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 http://cyclinginflanders.cc CYCLING IN FLANDERS INTRODUCES ENTHUSIASTS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD TO ALL THINGS CYCLING FLANDERS HAS TO OFFER. Flanders is an all-in cycling destination and we love to share our well-kept secrets so everyone can enjoy Flanders as a real Flandrien does. Are you a fierce biker or a passionate supporter? Here, you’ll find an endless amount of new possibilities, cycling paths and events to put on your bucket list. Get inspired! By blending interviews with insights, articles and other relevant sources of information we provide an all-encompassing platform to discover cycling culture in Flanders. 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. +32 468 34 06 44 [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 Museeuw Flanders and abroad and also organises meal consisting of dishes prepared with lo- Cycling Academy custom team building events. cal beer and of course the opportunity to www.johanmuseeuw.be taste some of Belgium’s best beers like the The Museeuw Cycling Academy provides Gouden Carolus. guided cycling tours, coaching and advice by the legendary Johan Museeuw, three Belgian Bike Experience time winner of the Tour of Flanders. +32 89 48 08 80 The range of options includes a Tour of [email protected] Bidong Flanders package aimed at cycling tour- www.belgianbikeexperience.com +32 479 71 91 38 ists, social clubs and companies. Experience Belgium’s cycling classics as a [email protected] pro rider. Belgian Bike Experience offers a www.bidong.be unique cycling program built around some Bidong, that’s cycling and hanging out with of the most famous one day races in the friends, colleagues, customers, ... Head out vzw Allez Roulez world. This includes a VIP bus, three to four together for a couple of hours, a day or a +32 498 67 05 11 rides on Classic routes, dinner in the better week. Bidong is your guide, coach and jack- [email protected] restaurants, a taste of Belgium’s best cities of-all-trades. They surprise you with beauti- www.allez-roulez.be and locations and tips and tricks from ex- ful routes, take care of food, accommodation Allez Roulez is a non-profit association perienced riders. You will have a week to and transport, guide you, organise a party or with a passion for the region. They offer remember. Each trip is limited to 20 riders a visit to a cycling museum or bar, ... Contact customised and guided cycling tours fol- them for your tailor-made cycling trip. lowing the classic routes of the pre-sea- son road races for both national and international cycling tourists, both indi- Belgium, bikes and beer viduals and groups. +32 498 97 20 02 Flandrien Academy https://belgiumbikesbeer.com [email protected] They offer a fun weekend trip that com- http://flandrienacademy.com bines 2 of Belgiums biggest assets : fa- The aim of Flandrien Academy is to let you Baguet Bicycle Center mous cycling roads and great beers. You’ll experience the unique Belgian cycling tra- +32 486 30 82 01 do 100 km on the mythical cobbles of the dition and culture. Through their exten- [email protected] Ronde van Vlaanderen, like the Muur van sive local network they are uniquely posi- www.fietsstages-baguet.be Geraardsbergen, Oude Kwaremont, Kop- tioned to deliver you a truly unforgettable Serge Baguet is a former pro racer. His penberg, ... And in between, you’ll stay in experience. They don’t offer many tours organisation Baguet Velo Events offers brewery Het Anker, a beautiful brewery/ho- and the groups are small, to ensure you exclusive VIP packages for cycling races in tel where you’ll get a tour, a three course get the best attention. SPECIALISED GUIDES Guideon Flanders on Bike Bonavonture www.guideonflanders.com [email protected] +32 470 90 11 06 At Guideon, three experienced guides offer www.facebook.com/flandersonbike [email protected] three guided packages, including Classic www.instagram.com/flandersonbike.henk www.bonavonture.be Roads departing from Oudenaarde through www.flandersonbike.com Bon Tour and Johan Museeuw offer a the Flemish Ardennes. This operator is main- Flanders on Bike offers guided tours with great retro cycling experience. You get to ly focused on international tourists. a focus on the Tour of Flanders and the cycle on the roads where classic cycle rac- Flemish Ardennes. You’ll cycle the famous es were held.