Discover everything about cycling IN FLANDERS 1 2 INTRO “Flanders. Nowhere else is the gap between epic and ordi- fields and ancient villages they crisscross. Bicycles are cutting nary, mortal and hero, dream and reality closer than these edge craftsmanship in Flanders. 5,000 square miles of north Belgium. All of the things that make For hard-core cycling enthusiasts, a trip to Flanders is nothing cycling great reach a crescendo in Flanders. The legendary less than a pilgrimage to the most hallowed grounds in the sport. Flemish riders, called ‘Flandriens’, look more like you and me, Ride on the roads where natives like Eddy Merckx, Johan Museeuw winning with grit and endurance, not exact calculations of watts and Tom Boonen became legends.” * per kilo. The roads are winding, narrow and brutal, broken stones This brochure offers an overview of all you need to know about from a bygone era, vanquished in three- and four-minute bouts Flanders as an all year round cycling destination par excellence. of suffering, not hour-long exercises in balancing on your anaer- Simply flick through the pages and be inspired. obic threshold. The races themselves, such as the Ronde or Gent- Wevelgem are as much a part of the landscape as the farmer’s * As seen in Peloton Magazine 3 AMSTERDAM Discover everything about cycling < LONDON IN FLANDERS Brussels > Amsterdam: 1h54 FACTS & FIGURES P. 6 Brussels > London: 1h51 GENERAL P. 8 PER REGION GENT-WEVELGEM EAST-FLANDERS P. 16 WEST-FLANDERS P. 30 Brussels > Cologne: 1h47 FLEMISH BRABANT COLOGNE AND BRUSSELS P. 42 ANTWERP P. 48 LIMBURG P. 56 Brussels > Paris: 1h22 road race cyclosportive cyclo cross retro track museum + experience centre bike manufacturer PARIS 4 AMSTERDAM < LONDON Brussels > Amsterdam: 1h54 Brussels > London: 1h51 FLANDRIEN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS BERGS & COBBLES GENT-WEVELGEM CYCLO CROSS BICYCLE INDUSTRY TOUR OF FLANDERS Brussels > Cologne: 1h47 EDDY MERCKX COLOGNE Brussels > Paris: 1h22 EAST- WEST- FLEMISH ANTWERP LIMBURG FLANDERS FLANDERS BRABANT AND BRUSSELS PARIS P. 16 P. 30 P. 42 P. 48 P. 56 4 5 5 FACTS & FIGURES OVER A 100 1,2OO KM OF THEMED CYCLE LOOPS LONG DISTANCE CYCLE ROUTES TOUR OF FLANDERS 2000 ONE OF RACES PER YEAR THE FIVE BIG ‘MONUMENTS’ FIRST RACE OF CYCLING CYCLE NODE NETWORK OF OVER IN UCI WORLDTOUR RACE 12,000 KMS 1913 OF CYCLING ROUTES OVER 500 BICYCLE FRIENDLY ACCOMMODATIONS GLOBAL TV AUDIENCE A GOOD 60% OF HOUSEHOLDS 50 MIO DIRECT OWN TWO BIKES OR MORE 1,000,000 AND A TOTAL OF 40% SPECTATORS OVER 160 MIO OF THE TOURISTS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD STAYING IN FLEMISH PEOPLE RIDE THE FLEMISH REGIONS 8,500,000 KILOMETRES A DAY CYCLE DURING OR THE EQUIVALENT OF THEIR HOLIDAY 212 TIMES AROUND THE WORLD PEOPLE IN FLANDERS 16,000 PEOPLE USE THEIR BIKE FOR RIDE THE SPORTIVE 500 ACCORDING TO STRAVA, 1/7 OF THEIR DAILY TRIPS THE DAY BEFORE THE RACE JOURNALISTS THE FLEMISH PEOPLE ARE AMONG IN FLANDERS THE FASTEST CYCLISTS IN THE WORLD AND RIDE THE LONGEST DISTANCES 6 FACTS & FIGURES OVER A 100 1,2OO KM OF THEMED CYCLE LOOPS LONG DISTANCE CYCLE ROUTES TOUR OF FLANDERS 2000 ONE OF RACES PER YEAR THE FIVE BIG ‘MONUMENTS’ FIRST RACE OF CYCLING CYCLE NODE NETWORK OF OVER IN UCI WORLDTOUR RACE 12,000 KMS 1913 OF CYCLING ROUTES OVER 500 BICYCLE FRIENDLY ACCOMMODATIONS GLOBAL TV AUDIENCE A GOOD 60% OF HOUSEHOLDS 50 MIO DIRECT OWN TWO BIKES OR MORE 1,000,000 AND A TOTAL OF 40% SPECTATORS OVER 160 MIO OF THE TOURISTS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD STAYING IN FLEMISH PEOPLE RIDE THE FLEMISH REGIONS 8,500,000 KILOMETRES A DAY CYCLE DURING OR THE EQUIVALENT OF THEIR HOLIDAY 212 TIMES AROUND THE WORLD PEOPLE IN FLANDERS 16,000 PEOPLE USE THEIR BIKE FOR RIDE THE SPORTIVE 500 ACCORDING TO STRAVA, 1/7 OF THEIR DAILY TRIPS THE DAY BEFORE THE RACE JOURNALISTS THE FLEMISH PEOPLE ARE AMONG IN FLANDERS THE FASTEST CYCLISTS IN THE WORLD AND RIDE THE LONGEST DISTANCES 7 GENERAL INCOMING TOUR OPERATORS Do you want to really discover Flanders from a local’s Go4Cycling perspective? There are many Flemish tour operators who [email protected] organise tours for both individuals and groups, on the routes www.go4cycling.com of the classic Flemish road races. They will be only too happy Go4Cycling mainly offers multi-day packages for national and to offer you a fully personalised package tour. international tourists. The mix of amateur cyclo tours and VIP road race packages is a great combination, giving you the chance Veloflanders to watch the pros, as well as try out the same route yourself. +32 475 76 61 63 [email protected] www.veloflanders.com Veloflanders offers one or several-day packages fully tailored Kortweg Cycling to your wishes with an experienced local guide who can +32 497 48 06 57 put together the ideal route for you. That way you can race [email protected] your own Tour of Flanders! This formula is particularly re- www.kortweg.be nowned and recommended by foreign tourists but is of course Kortweg offers cycling trips with professional bicycle transport also available for Belgians. services, support cars and a fixed team of experienced staff who know the Flemish Ardennes like the back of their hand. Guests even have the option of joining a cycling tour with Johan Museeuw himself. 8 Rollercoaster Bikes Flanders on Bike Baguet Velo Events www.rcbikes.be [email protected] +32 486 30 82 01 Rollercoaster Bikes organises guided www.flandersonbike.com [email protected] mountain bike trips in the vicinity of Flanders on Bike offers guided tours with www.fietsstages-baguet.be Maarkedal for groups of up to six guests, a focus on the Tour of Flanders and the Serge Baguet is a former pro racer. His including clothing and equipment hire. Flemish Ardennes. You’ll cycle the famous organisation Baguet Velo Events offers This is where you leave the beaten track bergs and cobbles, see the nicest small exclusive VIP packages for cycling races in and discover the rugged side of the roads, typical restaurants and it’s possible Flanders and abroad and also organises Flemish Ardennes. to include a brewery visit if you like. They custom team building events. allow you to choose the distance, inten- sity and level of your rides and are able to adapt to changes when necessary. You Guideon can bring your own bike or rent one. Flandrien Academy www.guideonflanders.com [email protected] At Guideon, three experienced guides http://flandrienacademy.com offer three guided packages, including The aim of Flandrien Academy is to let you Classic Roads departing from Oudenaarde Biking+ experience the unique Belgian cycling tra- through the Flemish Ardennes. This oper- Delirium Est BVBA, Jean-Luc Dewulf dition and culture. Through their exten- ator is mainly focused on international +32 56 35 38 56 sive local network they are uniquely posi- tourists. [email protected] tioned to deliver you a truly unforgettable www.bikingplus.com experience. They don’t offer many tours Biking Plus grew out of our passion for and the groups are small, to ensure you cycling, culture, architecture, history, beer, get the best attention. Museeuw gastronomy, nature, … in short, for all the Cycling Academy Belgian traditions. Biking Plus Belgium [email protected] means: enjoying a luxurious holiday on www.museeuwcyclingacademy.be and off your bike following the route of The Museeuw Cycling Academy provides the classic Belgian road race ‘The Tour of guided cycling tours, coaching and advice Flanders’, and wandering through East by the legendary Johan Museeuw, three and West Flanders. After a luxury cycling time winner of the Tour of Flanders. holiday with Biking+ you’ll fall head over The range of options includes a Tour of heels (but not over handlebar!) in love Flanders package aimed at cycling tour- with Flanders and all of Belgium. ists, social clubs and companies. vzw Allez Roulez +32 498 67 05 11 [email protected] www.bike-guide.be Allez Roulez is a brand-new non-profit as- sociation with a passion for the region. They offer customised and guided cycling tours following the classic routes of the pre-season road races for both national and international cycling tourists, both individuals and groups. 9 TOUR OPERATORS WITH A WIDER RANGE THAN CYCLING Cycling luggage arrives in time. You can rent one There is no cycling offer on the website: the western front of their road race bicycles if you don’t all programmes are on request. Carl Ooghe want to bring your own bike. +32 475 81 06 08 [email protected] www.cyclingthewesternfront.co.uk Vos Travel Carl Ooghe is a full time tour leader, high- All About Belgium (AAB) +32 51 24 03 40 ly specialised in cycling tours, specifically Kathleen Vermeiren, [email protected] in Flanders Fields (+ northern France). General Manager www.vostravel.be/en/cycling Most of the tours start in Ypres. Carl works +32 53 80 98 18 VOS Travel has been an independent Bel- together with a licensed travel agency for [email protected], gian tour operator for 20 years. They’re spe- hotel bookings, bicycle transport, … He [email protected] cialised in cycling and have increased their offers day tours as well as longer pro- www.aab-allaboutbelgium.be incoming activities significantly during the grammes. All tours are flexible and can be AAB is an incoming travel agency for last years. VOS Travel cycling holidays are adapted in consultation with the client. the Benelux countries, founded in 1997. suitable for the individual and recreational AAB offers hotel accommodation, typical cyclist, as well as for the gourmet.