The ease of travel these days means you don't have to confine your riding to just the UK over a bank holiday, especially when it's the last of the year. Having recently reported in issue 5 on the Tour of Flanders and how accessible the Belgium cycling scene is as a whole. A few days ago we found ourselves once more back in the flemish flatlands.
Although we were there primarily on a fact finding mission for an article to be featured in our next issue we spent the night in one of Belgium's oldest cities, Geraardsbergen. Steeped in history the city has an array of cobbled streets and beautiful architecture. For many the sight of the Chapel of Our Lady of the Oudenberg sums up the importance of the area for cycling fans.
The road that leads up to the Chapel carries with it more folklore than the building itself. The Muur or 'the Wall' as it is also known has figured in either the Tour of Flanders or the Eneco Tour since the 1950's. A fearsome climb that fills even the most accomplished of riders with fear, at 110m in length with a maximum gradient of 19% - it is truly a 'wall'.
On a day in late summer it's hard to imagine the savageness and severity of such an ascent. Only when you see others riding it do you fully realise its magnitude. While we were there several mountain bikers spun by in 'ultra granny ringed gears', it wasn't until two road bikes attacked the climb that the true impact was realised. It's like compressing Box Hill into into a tenth of its original length but on cobbles.
Even our hotel room had a faded image of the Chapel adorning its walls with local brew Muurken - a 7.0% blond beast of a beer further confirming the status of the Muur's heritage. With information signs retelling its great races of the past, it's hard not to be moved by its presence.
The cobbled road opposite the church of Saint-Bartholomeuskerk still carried the remnants of Stage 5 of this years Eneco Tour's timed section with the finish line markings opposite the Chapel also visible. The initial reason for our visit had lead us to a chance meeting with Giant-Shimano UCI ProTeam rider Tom Dumoulin, who became the Eneco's fourth leader after this stage, finishing the Tour third overall.
We strongly recommend you make full use of the Euro Tunnel, visit Flanders and find out for yourself why this nation is so steeped in cycling history.
For most cyclists wind and rain are not their favourite riding conditions but being cyclists they get on with it all the same. With the threat of a Pythonesque termed 'ex hurricane' Bertha in the mix with the threat of heavy rain the 2014 edition of RideLondon had it all before the event even began.
As spectators not participants, the weather made it difficult to find motivation to get out and support the event. At times the conditions reminded us of recent images witnessed at the Tour of Poland, at least RideLondon organisers had the sense to shorten this event.
However good your kit and clothing are - you're the one who has to get out and ride the bike. Many of the riders we saw some eight or so hours into the ride looked like hollow souls returning from hell, glad to be back but at what cost. All physical and mental ambition had been drained from them.
From Chelsea Bridge embankment we witnessed the 'survivors' making their way along the last 4/5kms. The Grosvenor public house had been taken over for the day by official Prudential cheerers making high volume motivational chapping, waving and general vocal encouragement (even to amazed Boris Bike tourists who were making the most of the empty roads).
An hour after the final riders crossed the finish line, the pros came through courting the familiar cavalcade of support vehicles, police bikes and helicopters but even these riders were strung out in distant batches. Although now bright and sunny, any close-up view from the main peloton showed how hard the conditions had been. Blackened faces reminiscent of Paris Roubaix's of yesteryear further underlined what an epic RideLondon had been.
We're sure that for many the phrase 'never again' had been uttered countless times throughout the day but like the great races of the pro cycling calendar the extreme conditions had highlighted the determination, courage and spirit of those taking part. This said we see next year's event being termed a 'classic'. Well done to the event organisers for shortening not cancelling this event.
