Tour of Flanders and even climb the slopes and conquer the merciless cobblestones of the Ronde on one of the bikes. www.crvv.be 2. WIEMU/WIELERMUSEUM (ROESELARE) The WieMU (or Wielermuseum) is a museum and information center, highlighting the history of the bicycle and of bicycle racing, and presenting stories of heroism, determination and suffering. Cycling culture is represented here in the broad sense: village racers and supporter pubs, sponsors and soigneurs, constructors and commentators, peloton jargon and cycling poetry, a jukebox with old cycling records, an old-fashioned bicycle workshop. Special attention is given to Jean-Pierre ‘Jempy’ Monseré (who died as world champion in an accident in 1971). http://www.wielermuseum.be 3. THE SPORTIMONIUM (HOFSTADE, NEAR MECHELEN) The Sportimonium is the Olympic Museum in Belgium. Though it covers numerous sports, it focuses on cycling heritage and, more specifically, on cycling legend Eddy Merckx. A digital guide presents the highlights of cycling history and memorable moments from Merckx’s career. www.sportimonium.be

05

Have a cycling beer.

Cycling is in our blood, but so is taking a moment to relax after that last steep climb or long cobble section. Some pubs and restaurants in Flanders are made for cyclists. They’re deco-

rated with jerseys, pictures, cycling newspaper articles … Make sure you stop by these bars to experience what cycling is really all about here in Flanders.

EAST-FLANDERS CAFÉ IN DEN TRAP OP (FLEMISH ARDENNES, HOREBEKE) A popular café at which to watch races live on TV. Several of the spring classics pass by this café.

Heerweg 45, 9667 Horebeke, T 055-45 54 39 or 0479-40 12 70

DE NIEUWE KEIZER (FLEMISH ARDENNES, BETWEEN OUDENAARDE AND BRAKEL) A pub with large photos of old Belgian cycling legends on the façade. Inside are the signed jerseys of both of today’s greatest Belgian cyclocross champions: Sven Nijs and Niels Albert.

Hauwaart 22, 9700 Oudenaarde, T 0472-42.95.87 GHENT DE KARPER (GHENT) This is a supporters’ café of Iljo Keisse, with his dad, Ronnie, behind the bar. This is where the afterparties of the z6sdaagse take place.

Tip: drink an Orvélo beer.

Kortrijksesteenweg 2, 9000 Gent, T 0495/280.707

BRASSERIE DE FLANDRIEN (CENTRE OF OUDENAARDE) This is the brasserie of the Centre Ronde van Vlaanderen. As such, it has unusual opening hours for a pub (10AM-6PM). Here you will enter a world of cycling shirts, cycling pictures, water bottles, and other memorabilia. “De Flandrien” is also the home of the fan club of Fabian Cancellara.

More info at www.crvv.be/en/310brasserie (Dutch, French, English).

Markt 43, 9700 Oudenaarde

WEST-FLANDERS CAFÉ DE BUUZESTOVE (EERNEGEM-ICHTEGEM, A VILLAGE IN WESTERN FLANDERS) Eernegem has a reputation as the village of “kasseileggers” (men who construct cobblestone roads). Multiple members of the same family often shared this profession. Café De Buuzestove is a rustic pub where time seems to have stood still. It is also a restaurant with its own house beer (“Kasseileggersbier”). There are still a few active “kasseileggers” and they’re

willing to talk about their job. For pictures, see www.debuuzestove.be (under ‘foto’s’).

Stationsstraat 174, 8480 Eernegem, info@debuuzestove.be, dewanckele.johan@telenet.be, T 059/29.03.42 CAFÉ, BRASSERIE CARLITO (TIELT, WEST-FLANDERS) A brasserie filled with cycling memorabilia.

Kortrijkstraat 80, 8700 TIELT, T 0495 / 40 30 42

CASA GRINTA (TERHAGEN, BETWEEN ANTWERP AND BRUSSELS) A restaurant with a unique interior and numerous references to cycling. You will find more than 300 signed jerseys here from famous cyclists such as Tom Boonen, Fabian Cancellara, Lars Boom, Jan Ullrich, and Christophe Moreau.

More info and pictures can be found at http://casagrinta.wordpress.com (Dutch only).

(Kardinaal Cardijnstraat 46, Terhagen, T 03 888 33 11)

Cycling beers.

Cycling and beer drinking: a difficult combination? Maybe, but somehow they go together very well in Flanders. Sportive cyclists often finish their cycling tour with a (couple of) beer(s) – if they haven’t already stopped for this mid-tour as well – preferably on a sunny terrace. The Flemish love stories about cyclists in the good old days and mixing a raw egg in their Rodenbach (a traditional sour red ale) as an ideal breakfast before a race. The names of several Flemish beers are related to cycling or a famous cycling slope. When you’re in a pub ask for one of these beers: KWAREMONT BLOND Top-fermented blond beer, brewed in reference to the ‘Oude Kwaremont’, brewed by Bavik in West-Vlaanderen (Bavikhove). Soft, sweetish and spicy.

GIESBAARGS MUURKEN Giesbaargs Muurken is a top-fermented ale, named in reference to the ‘Muur van Geraardsbergen,’ at De Proefbrouwerij in Lochristi.

RODENBACH (ROESELARE) The city of the WieMu is also home to a brewery known to beer lovers all over the world. Rodenbach is the classic example of an ‘old Flemish red ale,’ an internationally unique beer style.

Lactic acid and bacteria play a vital role in the brewing process. The brewery’s malt kiln and 294 oak vats in which the beer matures are impressive sights.

ORVÉLO The name “Orvelo” refers to “Le Vélo d’Or.” Cycling is a sport the brewers love as much as they love beer.

MALTENI Malteni is an organic and gluten free amber ale, brewed at the Brunehaut brewery. The name comes from the legendary Italian cycling team, Molteni (Molt becomes Malt: an ingredient in beer), with which Eddy Merckx raced. Their iconic orange jersey was the inspiration for the bottle’s label. Or try any other of the 1,100 beers brewed in Belgium.

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Ride one of the signposted routes.

1. TOUR OF FLANDERS ROUTES (BLUE LOOP 78KM, YELLOW LOOP 103KM, RED LOOP 114KM).

The brand new ‘Tour of Flanders Route’ consists of three cycling paths on the renovated cycling network of the Flemish Ardennes – including hills and cobblestoned sections from the Tour of Flanders.

These routes include a timing system. Using a timing chip, you can record a personal time on de Paddestraat, de Kruisberg, de Koppenberg and de Muur van Geraardsbergen – you can even compare your time to Fabian Cancellara. www.liveyourowntourofflanders.com

08

Ride on a track.

Everyone is welcome on the hardwood, 250-metre long cycling track in Ghent. The track is open to amateur cyclists and starters for a couple of hours every weekday.

In addition to the indoor track in Ghent, there are eight outdoor cycling tracks in Flanders –worthy alternatives for riding your cycle during dry, winter days. You can find these tracks in Ostend, Bruges, Roeselare-Rumbeke, Beveren-Waas, Wilrijk, Elewijt, Hulshout and Peer.

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Experience the unique cyclocross atmosphere!

The Flemish cycling fan has a valuable replacement to help him or her get through the chill winter period: cyclocross. Starting in October, thousands of fans, wrapped up tight and wearing a pair of robust rubber boots, will gather every weekend around a course, in fields or forests, on dunes and heathland.

Cyclocross is enormously popular here and it isn’t uncommon for the competitions to spontaneously turn into big parties.

In Flanders you can watch Sven Nys & Co. pretty much every weekend somewhere in one of the five provinces. Guaranteed fun!

Getting to Flanders is easy.

Brussels is at the heart of Europe. London, Paris, Cologne and Amsterdam are all less than two hours away.

TRAVELING BY TRAIN Coming from Paris, Amsterdam or Cologne? www.thalys.com Coming from London? www.eurostar.com Traveling within Flanders? www.belgianrail.be.

The Belgian Rail system offers specials and passes.

TRAVELING BY PLANE Brussels Zaventem Airport: the main international airport, 20 minutes from Brussels city center.

Brussels-South Airport Charleroi: 45 minutes from Brussels city center.

You don’t speak Flemish/Dutch? This is not a problem. As Flanders is located at the heart of Europe, nestled amongst the Netherlands, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and so forth, most people are willing to help out in English, French, German or even Spanish.

AMSTERDAM Brussels > Amsterdam = 0,5h

LONDON Brussels > London = 0,6h

Flanders BRUSSELS

BERLIN Brussels > Berlin = 1h

Belgium

PARIS Brussels > Paris = 0,5h

Europe

MORE INSPIRATION NEEDED? Visit http://www.cycling-in-flanders.com/ COLOPHON Visit Flanders Publisher: Peter De Wilde Visit Flanders Grasmarkt 61 1000 Brussels Belgium Depotnumber: D/2014/5635/25/4.

PICTURES p04 - Ronde van Vlaanderen - ©Photopress p07 - CRRV - ©Stefaan Beel p05 - Retro Ronde 2013 - ©Marc Demoor - retroronde.be