Riding Tour of Flanders....

Iamnot Wiggins
Iamnot Wiggins Posts: 685
edited January 2013 in Training, fitness and health
....well, 140km of it. With about 1,000,000 other people.

Has anybody participated in this before? If you have, what kind of training did you embark upon? I'm expecting short, sharp & steep as opposed to long & drawn out climbs.

Any advice?

Comments

  • Lantern-Vert
    Lantern-Vert Posts: 9
    Did it last year and it was fantastic, you'll have a ball. Although did think while I was going around that in the rain, descending on the cobbles, would not be much fun!

    Great atmosphere all along the route. Amazing organisation. Only not going this year as new arrival a month before will be taking up all my time :)

    Training wise, maybe try and do a long-ish ride (95km +/-) a few times in the weeks beforehand and if you can find a steepish climb to do reps on, then a few sessions there wouldn't hurt. That said I don't recall doing much specific training beforehand and it's not timed, apart from any goals you're setting yourself.

    Oh yes, tyres. 24-25 wide would be ideal and after I finished last year I wanted to marry my vittoria open pave (the ones with the green strip) as they got me around without a bother. Plenty of bike-bling on display, but a good solid pair of winter wheels are what's needed.

    Have a great time. And don't foget to stay on the Sunday and watch the pro's.
  • ruarigrant
    ruarigrant Posts: 15
    such a suffer fest!
    Fairly regular racer currently located in Sicily. http://www.andbethere.com - I like to write about cycling :)
  • Iamnot Wiggins
    Iamnot Wiggins Posts: 685
    Lantern-Vert wrote:
    Did it last year and it was fantastic, you'll have a ball. Although did think while I was going around that in the rain, descending on the cobbles, would not be much fun!

    Great atmosphere all along the route. Amazing organisation. Only not going this year as new arrival a month before will be taking up all my time :)

    Training wise, maybe try and do a long-ish ride (95km +/-) a few times in the weeks beforehand and if you can find a steepish climb to do reps on, then a few sessions there wouldn't hurt. That said I don't recall doing much specific training beforehand and it's not timed, apart from any goals you're setting yourself.

    Oh yes, tyres. 24-25 wide would be ideal and after I finished last year I wanted to marry my vittoria open pave (the ones with the green strip) as they got me around without a bother. Plenty of bike-bling on display, but a good solid pair of winter wheels are what's needed.

    Have a great time. And don't foget to stay on the Sunday and watch the pro's.

    Excellent advice, thank you! I did wonder about the wheels so I may source a pair for the weekend as I currently run Ksyriums all year.

    We are staying on the Sunday to watch the pro's too so I'm really looking forward it.
  • Tom Dean
    Tom Dean Posts: 1,723
    The cobbles are not that rough. Ksyriums will be fine.
  • Lantern-Vert
    Lantern-Vert Posts: 9
    Tom Dean wrote:
    The cobbles are not that rough. Ksyriums will be fine.

    Agreed, should have added, I rode it on a pair of Ksyrium Elites last year and they were fine.
  • danlikesbikes
    danlikesbikes Posts: 3,898
    Did it last year and it was brilliant - worth hanging around the next day to watch in person, as the new course makes it quite easy.
    Pain hurts much less if its topped off with beating your mates to top of a climb.

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