Riding the stones of Paris-Roubaix, in the Spring, in crap weather (it’s possible) and finishing the ride in the velodrome in Roubaix* should be enough enticement for any right thinking cyclists to jump on to this event. It gets better, watching the race in a scrum of drunken-loud-mad-fans, everyone covered in a sheen of beer, frites and mayonnaise. It’s an experience of a lifetime. Do you still need more? Perhaps riding the last fourteen bergs of the Ronde van Vlaanderen, being your very own Boss of the Bosberg and then spectating this race, again the loud-drunk-fans, the sheen, the madness. Fabian Cancellara shall pass by so close he may wink at you as he drops the hammer on Boonen, again. How about a personal ride with the Lion of Flanders, Johan Museeuw? It does not get better than this, I’m sorry but it can’t.
It can’t yet it does, a tour of the Merckx bike factory and the Ronde van Vlaanderen Museum at Oudenarde. That is correct, we are going to museums, all right, a museum and it’s a museum about bike racing. There is much more fun crammed into this nine day holiday than should be allowed, please regard the original post for all the information.
This is the fantasy camp of a lifetime for cyclists. If not for yourself, dear reader, then bestow the holiday gift to end all gifts on your mate. The Velominati are united in a love and appreciation of cycling and the Spring Classics are a distillation of all things Hardman and beautiful.
Not to belabor the awesome factor, here are just a few more items:
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*disclaimer from our legal department: unconfirmed but in the works.
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Cafe Hollander in Milwaukee has a bike theme and serves real frites with all kinds of mayos in a real cone shaped seving thingy. Great beer selection too. http://www.cafehollander.com/downeravenue/index.php (Should be nirvana for Frank).
Nothing wrong with museums! (I happen to work in one). One of my goals this summer is to visit this place in Sparta, WI. If and when I go, I'll send a full report: http://www.dekeslaytonmuseum.com/
@DerHoggz
Thanks, these Belgian name spellings are very foreign to my feeble brain.
@Cyclops
too obvious, don't you have another car to park in an good place for it to get rammed? Maybe pull a Vieno, sell your State Championship Road jersey to the 2nd place guy for a few thousand euros.
You mean the museum where you see things like this?
@j.king
My LORD! Can you imagine what the gift shop must be like?!?!?!?
I cannot control myself in a normal museum gift shop, say nothing about the Profit's giftshop itself!
Purely coincidence, but this article has reminded that I'm meeting a mate for lunch here tomorrow. Frites and something trappist, I think, but not too much or it might make the rollers tricky tomorrow night.
Yep, y'all sealed it. It's Belgium this weekend for a beer run.
Oh yes! I'm even more excited as I bought my air tickets yesterday... this is going to be the best time.
Rule 11 for the pussies. Haven't you heard of credit cards? If I can make the commitment to increase my limit and max that sucker out, you can too. FFS.
Rule 5 for those cutting back on beer. I've actually increased my intake to prepare for this trip. Get stronger for the bergs, get stronger for the bars.
@brett
Seasonal alcohol and the current bad weather are playing havoc with my dodgy knee. If I don't give it a break then training will grind to a halt.
This re-ignited love affair with cycling leaves me feeling less concerned about what others might say about my beer handling skills/capacity than I am about my ability to keep up on the bike. These are uncharted waters for me.
@j.king
Sheeeit, I'm already having trouble sleeping at night. If a museum is this stimulating I just might keel over being near the start of P-R.
Signed up last night. So excited!
I was worried about possibly breaking my out-of-production carbon frame over the cobbles when I realized what a story that would be! "I snapped my frame in half at 299km while riding Paris-Roubaix." Or "I pulled a Hincapie and dove into a ditch, still clipped in."
What other Keepers will be there? Marko? Gianni (I assume since he's writing this post). Jim? Joshua?