In Praise Of… Cobbles

First person by the time Boonen was dominating the Classics (he has also won the Tour In praise of… Cobbles of Flanders three times) most cobbles It’s a road surface entirely unsuited to bicycles, were uniform blocks of stone hewn so why do we love cobbles so much? from Belgian quarries. Although the latter are not as prone to gaps and Words TREVOR WARD Photography HENRY CARTER unevenness, they remain a test of man he hero of Flann elbow out and stay like that all night in and machine, especially in the wet. O’Brien’s comic novel his kitchen instead of going to bed. If he The Third Policeman walks too slowly or stops in the middle Carved in stone is a member of a rural of the road he will fall down in a heap.’ Cobbles aren’t like a climb or a side Irish constabulary who Cobbles may not quite have wind, when teammates can offer you a has an interesting theory about cyclists the power to disrupt the molecular degree of assistance or protection. They using the local cobbled roads: universe, but in the world of cycling they are much more capricious and cruel. ‘[They] get their personalities mixed are not for the faint-hearted, instilling They add an element of chance and up with the personalities of their bicycle in riders equal measures of respect and The hewn lumps of drama to one-day racing, which explains rock that make up as a result of the interchanging of the fear. Tom Boonen, four times winner the cobbled roads of why they are so revered in Belgium and atoms of each of them and you would of Paris-Roubaix, described the race Belgium and France northern France despite the fact they be surprised at the number of people in as ‘a slow killer’, although there is no have become trophies in often play havoc with the fortunes and their own right. The one these parts who nearly are half people record of whether he sleeps propped above comes from the reputations of the biggest names and half bicycles.’ up against his kitchen wall. Kapelmuur, and was in the sport. Sergeant Pluck goes on to offer as The cobbles of Sergeant Pluck’s acquired by Cyclist Yes, these riders invariably describe while the road was evidence the case of the local postman: early 20th century Ireland would have being repaired (they Paris-Roubaix as ‘beautiful’ once ‘He will lean against the wall with his been large pebbles from beaches, but won’t miss just one) they’ve showered and changed, but P CYCLIST 49 First person ‘Riding the cobbles is like climbing a mountain in the Tour. To win a cobbled race, you need to be very strong. You are a hero’ P before that epithets such as ‘bollocks’ like a true Dutch or Belgian sector, and (Theo de Rooij in 1985 when only 35 probably my favourite Strava segment riders finished) and ‘bullshit’ (1981 of all time’. winner Bernard Hinault) are more likely to be applied. The Flanders of Cheshire The cobbles are ‘the soul’ of But even when it’s not inclined at Paris-Roubaix, according to the group an angle, a sector of pavé can be just as of volunteers – Les Amis de Paris- challenging as a mountain climb. When Roubaix – who inspect and maintain events organiser Francis Longworth the 27 sectors of pavé all year round. was planning a new sportive for the UK President François Doulcier says, ‘Riding two years ago, he took his inspiration the cobbles is like climbing a mountain from the cobbled Classics rather than in the Tour. To win a cobbled race, you iconic climbs. need to be very strong. You are a hero.’ ‘We’d noticed that nearly all the His passion is shared north of the interesting sportives in Britain were border in Flanders. Legend has it that focused on climbing: how many climbs, the Tour of Flanders’ toughest climb, the how long, how steep and so on,’ he says. Paterberg, was only introduced in 1986 ‘We felt that creating a sportive based after a local farmer paved the road up it around variations in the road surface with cobbles because he wanted to see rather than gradient was a relatively the race go past his home. The truth is no underdeveloped and compelling idea.’ less impressive: a cycling fan working The result was a series of sportives at the local town hall, on hearing that inspired by the pavé, bergs and strade the council planned to tarmac the road, bianche of the spring Classics. The suggested they use cobbles instead. Tour of the Black Country, for example, ‘They would be slightly more features 20km of cobbled roads, stony expensive but aesthetically more farm tracks and bridleways, while the beautiful and maybe the Tour of Cheshire Cobbled Classic includes five Flanders would use them,’ Philippe cobbled climbs, including Swiss Hill in Willequet told Belgium’s Sport Alderley Edge, which is used by Team magazine in 2012. His hunch proved Sky in training for the Tour of Flanders. correct, with the cobbles of the Riding over cobbles, says Longworth, Paterberg being classified as a produces ‘a massive overstimulation of protected monument in 1993. the senses’ caused by the acceleration In the UK, miles of cobbles have been required to glide over them as efficiently ripped up by councils more concerned as possible. He compares the sensation about health and safety than history and of ‘rider and bike continually being heritage, but it’s not impossible to find thrown this way and that’ to white- inviting stretches of pavé. Just down the water rafting or skiing, ‘where the road from me in the city of Dundee is a roughness of the ground creates hill, Strawberry Bank, which would give increased G-forces on the body and the famous Koppenberg in Flanders heightens the feelings of speed’. You don’t have to a run for its money: a 300m narrow But a word of caution: if you find head to Europe to enjoy the cobbles stretch of slick, square cobbles that gets yourself, in the words of Sergeant for yourself – there’s steeper towards the top. Ben Ulyatt, Pluck, ‘leaning with one elbow on a growing number of who discovered it while researching walls or standing propped by one sportives in the UK that feature deliberately a Classics-inspired route for his club, foot at kerbstones’, you’re probably rough roads COG Velo CC, describes it as ‘exactly overdoing it. ] 50 CYCLIST.

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