Floubaix
The route step by step
Start
And we're off!
The ‘bump’ of Melden, as the Koppenberg is locally known, is guaranteed to add suspense to the Ronde, every year. Not surprisingly it has been listed as a national monument. This hill and over 100 acres of surrounding countryside add up to one the most beautiful natural hotspots in the Flemish Ardennes.
The Koppenberg is also probably the most difficult climb in the region, combining maximum gradient of 20% with rutted, worn cobbles and a constantly greasy surface. There's no shame in having to stop. Better men than us have had to walk up here. Legend has it that the climb was introduced to the Tour of Flanders organisers by 2 time winner Walter Godefroot, but only after he'd retired so he wouldn't have to race up it.
The sequence of Mariaborrestraat - Steenbeekdries cobbled section is 1250m in total and includes the climb of Steenbeekdries. In the Tour of Flanders this is usually taken straight after the Koppenberg with a feed area on the slightly uphill N60, resulting in the fast, downhill cobbles of the Mariaborrestraat being littered with lost bidons and gels. After this segment you can take a left onto the descent of the dangerous cobbled Stationsberg.
Thrilling cobbled!
This hill lives up to its name. Taaienberg literally means ‘tough hill’ and the reason for this name will become clear when you ascend its 530m stretch of cobblestones. This wasTom Boonen’s favourite hill to test his early season form on with an annual attack in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad earning it the name of 'Boonenberg'.
The 750m climb starts going gently uphill from the center of Ronse. The upper – and steepest – part of the climb has a roughly-paved cobbled surface, totaling 450 m of cobbles. The climb was first included in the Tour of Flanders route in 1973 and has become a fixed location in the route since the race's restyling in 2012. In recent years, it comes at 26 km from the finish in Oudenaarde, as the last cobbled climb before the iconic Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg climbs. The Kruisberg is also regularly included in the Three Days of De Panne, E3 Harelbeke.
Hotond
Three: that’s how many times riders must climb the famous Oude Kwaremont during the Ronde. The Oude Kwaremont is the longest cobbled climb of Flanders at 2200 meters long, and 92 meters of climbing. While it averages a nice “easy” 4% gradient it’s maximum gradient of 11.6 % lies in the middle of the climb – it’s not an easy feat to recover from that over cobbles. Indeed, if you fail to recover from it in time, you can consider a pause at In 't Palet on the corner of the village square.
It’s only a relatively recent addition to the Tour of Flanders, constructed in the 1980s on farmland by a landowner jealous of his friend's proximity to the Koppenberg every year, but the Paterberg has already achieved legendary status. With a maximum gradient of 20.33% and an average gradient of over 12%, it’s one of the steepest climbs in the region. The descent to the sharp right hand corner at the foot of the climb requires care and usually claims at least one victim every year on the Tour of Flanders.
Time to start our trek towards the border. At km 93, in Cysoing, you hit your first Paris-Roubaix cobbled sector: the Pavé Gilbert Duclos Lassalle. Nothing too brutal yet, so it serves as a nice appetizer for what's coming up next.
Camphin-en-Pévèle is waiting for you at km 100. Being a 4 star sector, this one already gives you more of a typical boneshaking Paris-Roubaix experience. Enjoy the ride!
Km 102 of this route marks the start of the feared Carrefour De L’Arbre cobbles. The last five-star rated secteur of Paris-Roubaix and the final stretch of true, untamed pave’ before the race reaches the velodrome. The advice you always hear from old hands and TV commentators is to stay on the crown of the cobbles, that point should usually be reasonably intact and free of debris. That advice goes out the window, however, when the crown is reduced to a razor-sharp ridge covered in grass and dirt. Picking your line ahead of time here is vital, as is a callous disregard for your equipment. Just hit it as hard as you can and never stop pedalling.
Right after Carrefour, you hit the secteur that leads to the village of Gruson. These cobbles are much tamer than Carrefour De L’Arbre, requiring less concentration and weight shifting to ride effectively. These are much more similar to the still challenging but more uniform stones you left behind over the border.
Km 112 features the ride’s last real challenge, the recently refurbished pave at Hem. Should you be tiring of bouncing across the countryside by this point, then we have good news. The relaying of a section of cobbles that was, as recently as two years ago, beginning to resemble it’s more famous cousins has ensured a more uniform setting (the stones are still big with large gaps between them, cobble fans) but now boast a cycle-path next to them.
Before arriving at the velodrome is the ceremonial (and often missed) final section of cobbles that stretches to 200 metres and features the names of every winner laid out on the way to the turn onto the famous concrete banking. Spend a few minutes to pick out your favourites!
One last round to the finish
The velodrome itself is, officially, a public park. This means you should be able to access it whichever day of the year you show up for your regulation lap-and-a-half. It's always a strange feeling to arrive here after a hard day of pushing across cobbles and bergs to eerie silence or teenagers smoking in the tribune. There is, however, a magic about the place that can’t be denied: the only place this ride could have ended.
From Roubaix, you can easily take a train back to Oudenaarde, taking just under 1 hour. If you like to cycle back and take in the official last kilometres of De Ronde, you could use this route we designed: Roubaix - Oudenaarde.
Finish
Plan your stay
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