The Ultimate Road Trip?
alanp23
Posts: 696
I am sure it isnt, but I am feeling extremely pleased with myself so I thought I would share.
I am riding the Maratona on Sunday 1st July. I am going on my own and when I got my place, I spent ages researching the various travel options. It took a while and I hadn't chosen anything by the time the actual route for the 2012 Tour de France was announced.
I realised that it was first of all, a week earlier than I had expected (I always assume that it starts on the first Saturday in July), and secondly, it would be in Belgium/Northern France for the first few days. That swung my decision, there was an opportunity to take in a day at the Tour.
This is something I have always fancied, but never had the opportunity to do. So I decided to make it a road trip. Fiscally, probably not as sensible as other options, but it seemed like a once in a lifetime opportunity.
So I decided to travel up Monday and to stay close to Orchies, cycle over on the Tuesday morning, take in all the atmosphere, hang out with everyone else in lycra with my bike, etc etc. I'll watch the Tour leave, get back on my bike, cycle back to the car and then head back to UK.
So I booked a hotel in St Amand les Eaux, just down the road. Perfect. All booked and sorted and I have been looking forward to it all year.
But there's more.... I was looking at the route of Paris Roubaix last night and I discovered that it runs right through Orchies and that it passes just to the south of St Amand les Eaux. Fantastic. So now I have a route for my ride over on the Tuesday morning. It looks like there are three sets of cobbles.
That is now three special things to look forward to, on the trip. It doesnt get much better, does it?
I am riding the Maratona on Sunday 1st July. I am going on my own and when I got my place, I spent ages researching the various travel options. It took a while and I hadn't chosen anything by the time the actual route for the 2012 Tour de France was announced.
I realised that it was first of all, a week earlier than I had expected (I always assume that it starts on the first Saturday in July), and secondly, it would be in Belgium/Northern France for the first few days. That swung my decision, there was an opportunity to take in a day at the Tour.
This is something I have always fancied, but never had the opportunity to do. So I decided to make it a road trip. Fiscally, probably not as sensible as other options, but it seemed like a once in a lifetime opportunity.
So I decided to travel up Monday and to stay close to Orchies, cycle over on the Tuesday morning, take in all the atmosphere, hang out with everyone else in lycra with my bike, etc etc. I'll watch the Tour leave, get back on my bike, cycle back to the car and then head back to UK.
So I booked a hotel in St Amand les Eaux, just down the road. Perfect. All booked and sorted and I have been looking forward to it all year.
But there's more.... I was looking at the route of Paris Roubaix last night and I discovered that it runs right through Orchies and that it passes just to the south of St Amand les Eaux. Fantastic. So now I have a route for my ride over on the Tuesday morning. It looks like there are three sets of cobbles.
That is now three special things to look forward to, on the trip. It doesnt get much better, does it?
Top Ten finisher - PTP Tour of Britain 2016
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Comments
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Sounds pretty darn cool - just make sure you take a few spare tubes and maybe a spare tyre so that you actually reach the TdF stage.
Battering over an iconic stretch of road that you've witnessed the pros take on is a great thing to be able to do - I'm wanting to ride at least some of the Flanders route, after spectating a few years ago, in particular the Oude Kwaremont since I walked up (with great difficulty - bloody steep) then watched from there. In fact I had a a Oude Kwaremont beer in the Oude Kwaremont bar on the Oude Kwaremont hill.
Riding some of the P-R cobbled sectors in ha'f decent weather sounds ace.0
