Paris-Roubaix

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  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    The Kluisberg is back this year and there's a big pub / hotel near the tops that's pretty popular - or you can try and squeeze onto the Oude Kwaremont - no pubs, but you usually find entrepreneurial locals with beer for sale and telly on the back of a truck and a lot more atmosphere. Biggest crowds are always on the Muur - there is a bar at the top, but tables inside are usually all booked-out but there are a few benches in a tent to the side - watch the race come over the Muur and then drop down into the town and watch the finish on the big screen. It always appears that half of Flanders is trying to watch the race from multiple points so unless you are confident in your navigation and ability to squeeze into non-existent parking spaces - suggest that you limit yourself to a couple of points on the course to start with.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • FransJacques
    FransJacques Posts: 2,148
    Will try to rmember where I watched it and post.

    Of course I'm talking about the Tour of Flanders...in 2000...won by Tchmil, who was Belgian enuf for the Belgians..NOT the Paris Roubax which this thread is about.

    Sorry, what an idiot some times.

    Baxters late nite coach trip WAS P-R and it was the year which O'Grady, Backsted, Vogels all rode it for their first times. Incredible that 2 of them actually won it. Poor Vogels didn't have the legs, came back from almost killing himself, then the comeback didn't really pan out.

    It wasn't a really wet year but when the hit the velodrome the funniest thing I remember is that all the bikes sounded like rusty old jalopies left out in the rain they were all squeaking so badly. That noise is indelably printed in my memory. Think it was 1997. forget who won.
    When a cyclist has a disagreement with a car; it's not who's right, it's who's left.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Hincapie thinks he will win Roubaix. His palmares in F & R is really impressive and consistent.
    VN: Is this the year that you are going to win Paris-Roubaix?

    GH: Yes.

    Random cobblestone riding tips
    VN: At Paris-Roubaix, what tire pressure do you use?

    GH: I'll probably run between five and a half and six and a half bars depending upon conditions.

    VN: What tips do you have for riding the cobblestones?

    GH: Stay loose, and don't grab the bars too tight. You need to be focused on the line in front of you and know what's around you- who is on the side of you, who is in front of you.

    VN: Are there any other modifications to your bike for Roubaix?

    GH: We use fatter tires, and some guys use padding on the handlebars. Everyone is different. I tend to run it pretty stock where that is concerned.



    Hincapie's top ten finishes in Paris-Roubaix:
    4th 1999
    6th 2000
    4th 2001
    6th 2002
    8th 2004
    2nd 2005
    9th 2008

    Hincapie's top ten finishes in the Tour of Flanders:
    4th 2002
    10th 2004
    7th 2005
    3rd 2006
    5th 2008

    http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/3070/ ... -bust.aspx
    Contador is the Greatest
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    FransJacques wrote:
    Think it was 1997. forget who won.

    Was that Frederic Guesdon? Won from a bunch srpint.

    Can't see Hincapie winning it, would love to see Boonen win the RVV and Cancellara win PR. And I will be going to see PR, when I can make my mind up on which hotel to book :D
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    Is it me or has Hincapie been telling everybody "this year is my year" since about 1998?
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • DaveyL
    DaveyL Posts: 5,167
    Yes, that interview could have been from any time in the past 10 years. Would like to see him win it though, he's had his fair share of bad luck, but I think his time has passed.
    Le Blaireau (1)
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,549
    Monty Dog wrote:
    The Kluisberg is back this year and there's a big pub / hotel near the tops that's pretty popular - or you can try and squeeze onto the Oude Kwaremont - no pubs, but you usually find entrepreneurial locals with beer for sale and telly on the back of a truck and a lot more atmosphere.

    There's a cafe on the Kwaremont, in the square where the road levels off before the long false flat. They normally have a big screen showing the race in the square too.

    Hincapie will never win Roubaix. He's a follower, not someone who's prepared to take the race by the scruff of the neck, which is what's needed to win.
  • nick hanson
    nick hanson Posts: 1,655
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    FransJacques wrote:
    Think it was 1997. forget who won.

    Was that Frederic Guesdon? Won from a bunch srpint.

    Can't see Hincapie winning it, would love to see Boonen win the RVV and Cancellara win PR. And I will be going to see PR, when I can make my mind up on which hotel to book :D
    After the Tour of Flanders (with family) I'm going to Paris Roubaix,with my Bro',as it was an awesome experience last year,& saw the riders 6 times including the start,the Arenberg & the Carrefour.
    Looks like the teams have booked out the Ibis,as they only had 1 room left the other day,& it was 185 euros :shock: :shock:
    Needless to say,I've booked us in at the Premier Classe for about 40 Quid,& will spend lavishly on food & drink instead :wink:
    so many cols,so little time!
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    nick hanson wrote:
    Looks like the teams have booked out the Ibis,as they only had 1 room left the other day,& it was 185 euros :shock: :shock:
    Needless to say,I've booked us in at the Premier Classe for about 40 Quid,& will spend lavishly on food & drink instead :wink:

    I'm guessing your going to go to the start so staying Compiegne? If you can book early enough the Campanile there can be worth staying in as some of the teams use that as well.

    I'm looking to stay somewhere round Valenciennes as I'll go on the Thursday, do some riding on the Friday/Saturday (weather permitting) and I won't be going to the start. Done that plenty of times on Graham Baxter coach trips. I'll just head for the first sector at Troisville.

    And not sure about staying in a Premier Classe, they have the smallest showers in the world!
  • nick hanson
    nick hanson Posts: 1,655
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    nick hanson wrote:
    Looks like the teams have booked out the Ibis,as they only had 1 room left the other day,& it was 185 euros :shock: :shock:
    Needless to say,I've booked us in at the Premier Classe for about 40 Quid,& will spend lavishly on food & drink instead :wink:

    I'm guessing your going to go to the start so staying Compiegne? If you can book early enough the Campanile there can be worth staying in as some of the teams use that as well.

    I'm looking to stay somewhere round Valenciennes as I'll go on the Thursday, do some riding on the Friday/Saturday (weather permitting) and I won't be going to the start. Done that plenty of times on Graham Baxter coach trips. I'll just head for the first sector at Troisville.

    And not sure about staying in a Premier Classe, they have the smallest showers in the world!
    Correct about Compiegne,forgot to put that in!
    Not too worried about the size of the showers (have stayed at premiere classe before)as am not sleeping in them :wink:
    I saw them on the sector near St-Vaast-en-Cambresis which was good,but if you can get towards the finish,then I recommend Cysoing,as when you see them through (if you stand where the sharp right bend,that is)you can go straight down the adjoining tarmac track to reach the next sector (which you can see from the corner) on foot.
    If you've got your bike with you,then after seeing these sectors,you can just make it to the Carrefour d'arbre,on the muck tracks,but I'd advise you to recci it out before (Mind you,you can hear the crowds!)
    so many cols,so little time!
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    nick hanson wrote:
    Correct about Compiegne,forgot to put that in!
    Not too worried about the size of the showers (have stayed at premiere classe before)as am not sleeping in them :wink:
    I saw them on the sector near St-Vaast-en-Cambresis which was good,but if you can get towards the finish,then I recommend Cysoing,as when you see them through (if you stand where the sharp right bend,that is)you can go straight down the adjoining tarmac track to reach the next sector (which you can see from the corner) on foot.
    If you've got your bike with you,then after seeing these sectors,you can just make it to the Carrefour d'arbre,on the muck tracks,but I'd advise you to recci it out before (Mind you,you can hear the crowds!)

    I'll have to check out where you mean, get the maps out where I get home. I know where you mean about cutting through from Cysoing to the Carrefour. But my plan at the moment was going to be to head to Troisville, Arenberg and the Carrefour. I know it's possible to do more, but I'll be on my own, got to read the maps and drive, so don't want to be too ambitious, so I figure quality rather than quantity.

    Went last year and saw sectors at Troisville, Le Baut (which was quite a good one, there's a steep downhill leading onto the pave), Brillion and Gruson. Quite like the idea of going to see the less popular sectors, but maybe not this year.

    And nothing wrong with a Prem. Classe, at least your not staying in a Formula 1 :D
  • nick hanson
    nick hanson Posts: 1,655
    Greasedscotsman
    we are doing pretty much the same as you,but for Carrefour,read cysoing.
    Will recci it with my bro' the afternoon before,as when i did it last year,an English guy gave me & my son a lift across to the Carrefour,from the Cysoing/gruson(sic?) area down the back lanes in his old 4x4.
    Seemed do'able on bike,as am wanting some photo opportunities :D
    I picked a good position on the Cysoing sector,& the press photographers got off the motorbikes & stood next to me,but I wasn't used to the new camera & cocked up that corner
    I got some other good ones,but haven't a clue how to post (computer illiterate :? )
    so many cols,so little time!
  • zoom gordo
    zoom gordo Posts: 78
    Went there last year. It went like this:

    http://zoom-gordo.blogspot.com/2010/02/ ... redux.html

    Advice I would give: make sure you get a copy of L'Equipe either the day before or the day, which will have a detailed route map. There will also be a map in the local paper. DO NOT RELY ON A MICHELIN MAP OF NORTH FRANCE ALONE. This will have you giving up the search for Arenbourg in exasperation and watching on a far inferior patch of pave that you will subsequently discover is within easy walking distance of your origional goal.

    That said, it can be easily done in a day from south east of england and is highly recommended.
    Gordo's World of Zoom http://zoom-gordo.blogspot.com/
    Those that can, do. Those that can't write about it.
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    zoom gordo wrote:
    Went there last year. It went like this:

    http://zoom-gordo.blogspot.com/2010/02/ ... redux.html

    Advice I would give: make sure you get a copy of L'Equipe either the day before or the day, which will have a detailed route map. There will also be a map in the local paper. DO NOT RELY ON A MICHELIN MAP OF NORTH FRANCE ALONE. This will have you giving up the search for Arenbourg in exasperation and watching on a far inferior patch of pave that you will subsequently discover is within easy walking distance of your origional goal.

    That said, it can be easily done in a day from south east of england and is highly recommended.

    Like the video, brings it all back!

    You are right about the maps, try an IGN map instead...

    http://www.themapcentre.com/acatalog/NE ... p_100.html
  • simon johnson
    simon johnson Posts: 1,064
    I've just bought 'Paris Roubaix - A Journey Through Hell'...recommended, although I've not read it word for word yet, which, despite it's format, there's quite a lot of. Great photography capturing the pain and the suffering wonderfully:

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Paris-Roubaix-J ... 188&sr=8-1

    Please buy it through your local bookshop/bikeshop though if you can

    :)
    Where\'s me jumper?
  • Grimone
    Grimone Posts: 95
    Pozzato
    Don't rake up my mistakes, i know exactly what they are.
  • Le Commentateur
    Le Commentateur Posts: 4,099
    This spectating lark is a race within a race. :)
    Un uomo solo al commando
  • Le Commentateur
    Le Commentateur Posts: 4,099
    Nice vintage clip: http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=7150

    (Fast forward to about 10:35)


    Another: 217 riders started this race, but only 50 enter the Roubaix velodrome. Italy's Serce Coppi is first, after 6 hours and 12 minutes.

    http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=58781
    Un uomo solo al commando
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    Le Commentateur wrote:
    This spectating lark is a race within a race. :)

    Your not kidding. If you talk to come of the Belgians they will tell you they see the race about 10 times! Maybe we need a Bike Radar comp to see who out of the people going can see it the most?
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    Le Commentateur wrote:
    Another: 217 riders started this race, but only 50 enter the Roubaix velodrome. Italy's Serce Coppi is first, after 6 hours and 12 minutes.

    http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=58781

    That's amazing, reporting in those day.. the report completely ignores the interesting aspect of that race that Coppi 'won'. Coppi only won the bunch sprint for the minor places, after the race leaders were misdirected just before the velodrome, took a wrong turn to get there, and disqualified. Serge Coppi was declared ex-aequo winner, I forgot who the actuall winner was. I think it was Serge's only big 'victory' - probably through some lobbying by his brother.
  • curium
    curium Posts: 815
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8524056.stm

    Roubaix in the news ;)
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    Does anyone know of any good bike shops in or around Valenciennes? Would like to have a "Plan B" for the Saturday before Paris Roubaix as I won't ride on the pave if the weather is bad.

    Alternatively is there anything else worth checking out whilst I'm there? Like for Flanders the museum in Oudenaarde is worth going to!
  • nick hanson
    nick hanson Posts: 1,655
    You could always hit the hypermarket,for wine & Tins of confit du canard!!
    Thats what I'll probably end up doing,if the weather is bad
    Maybe even try to get in the Bistro on the Carrefoure
    so many cols,so little time!
  • Kléber
    Kléber Posts: 6,842
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    Does anyone know of any good bike shops in or around Valenciennes? Would like to have a "Plan B" for the Saturday before Paris Roubaix as I won't ride on the pave if the weather is bad.

    Alternatively is there anything else worth checking out whilst I'm there? Like for Flanders the museum in Oudenaarde is worth going to!
    I don't know about Valenciennes but French bike shops are generally pretty boring, they are often chains and whilst they can stock high end stuff, it's all the same as you get in Britain, only more expensive. I'd recommend you go for something more local and typical, sample the local beer and seafood.
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    Kléber wrote:
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    sample the local beer and seafood.

    Seafood? Are you sure about that? Isn't it a bit of a distance from the coast?

    And I've already checked out the bistro/bar at the Carrefour, pretty cool, but a bit pricey! Maybe I'll just go the Hypermarket and stock up on Grany bars!
  • Kléber
    Kléber Posts: 6,842
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    Seafood? Are you sure about that? Isn't it a bit of a distance from the coast?
    Even if it's not right on the coast, the northern diet is herrings, chips, mussels, chips, beer, chips, cabbage and chips.
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    Kléber wrote:
    Even if it's not right on the coast, the northern diet is herrings, chips, mussels, chips, beer, chips, cabbage and chips.

    Awesome, fish-finger sandwiches all weekend then :D
  • colomers
    colomers Posts: 23
    http://www.lesamisdeparisroubaix.com/20 ... 0arbre.pdf

    Attention,peut être des changements de parcours cette année.
  • nick hanson
    nick hanson Posts: 1,655
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    Kléber wrote:
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    sample the local beer and seafood.

    And I've already checked out the bistro/bar at the Carrefour, pretty cool, but a bit pricey! Maybe I'll just go the Hypermarket and stock up on Grany bars!
    It's all relative.
    If a meal that would normally cost,say,a tenner,costs,say, fifteen quid,then it depends on your priorities.
    I regard such things as a life experience,& as a one off,always worth paying for,even if just for the memories

    Only problem with that is when the alzheimers kicks in,.......no memories :cry:
    so many cols,so little time!
  • Baselbob
    Baselbob Posts: 8
    Without work and return flights booked from Basel to London City... Me and the better half will be driving from Chelmsford. Guessing Folkestone- Calais Euro Tunnel is the way to go, how early should I book the shuttle train?.. where should I head for and how long a journey… hoping to get to several sections of Pave (is this possible on foot?) Notice all the evening returns are now booked up for same day travel… what kind of time do the cars get back to Calais? Need to back in plenty of time as I’m flying back to Basel Monday.

    Any pointers, advice or tips to give Lynda the full experience… as she’s fallen head long in love with pro cycling since I got her to subscribe to eurosport so I could watch the Giro on our first date last year. Cheers Tony

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