Its the magical Omploop het Nieuwsblad / Kuurne-Brussells-Kuurne weekend.
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| Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne 2010 |
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| Omloop Het Nieuwsblad |
Sweet baby jebus i really love springtime in Belgium.
Wednesday, 22 February 2012
Time to roll out the hard men
Yes yes yes its that time of the year when i start getting giddy. You know what this weekend is?
Its the magical Omploop het Nieuwsblad / Kuurne-Brussells-Kuurne weekend.
This weekend is what i think really says the spring is here. Its will no doubt be blowing a gale, raining sideways and snowing like hell. Only 20 riders will finish and they will have frost bite and numb nether regions. And, to make it just a little harder, they're ride over the cobbles surrounding Oudenaard for the first of many weekends. Cobbles which are horribly hard in the dry but are just trecherous in cold and wet conditions. It really is a weekend to show early form or just to be a double hard bastard. Some scary 85kg flandrian may very well win.There'll be no skinny 60kg winners here. This is my kinda riding. Me and Big-Kev would kick ass at this.
Sweet baby jebus i really love springtime in Belgium.
Its the magical Omploop het Nieuwsblad / Kuurne-Brussells-Kuurne weekend.
Sweet baby jebus i really love springtime in Belgium.
Tuesday, 21 February 2012
Monday, 20 February 2012
Heroes of the cobbles
The first ever winner of Ronde van Vlaanderen in 1913 over a distance of 330km which incidentally culminated with four laps of a small wooden circuit around a pond in Ghent.
His cycling career is not terribly remarkable. A winner at Bordeaux-Paris over the insane distance of 592km. His story becomes more poignant with the outbreak of the first world war.
He Joined the Belgian Espionage Service smuggling documenst into Holland. His life and cycling career was almost cut dramatically short when he was captured by the Germans and was due to be shot. Thakfully, the Armistice intervened and was released.
Following the war, he started racing again and won Paris-Roubaix and Paris-Tours
Sunday, 19 February 2012
Heroes of the cobbles
Eric Leman 1946 - date
Continuing my discovery of hard men of Flanders. I found this chap. I thought i knew cycling but then, i'd never heard of this chap. Another scary Belgian rider.
So let me tell you about this chap. There are no stories of this chap drinking his weight in beer and winning races. Or riding with a broken leg on a bike made of cheese. But this guy for a period in the 60s and 70s pretty much won everything. including winning de Ronde van Vlaanderen an impressive three times in 1970,1972,1973.
He also won such scary hard races as Kuurne-Brussells-Kuurne, Omloop Vlaamse, Four days Dunkerque, Four days Flanders, many stages of Paris-Nice, Vuelta and five stages at the Tour de France.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you, Eric Leman. Another hard riding Belgian that rode like his life depended on it.
Continuing my discovery of hard men of Flanders. I found this chap. I thought i knew cycling but then, i'd never heard of this chap. Another scary Belgian rider.
So let me tell you about this chap. There are no stories of this chap drinking his weight in beer and winning races. Or riding with a broken leg on a bike made of cheese. But this guy for a period in the 60s and 70s pretty much won everything. including winning de Ronde van Vlaanderen an impressive three times in 1970,1972,1973.
He also won such scary hard races as Kuurne-Brussells-Kuurne, Omloop Vlaamse, Four days Dunkerque, Four days Flanders, many stages of Paris-Nice, Vuelta and five stages at the Tour de France.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you, Eric Leman. Another hard riding Belgian that rode like his life depended on it.
Sunday, 12 February 2012
Heros of the cobbles
Alberic Schotte. 1919 - 2004
Never heard of him? hardly surprising. A little known Belgian cyclist of the 1940s.
So whats so special about him? How about, he was twice Road race world champion in 1948 and 1950. Twice winner of the Ronde van Vlaanderen in 1942 and 1948. And competed in 20 Tours of Flanders between 1940 and 1959. He was nearly 40!
He was a fiersome athelete and earned the nickname in the peloton of Iron Briek. A phenomonal competitor and has a statue in Waregem in Flanders. A revered cyclist of a bygone era.
Never heard of him? hardly surprising. A little known Belgian cyclist of the 1940s.
So whats so special about him? How about, he was twice Road race world champion in 1948 and 1950. Twice winner of the Ronde van Vlaanderen in 1942 and 1948. And competed in 20 Tours of Flanders between 1940 and 1959. He was nearly 40!
He was a fiersome athelete and earned the nickname in the peloton of Iron Briek. A phenomonal competitor and has a statue in Waregem in Flanders. A revered cyclist of a bygone era.
Following his retirement he became a coach of his beloved sport. He died in 2004 on the very day of the Ronde van Valaanderen. I'm sure he smiled on his way to heaven.
Wednesday, 11 January 2012
de Ronde 2012
Can you believe it? Its come around so quick again. 31st March will see me once again riding the de Ronde (Tour of Flanders). Heading out again with my super hard friend Big-Kev but also with my best friend Melanie.
This year de Ronde changes from the usual course in that they have dropped the mesmorizing Muur and the downright awkward Bosberg in favour of a number of laps over some of the other classic climbs such as the Koppenberg.I'm sure the pro race will be as exciting and gripping as always. How can it not be?
But what of us, the lowly amateurs? Well our sportive will this year be 134km and just as hard as in previous years. Leaving Oudenaard, we will barely be rolling when we hit the Molenberg after 8km.WHAT THE F***? That cobbled monster after 5miles? Mental. Tacx better be supplying turbos to warm up on in the start area.
What I am particularly looking forward to this year (apart from beers with my friends) is the new climbs. Climbs I've not heard of before. They all look challenging worthy of respect you'd give the classics.
Training wise, well i've had a mare of a couple of months. but as of next week I will have a 30 mile a day commute. this will help and once my life settles a bit, I'll be out with big kev hitting the hills as hard as a i can.
As always, I want to be fit enough to enjoy it and not suffer too much. But, being on Kev's wheel will stretch me further than i can ever imagine. and he will just drag me round faster than I dare think. Time to implement Rule#5
This year de Ronde changes from the usual course in that they have dropped the mesmorizing Muur and the downright awkward Bosberg in favour of a number of laps over some of the other classic climbs such as the Koppenberg.I'm sure the pro race will be as exciting and gripping as always. How can it not be?
But what of us, the lowly amateurs? Well our sportive will this year be 134km and just as hard as in previous years. Leaving Oudenaard, we will barely be rolling when we hit the Molenberg after 8km.WHAT THE F***? That cobbled monster after 5miles? Mental. Tacx better be supplying turbos to warm up on in the start area.
What I am particularly looking forward to this year (apart from beers with my friends) is the new climbs. Climbs I've not heard of before. They all look challenging worthy of respect you'd give the classics.
Training wise, well i've had a mare of a couple of months. but as of next week I will have a 30 mile a day commute. this will help and once my life settles a bit, I'll be out with big kev hitting the hills as hard as a i can.
As always, I want to be fit enough to enjoy it and not suffer too much. But, being on Kev's wheel will stretch me further than i can ever imagine. and he will just drag me round faster than I dare think. Time to implement Rule#5
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| Berendries |
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| Berg Ten Houte |
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| Foreest |
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| kapelleberg |
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| Knokteberg |
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| Varent |
Monday, 5 September 2011
Thank you Charly
It was with a heavy heart today that I read the cycling news. A man who I strongly believe was the greatest cyclist never to win a race. Charles 'Charly' Wegelius will retire from Professional Cycling this week after his last race in Italy.
Many people involved with cycling have already offered their thanks and support towards Charly. Many of those are people who grew up with him, raced against him o rknew him through cycling. And many of them a great deal more important than me.
I would like to offer my own thanks toward Charly for his unbelievable generosity. The countless items of cycling kit and memorabillia he has supplied me with over the last few years never fails to move me. The shoes, the jerseys, the kit. All supplied without question and signed and thus auctioned for my daughter's charity ( the Children's Liver Disease Foundation). An absolute gent with a heart of gold.
In my eyes, Charly has over the years been one the best cyclists in the world. Giving 100% all the time and always working hard for others, for the greater good of the team. But he is more than just a big engine. I firmly believe that the peloton will be a slightly duller place without Charly.
Good luck CW. You're always a champion in my eyes.
Many people involved with cycling have already offered their thanks and support towards Charly. Many of those are people who grew up with him, raced against him o rknew him through cycling. And many of them a great deal more important than me.
I would like to offer my own thanks toward Charly for his unbelievable generosity. The countless items of cycling kit and memorabillia he has supplied me with over the last few years never fails to move me. The shoes, the jerseys, the kit. All supplied without question and signed and thus auctioned for my daughter's charity ( the Children's Liver Disease Foundation). An absolute gent with a heart of gold.
In my eyes, Charly has over the years been one the best cyclists in the world. Giving 100% all the time and always working hard for others, for the greater good of the team. But he is more than just a big engine. I firmly believe that the peloton will be a slightly duller place without Charly.
Good luck CW. You're always a champion in my eyes.
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