Advance warning of the next Belgians extravaganza, Cumbrian style.....
New signing, Philip Malcolm has been busy with his local maps and sniffed out a Cumbrian ripost to Duncan's Floubaix.
The route is finalised now at 120km with a few get-out points for people who don't want to do the full distance. There's a cafe stop at about 80km and two pubs selling Belgian beer in Cockermouth at the finish.
"Highlights include:
Mosser Fell - single track lane with stuff growing on it, 1.5m "not suitable for motor vehicles" descent to Loweswater.
Lorton Lonning - 1/2 mile twisty downhill lane with gravel, grass mud and holes
Thackthwaite/Scale Hill - narrow lanes, plenty of flicky corners on an uncertain surface, followed by a stamp up a 400m 20% hill.
"Mini Molenberg" - similar to Lorton Lonning but uphill with some steeper sections.
"Mini Madeleine" - switchbacked single track climb under pine trees, surfacing dubious(descent similar)
Paris-Roubaix Lonning - downhill, fast... I've ridden this in August and got a facefull of mud, you can slide through the corners if you wish.
Coastal Roads - some beautiful, windy lanes that twist all over the place, ending up in a 5 mile exposed slog across some marshland... You'd swear you were in Holland!
Silloth High Street - 1.5 miles of Flanders quality cobbles
Final circuit that resembles the closing stages of Ghent-Wewelgem.
Pub at the finish that sells Duvel, Kwak, Lindemanns and Westmalle."
I'm getting giddy already at the thought of it - put the date in your diary. 4th July 2010.
All welcome - Belgian or not. More details to come......
Err are we not supposed to be doing the CiCLE challenge that day? Or is that just me?
ReplyDeleteWould you recommend cross bike or road bike ?
ReplyDeleteOops - might well be a clash there. Will be my fault if there is. Still, as Pro Tour teams send 2 separate squads to differing races, so then we might have to have different delegations......
ReplyDeletePaul - not sure, more details will follow but it is essentially a road ride so cross with road suitable tires, or road with fatter tires would probably work well either way.
So all we have to decide is which is the Giro and which the TOC ;->
ReplyDeleteRich, I'm with you at the Pork Pie extravaganza. Although at the moment I look like I ate all of Melton Mowbray's finest :( Still, there's nearly 6 weeks to get into some kind of shape.....
ReplyDeleteMorning all, Phil here!
ReplyDeleteI'd say you'll be wanting a road bike. The really rough stuff makes up a fairly small proportion of the ride and the rest is lanes and loose surfacing.
Anybody who's making the trip let me know on Pdmalcolm81@googlemail.com and I'll ensure there's enough sarnies and beer laid on at the pub afterwards.
certainly be down for this one guys having missed the Cheshire ride
ReplyDeletemuch looking forward