A Ride Through History: Cycling Flanders' Cobbled Classics

Little did I know that, when fellow Newbury Road Club member Mark Nelson messaged me in January to ask if I fancied a few days cycling in Flanders at the end of March, I would discover the most iconic and amazing cycling culture, literally on our doorstep.

Just 2 hours drive from Calais, we headed south of Oudenaard, the spiritual home of Belgium cycling, to our base in Ronse for the next 4 days.

Cycling in Flanders, offers a blend of challenges and scenic beauty. The region is renowned for its cycling heritage, featuring iconic cobbled climbs and routes that host legendary races. Well maintained paths wind through picturesque landscapes, including beautiful villages, fields, and historical sites.

Day 1 The Kruisberg and the Kwaremont

On Day 1 we headed south talking in a couple of the iconic cobbled climbs, the Kruisberg and the Kwaremont, before going into France and picking up cobble sections of pavé from the Paris-Roubaix classic. The route then looped back to the Roubaix velodrome, which is open to the public for free, for a couple of laps. Out of the velodrome and a flat 20 miles back to Ronse. What a great first day.

Day 2 The Tour of Flanders

Day 2 took in the famous climbs of the Ronde Van Vlaanderen, or tour of Flanders. This whole region is stacked with make or break historical climbs from Belgium cobble classics. Climbs such as the Kwaremont, Paterberg, Koppenberg and Taaienberg. While these are generally short climbs, some of them have sections over 20%, and combine that with uneven cobbles they are a real leg tester.

Such is the popularity of cycling in this region, each climb has the information painted on the road telling you the length of the climb, the average gradient and the maximum gradient. Then there is a start line for the Strava segment and finish line at the top if that is something you want to try.

Day 3 Windmills and Cobbles

Day 3 we moved north of Oudenaard to take in the windmills and cobbles of that region. Again amazing roads, quiet lanes, open countryside and great views.

Day 4 The 'infamous' Kemmelberg

On our last day we headed to Heuvelland, home of the infamous Kemmelberg. This ride was one of the highlights of the trip. The route loops north to Ypres and you ride through the Menin Gate, a memorial to the missing dead from WW1. There are over 54,000 names engraved inside and that is only 1 of 4 memorials to the missing. From there the route goes back south via historical battlefields and war cemeteries. This makes for a very sombre and thought provoking experience.

The cycle routes are sublime as the roads are smooth and very quiet from traffic, winding you through open countryside and fields with a few hills thrown in for good measure.

The final kicker was back at Heuvelland and the climb of the Kemmelberg, about 0.5km in length with an average gradient of 12% and a maximum of 16%. Job done!!... Not quite, the route swings back round for another climb up the Kemmelberg from the other side. 0.7km, 10% average with 23% max!!

Ok, now route done…so why do our Garmins say there are still 3km to go? If your legs hadn’t had enough, there is one final drag up the Monteberg, it’s not massively steep, but it is 1.4km and after the Kemmelberg, it is definitely a final challenge.

Even if you are not into the history of Belgian cycle racing and don’t fancy the hills in this region, other parts of Belgium are known for flat, well maintained roads with routes through beautiful villages and countryside that suit cyclists of all levels.

Big thanks to Mark Nelson for organising a great trip.

If you are interested in the stats:

Day 1 – 87 miles/140km – 2864ft climbing

Day 2 – 50 miles/80km – 2654ft

Day 3 – 47 miles/75km – 2178ft

Day 4 – 52 miles/84km – 2900ft