All Aboard The Keepers Tour: Latest Update

Rigid's gonna be there. Are you?

It’s so close I can almost taste it. The mud. The dust. The heavy Spring air, turning to rain, blown across the fields of Flanders, where many a battle has been fought, in trenches and on wheels. Battles fought against other men, battles fought within each man. My own mind is in battle; am I worthy? Will I be prepared for the beating my body will take, and will my mind deal with it? Well, I’m not going to my own grave without doing this. I will survive on V.

The Keepers Tour just gets better and better. The team at Pavé Cycling Tours should be known as the Mailmen of Flanders, because they just keep on delivering. It seems almost every day there’s an email informing us of an addition to the tour, and our responses are more and more ‘screaming teenager’ than composed adult. To say we’re excited about this trip could be the understatement of the year. We’re excited.

The latest gems from Alex and William include;

Meeting the legendary Freddy Maertens at the Flanders Museum in Oudenaarde.
Meeting Vincent Lavenau and the Ag2R team and mechanics at their motel on the Friday before Roubaix.
A private opening of the Casa Grinta restaurant, with what is described as one of the most ‘insane’ collections of cycling jerseys in the world, plus ‘Belgian Fusion’ food.
Riding into the Roubaix velodrome after our day in Hell, and cleansing in the iconic showers. (TBC)
A musette from Pavé’s partner Ravito, stuffed with cycling badges and a cap. (In addition to the special V Musette from us containing a V-Pint and special V-Shirt, not available for sale elsewhere.)
A possible showdown with Cycling Tips blog’s own Tour, with some cool prizes up for grabs, along with a ton of laughs.
A Cogal to be held in conjunction with our ride of the Ronde parcours on the Saturday before Roubaix.

Of course, this is all in addition to the already confirmed awesomeness of riding with The Lion of Flanders Johan Museeuw, touring the Eddy Merckx factory, riding on the Gent velodrome, touring the Brunehaut brewery (where our organic Malteni beer is produced) and another cycling museum visit in Beveren. There’s a heap of other activities confirmed too, so email us for the full presentation.

And the best part? All of this is included in the super low price! Everything. All meals, all accommodation, all drinks (yes, beer!) and hanging out with a cool bunch of like-minded bike nuts.

Sell your first-born if you have to, but don’t miss out on a week, or weekend of pure Classics bliss. There are still a few seats available, so book yours now.

Full PDF Schedule

Brett

Don't blame me

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View Comments

frank says:

Jan 24 2012 at 11:04 pm

@mcsqueak

@frank
So outside of race days, or when they are replacing cobbles, are these routes normally open to ride, or do you have to have some sort of connection, like the Pave folks?
It sort of seems like living over there would be like having the most badass bike paths in the world. Shame if you couldn't ride them at your leisure.

I don't know. Seems they are not open to traffic, certainly. But you can't keep a bike out. And the PavÃ© folks have wicked connections - have you looked at the PDF schedule? This isn't for mortals. WTF. Seriously. WTF.

From what I see, the ScTdF is sketchy on the quality of the cobbles for Race Conditions. Shouldn't impact our much slower and less informed selves from riding them.
Dr C says:

Jan 24 2012 at 11:48 pm

@frank
I'm with you

Rules are there to be broken - well everyone else's rules obviously, not ours
Chris says:

Jan 25 2012 at 12:33 am

@frank
Of course we're with you. While I was pretty sure that the answer would be that we carry on regardless surely you can't be surprised if people get slightly emotional at such things. My fuck is settled down.

I will do my best not to burst into flames, though.
Chris says:

Jan 25 2012 at 12:36 am

@frank
In these times of mass produced junk and consumerism for the sake of consumerism, you've got to love something so unashamedly low key as those FMB's. Can't wait to see those on the Nemesises.
frank says:

Jan 25 2012 at 12:44 am

@Dr C

@frank
I'm with you
Rules are there to be broken - well everyone else's rules obviously, not ours

I believe that's what we call "narcissism", so - yes.
frank says:

Jan 25 2012 at 12:47 am

@Chris

@frank
In these times of mass produced junk and consumerism for the sake of consumerism, you've got to love something so unashamedly low key as those FMB's. Can't wait to see those on the Nemesises.

Seriously. My favorite bit is the guys got all in a tizzy because they had to order them before he - YES HE - not some bigass company - has to fulfill his Pro orders for the classics.

I think Francois goes to South America and sucks the rubber out the trees by the mouthful and carries them back to France that way. That would explain the cost, anyway.
Bianchi Denti says:

Jan 25 2012 at 1:28 am

@Frank
I'm with you too. To Arenberg and beyond!
Dr C says:

Jan 25 2012 at 6:07 am

Blocked roads, pah

Where there is a will

I have some mates who I'll bring along to inblock the route
JC Belgium says:

Jan 25 2012 at 6:18 am

in France some of the roads are closed all year long except 2 days, like the TrouÃ©e. Most of them are open, but only farmers use them. so there will be almost no traffic while riding the pavÃ©. In Vlaanderen, the cobble stone roads are always open, because people live along these roads. The Kapelmuur is closed for cars, but not for bikes. Belgian government is fearing demonstrations, riots, violence, arson, occupation of the hill by protesters...

If you want to look 'pro' on the Muur, you can do this:

but I prefer this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vq7LbOHZbs&feature=autoplay&list=PLFC4A09194605A0B0&lf=results_main&playnext=2
JC Belgium says:

Jan 25 2012 at 6:19 am

damn, wrong clip, it s this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EoJ66sNkog