Formed in June 09, Here Come the Belgians is a non-elite anti-team celebrating all things cross, cobbled and Belgian.
Seeking a different experience to the traditional cycling club, its aim is to harness the energy of a vibrant internet cycling community with grass roots racing and riding based around Cyclocross and Spring Classics. There is no race programme in the style of a racing team, more a collection of individual experiences through rides and racing, in whatever location a member may be, that all can share in and contribute toward.

Sunday 6 June 2010

How to combine three into one

Having missed Liege-Bastogne-Liege and the Tour of Belgium as well as the 100 miles of nowhere of the Fat cyclist, I decided to do all three at the same time, of course such an effort takes a special jersey:


So to get the 100 miles I decided to do Aachen-Liege-Aachen. Taking the N 68 in Eupen, than the N 629 into Goè, I entered the track of the Tour of Belgium final stage. So my first climb was the third of the TOB: Côte da la Gileppe 2.6 km with 8%.


Nice wide street with a view unto a lion in far distance. After the climb I reached Jalhay with an old style Delhaize.


Turning right I followed the N 629 towards Tiège, after a sharp downhill with 10 % on a rotten street, more potholes than anything else. So I learned a new word "Route deformee", in general I found the streets to be more rough than in Flandria. The Côte de Surister is the next climb of the TOB nice climb through a forest just 1.2 km at 7%.


In Tiege I changed for the N 640 for Polleur, turning left to Theux. In Theux turn right in the N 62 and I know there was trouble ahead. It felt like the 11% climbing up to that left turn. Côte de Theux was used in the TOB as well as in LBL. But after the corner was a small downhill a false flat and than a climb worse than the pictured one, steeper and three times as long. After Mont Theux both races turned south but I rather decided to stay on the N 62 towards Liege. So the next climb was a softer version of Côte de Theux: Straight uphill to a turn, but this time without a nasty surprise, the climb continued in curves for about 1 km to Beaufays. There turn to the right for the N 30, which I think is used in LBL but from the other direction. The N 30 took me straight into Liege.


I decided to stop for a rest in front of the newly build long distance train station. Hoping the return would nice and easy going and I could put the carbon wheels to good use, little did I know. The temperature was rising all the time and the valley of the N 61 did not provide much shadow and it seemed like my legs were softening at the same rate as the chocolade from this supplier:


Around Verviers I was using more water for cooling than drinking, because it seemed my stomach was not too pleased of luke warm water. Somehow I made it back to Eupen for a stop at the Delhaize for a cold Cola and cold water. It seems like the Cola worked for my stomach and I made it back to Aachen on time to get the train.

Having finished my 100 Miles of Nowhere for 2010 I can now switch back to my Jacques chocolade jersey, having learned aero wheels are no good if your national Elite distributor fails to return a failing Nanogel bottle within three months and You overheat, because at 30°C water won't stay cool in a normal bottle for long.







1 comment:

  1. Fantastic - we all (well, me at least) are very jealous here in the UK despite our own fantastic roads and hills.

    Going to have to employ my wife's skills with needle and thread to creat one-off jerseys too.... Chapeau

    ReplyDelete