Tour of Flanders & Paris-Roubaix Week

PROGRAM

Friday: pickup at Brussels airport

Today someone from our organization will pick you up at Brussels airport in the morning and escort you to our vehicle. We will pick you up from Brussels airport and take you to our accommodation in the center of Kortrijk where we will spend the next 10 nights in our 4 star hotel together with some pro teams.
The first job is to assemble your bike and the Go4Cycling staff will be there if you have mechanical problems or need any other help. Then we leave for a short ride to explore the area around where we are staying.
Tonight a welcome dinner will be provided in the hotel dining room. There the tour guides will explain the entire route and present the program for the next ten days. They will also explain how we ride in groups, the pace, and so on. This is a good opportunity to ask any questions, but of course also to get to know the people with whom you will spend your vacation.

Saturday: riding the cyclo version of the Tour of Flanders

Today is a big day, with a huge challenge! Oude Kwaremont, Paterberg, Koppenberg (steep and cobbled), Steenbeekdries, Taaienberg, Leberg, Berendries, Valkenberg, Eikenmolen, the Muur van Geraardsbergen and Bosberg are all part of today’s cycling challenge. Take these all at your own pace: at the top, the group will wait for the others so we can descend at a leisurely pace. Once you’ve been there, you’ll finally understand the Belgian obsession with cycling. The Tour of Flanders is the biggest event on the Flemish cycling calendar. Today is your chance to explore this great event along with about 20,000 other cyclists.
Sunday: watching the Tour of Flanders in VIP style!
Brief history of the Tour of Flanders:
The Ronde is one of the most prestigious of the spring classics, or any cycling race for that matter. It is an endurance race in the truest sense of the word, 259 km with more than a dozen climbs. Most of the climbs are narrow and steep and several are paved. They are all tough in their own way. But the peloton also increases the pace in between, as riders want to be in a good position when the climbs start.
Our program for today:
We ride to the market in the center of Antwerp. Once we have seen the official start, we ride on to watch the race at several places on the course.

Sunday: watching the “Tour of Flanders.”

Brief history of the Tour of Flanders: The Ronde is one of the most prestigious of the spring classics, or any cycling race for that matter. It is an endurance race in the truest sense of the word. 259 km with more than a dozen climbs. Most of the climbs are narrow and steep and several are paved. They are all tough in their own way. But the peloton also increases the pace in between because the riders want to be in a good position when the climbs start.
Our program for today: We go to the market in the center of Antwerp. Once we have seen the official start here, we will ride on to watch the race from multiple locations on the course.

Monday: loop ride Bruges (sightseeing & visit brewery)

In the morning we will take you for a bike ride through the flat landscape of the Flemish polders. Compared to our adventure last Saturday, a quiet and easy ride, unless the wind is our opponent today. In the afternoon, everyone is free to explore Bruges. Bruges, the Venice of the North and the capital of West Flanders, is one of the most famous Belgian cities and in 2002 was declared a “World Heritage City” by UNESCO. That same year, the people of Bruges praised its heritage, culture, history and art-historical patrimony and celebrated the title of “European Capital of Culture.” Bruges is a rich city in every sense of the word. Because of its long history, there is much to tell about Bruges and its famous inhabitants such as Jan Breydel, Pieter De Coninck, Jan van Eyck, Simon Stevin, It is therefore not surprising that this city has a very high tourist content. Tourists discover breathtaking monuments, informative and interesting museums, city tours in horse-drawn carriages, boat trips on the famous Bruges canals and a web of streets to wander through. After this interesting bike tour, you can explore the city. You can’t visit Blegium without visiting a local brewery. We get a tour of the brewery “Brugse Zot” and get to taste the different beers afterwards!

Tuesday: ride to the museum of the Tour of Flanders

This morning we take a ride to the museum of the Tour of Flanders in Oudenaarde. The Center of the Tour of Flanders is located in the historic heart of Oudenaarde and is an interactive museum. A visit consists of ten different themes. At your convenience, a museum guide is available. He brings all the cycling legends back to life. You might even get the chance to meet one of them!
The interactive museum revolves around the spirit and heroes of the Tour. The museum has a multimedia approach with beautiful audiovisuals, projections and computer simulations. Every visitor gets the chance to experience the Tour for themselves. You feel the tension, the suffering and the happiness. You cycle next to Schotte, Merckx or Museeuw and feel the cobblestones and hills.

Wednesday: visiting Antwerp and watching “Scheldeprijs Antwerpen” in VIP style

A motley bunch of top sprinters presented themselves on Schoten’s Churchilllaan for a breathtaking sprint. The 21-year-old Britt Mark Cavendish won very surprisingly from Robbie McEwen. A new top sprinter was born! The Scheldeprijs began a new century on April 16, 2008, with effervescent ambition and in very good shape. British sprinter Mark Cavendish once again proved to be the fastest, this time by beating Belgian vedette Tom Boonen. We witness the start at the Grote Markt in Antwerp, the diamond center of the world. While the riders make a big loop around Antwerp, we get some time to explore another historic city center. After this visit to Antwerp, we will head to Schoten to watch the finish of the race.

Thursday: bike ride along the Flemish polders and witness the final post at the Menin Gate.

Today we explore the polders. Old creek bridges take you to historic settlements. We ride back through the Meetkerke Moere. Along the way you will encounter some medieval waterways like Ieperlee, Ede Noord and Zydelinge.
The area is a typical open landscape that has remained very intact. It is therefore the most authentic landscape in West Flanders. In the late afternoon we are expected in Ypres. This historic city was completely destroyed during World War I, but like a phoenix it rose from its ashes and became again the beautiful city of today, with a high cultural and gastronomic potential. Every day at 8 p.m. on Menengate, the Last Post is played in honor of the fallen heroes who died for their country during the First World War. Once witnessed this ceremony, you will not forget.

Friday: drive to Ghent

A relaxing drive takes us from our hotel to Ghent. The history of Ghent begins in the year 630 when St. – Amandus chose the site of the confluence (or Ganda) of the two rivers, the Lys and the Scheldt, to build an abbey there. Almost 1400 years of history can still be felt in the city today: a medieval castle surrounded by a moat, an imposing cathedral, a belfry, three beguinages, … Nowhere else will you find so much history per square meter as in the historic heart of Ghent! Ghent has big chain stores next to authentic boutiques, trendy stores next to traditional ones. We invite you to our historical and gastronomic feast. As we make our way through the streets of Ghent we will learn about the history of this great city, where was the palace of the Count of Flanders, how did the Gentenaars live under the reign of Charles V, where did the girls of the street live… As we explore the inner city we will visit some inns and enjoy our various courses.

Saturday: riding the “Hell of the North” – Paris-Roubaix Challenge

Another big day! Today you will be yourself in the famous Arenberg forest during our own version of “Paris-Roubaix”. For us, this is without a doubt an extraordinary classic. After riding on several cobbled sections, you will beg to stop! You will feel muscles you didn’t even realize existed! You are always free to skip a cobbled section and do it in a slightly more convenient way, in the accompanying van! The last stretches are well paved and will take you to the Vélodrome of Roubaix. This moment will kick up the adrenaline in your body and give you unforgettable memories. There are 3 distances available: 70 – 140 – 170km. This evening, no city excursion, your bed will feel doubly comfortable. You will need a good night’s sleep.

Sunday: Watching Paris-Roubaix in VIP style

Brief history of Paris-Roubaix
Paris-Roubaix is a one-day pro race in northern France that begins in Compiègne and ends in Roubaix, near the Belgian border. Famous for its rough terrain and cobbled roads, it is considered one of the classics of European professional cycling and is nicknamed The Hell of the North.
Our program for today:
We head to the starting area in Compiegne where each rider must sign in one at a time. Once the race is on, we go too! We will see the race several times, but will rush to the first cobbled lanes to catch our first glimpse of the peloton. From there, and with the help of your expert guide team, we will race against the pros (by car!) to see them along the course.
After the race we will return to Belgium (Roubaix is almost on the border with Belgium) for our last night’s stay and joint dinner.

Monday: a farewell to Go4Cycling.

The trip ends and we go our separate ways. Maybe see you on another trip. We will have a bus available to take people to the airport during the day.