Pedal Dancer

Spectator Guide Amgen Tour of California

2012-05-07T00:00:00.001-06:00

How to attend a stage of the Amgen Tour of California

Information for fans planning to attend the Tour of California in 2012:

Stage maps and profiles
Start and Finish times and locations
Stage logs (time tables or when the race will be passing along each street)
King of Mountain and Sprint locations and times
Video previews of each city
City events, walks, and rides
Lifestyle Festival hours
Road closures
Cycling terminology and tips

©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Cycling Tip:
How to read a stage log (time table):

Example Stage Log please click to enlarge image

On the first line, the start time is always definite. In the last two columns every street and turn is listed. Because the organizers of the race are not certain how fast the riders will be racing, they give several approximations of times based on average speed of a rider. The first column lists the slowest possible time at 22 mph for this stage, (speeds will vary based on flat or climbing stages). Column 2, 3, and 4 list other faster times according to increasing speeds. As fans it is best to be there by at least the fastest time listed on the log, but not to expect the riders until the slowest time listed in column 1 of the log. This insures that you will not miss seeing the race. Try to arrive much earlier to enjoy the atmosphere and avoid traffic. Pay attention to road closures (listed below under each stage when I found them available online).

STAGE DETAILS - GUIDE FOR FANS

Amgen Tour of California May 13-20, 2012 - Stage maps and profiles

2012 ATOC: 2012 Overall Map Official race website (click any image to enlarge)

2012 Amgen Tour of California route map

Sunday, May 13 - Stage 1: Presented by Rabobank, Distance: 115.9 miles
Stage 1 Route Map | Stage 1 Profile Map | Stage 1 Log (time table)

START: Santa Rosa at 10:50am Neutral Race Start at Santa Rosa Ave. and 3rd St.
FINISH: Santa Rosa approx 3:06-4:16pm (depending on speed) at Santa Rosa Ave. and 3rd St.
1 SPRINTS: W 3rd St, Santa Rosa, CA 1, at 12:28pm.
4 KOMs: Cazadero Hwy. at 1:17-1:56pm; Ft. Ross Rd. (1st x) at 1:27-2:09pm; Ft. Ross Rd. (2nd x) at 1:34-2:19pm; and Coleman Valley Road at 2:16-3:12pm.
Festival: 9:30-4:30pm, 610 3RD ST., Santa Rosa
Local Event: Santa Rosa The Life Time Gran Fondo 8:00am, May 12, 2012
Local Race: Team Swift Junior State Criterium Championships 4:00-800pm, May 12, 2012
Local Walk: Breakaway Mile May 13, 2012
Local Events: City of Santa Rosa events planned surrounding the Amgen Tour of California May 10-13th.
Stage 1 Video stage preview
Santa Rosa City Tour of California 2012 official city website
Santa Rosa City Road and Street Closures May 11-13th

Tour of California Stage 1 map

ATOC Stage 1 route profile

Monday, May 14 - Stage 2: Presented by Visit California, Distance: 117.1 miles
Stage 2 Route Map | Stage 2 Profile Map | Stage 2 Log (time table)

START: San Francisco at 11:05am Neutral Race Start at Marina Green
FINISH: Santa Cruz County at (? sometime after 4:26pm, the .pdf file is incomplete)
3 SPRINTS: Pacifica at 11:50-12:00pm; Half Moon Bay at 12:10-12:23pm; Summit Rd. at 3:08-3:53pm.
2 KOMs: Empire Grade at 2:08-2:43pm; and Bear Creek 2:52-3:45pm
Festival: 11:00-4:30pm, 6500 SOQUEL DRIVE, Aptos
Stage 2 video stage preview
Pacifica road closures
Road Closures near Santa Cruz, CA for Amgen Tour of California on May 14th.

ATOC Stage 2 route map

ATOC Stage 2 route profile

Tuesday, May 15 - Stage 3 Distance: 115.3 miles
Stage 3 Map | Stage 3 Profile | Stage 3 Log (time table)

START: San Jose at 11:15am Neutral Start at Berryessa Community Center
FINISH: Livermore at 3:24-4:32pm Race Finish at M and 1st St.
1 SPRINT: Livermore 12:17-12:35pm on 1st ST in Livermore.
3 KOMs: Calaveras Rd. 11:28-11:32am; Mt. Diablo(!!) 1:13-1:46pm; Patterson Pass 3:04-4:06pm.
Festival: 11:00-4:30pm, 59 SOUTH L. ST., Livermore
Local Ride: King of the Mountain Charity Cycling Challenge San Jose, Sierra Rd, May 15, 2012.
Local Walk: Breakaway Mile Livermore, May 15, 2012
Stage 3 video stage preview
San Jose road and street closures May 15th
Dowtown Road Closures for Livermore May 15th. Rolling Road Closures near Livermore.

ATOC Stage 3 route map

ATOC Stage 3 route profile

Wednesday, May 16 - Stage 4 Distance: 130.2 miles
Stage 4 Map | Stage 4 Profile | Stage 4 Log (time table)

START: Sonora at 10:35am Neutral Start at Yaney and Washington St.
FINISH: Clovis at 3:39-5:10pm Race Finish at Bullard Ave. and Pollasky Ave.
2 SPRINT: CA 49/1401 in Mariposa 12:37-1:14pm; Crane Valley Rd Oakhurst at 1:39-2:34pm.
6 KOMs: 5 locations along CA49 Mariposa (please see log above); Crane Valley Rd 1:52-5:51pm.
Festival: 11:00-4:30pm, 522 POLLASKY AVE., Clovis
Local Event: Mayor's Reception Sonora, 5:30pm, May 12, 2012
Local Event: Mayor's VIP Brunch Sonora, May 16, 2012
Local Walk: Breakaway Mile Clovis, May 16, 2012
Stage 4 video stage preview
Old Town Clovis race information website and downtown map
City of Clovis street closures on May 16th (.pdf file)

ATOC stage 4 route map

ATOC stage 4 route profile

Thursday, May 17 - Stage 5 Distance: 18.4 miles (Individual Time Trial)
Stage 5 Map | Stage 5 Profile | Stage 5 Log (time table)

START: Bakersfield at 1:00pm Race Start at Mt Vernon Ave. onto Alfred Harrell Hwy.
*Tip: Riders begin 1-minute apart until the last 10 riders, who begin 2-minutes apart. The rider in last place will start first, the rider in 1st place (in current overall standings) will start last. Print out the results list from Stage 4 and bring it with you so you will know the order of the riders. Also learn the jerseys so you will recognize the approaching rider as they sometimes change order while racing the course (faster riders overtaking others).
FINISH: Bakersfield at approximately 4:00pm, Race Finish on Panorama Dr. at College
Festival: 10:00-4:30pm, 1801 PANORAMA DR., Bakersfield
Stage 5 video stage preview
Bakersfield road closures near College on May 17th
Amgen Tour of California Women's Time Trial presented by AEG and SRAM, May 17, 2012, Women's start time 11:10am. 10 women to compete in this invitational event with $10,000 prize, 18.4km (on the same course as men's stage which follows at 1:00pm).

ATOC stage 5 route map (ITT)

ATOC stage 5 route profile ITT

Friday, May 18 - Stage 6 Presented by Visit California, Distance: 115.7 miles
Stage 6 Map | Stage 6 Profile | Stage 6 Log (time table)

START: Palmdale at 10:25am Neutral Start at Marie Kerr Park
FINISH: Big Bear Lake at 2:59-4:21pm Race Finish on Summit Blvd. at Switzerland Dr.
2 SPRINTS: Crestline 1:33-2:29pm; Fawnskin 2:44-4:02pm
4 KOMs: Mt. Emma 11:03-11:15am; Wrightwood 12:11-12:43pm; CA 138 (near Old Mill Rd) 1:23-2:17pm; CA 18 near Rimforest 1:50-2:51pm.
Festival: 11:00-4:30pm, 880 SUMMIT BLVD, Big Bear Lake
Local Ride: King of the Mountain Experience Bear Lake, May 18, 2012
Local event: School Kid Races, Bear Lake, May 18, 2012
Local events: Schedule of events in Big Bear on race day
Stage 6 video stage preview
Amgen Tour of California Big Bear Race Day Spectator Guide
Road Closures into Big Bear - Traffic advisory Stage 6: State Routes 2, 138, 18, 38, and roads in Big Bear. Rolling Closures and some full Road Closures (see definitions below).

ATOC stage 6 route map

ATOC stage 6 route profile

Saturday, May 19 - Stage 7 Distance: 78.3 miles
Stage 7 Map | Stage 7 Profile | Stage 7 Log (time table)

START: Ontario at 12:00pm Neutral Start at Convention Center
FINISH: Mt. Baldy at 3:17-3:56pm Finish at Mt. Baldy(!!) Ski Area (Category HC)
1 SPRINT: Glendora 2:09-2:35pm
2 KOMs: Glendora Ridge Rd at Mt Baldy Rd 12:43-12:51pm; Glendora Mt. Rd., Finish 2:34-3:04pm.
Festival: 11:00-4:30pm, 8401 MT. BALDY ROAD, Mt Baldy
Stage 7 video stage preview
Glendora Mountain Rd blog use as a rough guideline for 2012 - good road description and road closures from race day in 2011.

ATOC stage 7 route map

ATOC stage 7 route profile

Sunday, May 20 - Stage 8 Presented by Amgen, Distance: 44.7 miles
Stage 8 Map | Stage 8 Profile | Stage 8 Log (time table)

START: Beverly Hills, Rodeo Dr. at 10:10am
FINISH: Los Angeles (L.A. LIVE), 11th and Figueroa at 11:42-11:58am.
1 SPRINT: as they begin lap #1 of 5 laps near the finish at 10:53-11:01am.
Festival: 8:30-1:00pm 1111 SOUTH FIGUEROA ST., Los Angeles
Local Walk: Breakaway Mile Los Angeles, May 20, 2012
Local Ride: Nissan Ride Before the Pros' start at 11th & Figueroa, 8:00-9:30am, route is 1 lap of the last circuit near L.A. LIVE, Free but must register
Stage 8 video stage preview
Road Closures: The citizen's event ride begins on the circuit loop at 8:00am, this section will likely be completely closed in the morning. Police and crossing guards will allow traffic to cross (but not drive on) the route from Beverly Hills to L.A. LIVE at certain points during early morning hours. The real race begins at 10:10am, the route will be completely closed perhaps 15-30 minutes before the race and remain closed for the duration of the race. During the race, pedestrians on foot will be allowed to cross the course at designated crossing points monitored by police or volunteers, you may have to walk 4-8 blocks between crossings.

ATOC stage 8 route map

ATOC stage 8 route profile

Route of 2012 Nissan Ride Before the Pros and detail of last 5 laps of Stage 8

Cycling Terminology for the Amgen Tour of California

Riders: In professional cycling the racers are generally called riders as opposed to racers or cyclists.
Roster: A list of each rider on each team, their country, and their bib (dossard) number. Bring a roster with you so you may easily identify riders. Both the rider and their bike will be numbered. Some riders have their last name on their jersey of helmet.

Route map: The course or path the riders will take from start to finish. Some stages will have laps where riders will repeat the same few blocks within the stage. Stage 8 has 5 laps before the finish.
Stage profile: Maps the ascents and descents along a stage. It is often fun for fans to see the riders on a climb where the rider's speed slows slightly (or coming around a corner).
Rolling neutral start: Riders begin at a start line but do not begin racing until a few blocks or miles into the route (the distance varies). A neutral start is used if the start area conditions are narrow, crowded, or unsafe for race conditions. A neutral start is also sometimes used as a show of respect. Stages 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7 all have neutral starts this year.
Rolling Closure: Rolling road closures affect all traffic on the race route - roads are not considered "closed" but instead closed as the riders proceed along the route, enabling the racers to maintain a race speed. Rolling closures are exactly controlled and orchestrated by police, race marshals, local volunteers, and race officials for the safety of both riders and citizens. Roads are closed to all on-coming and entering traffic 20-30 minutes before the race caravan passes a stretch of road. Once the line of riders and official cars have passed each section safely, the road section will be immediately re-opened by officials or volunteers. Rolling closures are temporary moving closures, expect delays of 30-45 minutes.
Road Closure: Road Closures are completely closed to auto traffic, but often remain open to pedestrian foot traffic and bike traffic up until a set time prior to the race passing through. Road Closure times will be posted by city officials notifying citizens ahead of time, all citizens must obey. Road closures are strictly enforced and necessary for safety, with no exceptions other than official race vehicles allowed passage.
KOM (King of Mountain): First rider to the top of a designated climb on the race route. Riders receive points, the rider with the most points wins the King of the Mountain (KOM) (climber's) jersey. The jersey transfers each day to the rider with the most points overall. There may be more than one KOM point in a stage, Stage 4 has 6 KOMs.
Sprint: First rider to a designated sprint line on the race route. Riders receive points, the rider with the most points wins the sprint (green) jersey. The jersey transfers each day to the rider with the most points overall. There may be more than one KOM point in a stage, Stage 2 has 3 SPRINTS.
Leader: There will be a current leader out on course while the race is taking place, but the overall Leader (yellow jersey) is the rider with the lowest (fastest) overall time for all stages. The winner of each day's stage is called the Stage Winner, not the Leader.
Feed zone: A designated area on the route where team staff must pass out food bags (musettes) to the riders containing food. Water may be handed to riders through team cars throughout the stage.
Breakaway: 1 to a few riders who are leading the race and ahead of the main peloton
Peloton: The main pack of riders chasing the lead breakaway.
Podium girls: A tradition in professional cycling to have 2 beautiful women present the awards to the riders at the finish of every stage.
Podium: Each day the top three riders finishing the stage are awarded 1st, 2nd, 3rd prizes on the podium. Then the 6 overall Classification jerseys are awarded.
Classification Jerseys: Awards for best type of rider in a field. This year the Tour of California will feature 6 classifications: Leader (fastest overall time, yellow jersey), Most Courageous (by vote, white jersey), Mountain (climber, red polka dot jersey), Sprint (fastest sprinter, green jersey), Best Young rider (under the age of 23, orange jersey), Most Aggressive (most combative/competitive, black jersey). As the stage race progresses the overall classification winner is presented with his jersey after each stage and will wear the jersey at the start of the next day's stage. View the Official 2012 Jerseys.
Stage Race: a cycling race consisting of more than one day of racing, where points and time is tallied every day to determine an overall winner at the end of the race. The 2012 Amgen Tour of California will have 8 stages.
Bib Number or Dossard: please read an earlier Pedal Dancer post to understand how riders are numbered: Word of the Day: Dossard

*For more terminology read the Amgen Tour of California Bicycle Racing Terminology: A Primer. For a far more advanced international version read The Inner Ring's glossary of cycling terms Lexicon.

HELPFUL LINKS TO PREPARE FOR YOUR DAY AS A FAN

Jerseys of the 2012 Tour of California or 2012 team jerseys
Tour of California teams announced for 2012 (and VIP)
Amgen Tour of California schedule of TV coverage
What a fan needs, what a fan wants come prepared as a fan
Follow the race result standings on the official ATOC website.
Are VIP tickets worth it? or Buy VIP tickets
Volunteer
Buy your fan apparel
Lifestyle Festival exhibitors will be near the finish line at each stage
Amgen Tour of California - much Thanks to the Sponsors!
Pedal Dancer TOUR OF CALIFORNIA resource page.

Amgen Tour of California schedule of TV coverage

2012-05-05T16:43:00.002-06:00

2012 NBC TV race coverage and Tour Tracker

If you cannot attend a stage of the 2012 Amgen Tour of California, you can still watch the race LIVE at home. Your have two choices: watch the TV coverage on NBC Sports Network and NBC Sports; or watch it live online at the Amgen Tour of California website FREE via Tour Tracker or by downloading the Tour Tracker app for iOS or Android devices.

Before the stage race begins next week, tomorrow Sunday May 6th, NBC is hosting a TV preview show highlighting all 8 stages of the race scheduled for May13-20, 2012 (route). Visit California, a major sponsor of the race, is sponsoring this Nissan Preview Show, airing at 1PM PDT/2PM MST/4PM EDT (Live!).

TV COVERAGE of the race

NBC Sports Network - TV schedule of race coverage of Amgen Tour of California

SUNDAY, MAY 6

NISSAN PREVIEW SHOW PRESENTED BY VISIT CALIFORNIA

1PM PDT/4PM EDT (LIVE)

- - -

SUNDAY, MAY 13

SANTA ROSA

2PM PDT/5PM EDT (LIVE)

MONDAY, MAY 14

SAN FRANCISCO TO SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

2PM PDT/5PM EDT (LIVE)

TUESDAY, MAY 15

SAN JOSE TO LIVERMORE

2PM PDT/5PM EDT (LIVE)

WEDNESDAY, MAY 16

SONORA TO CLOVIS

2PM PDT/5PM EDT (LIVE)

THURSDAY, MAY 17

BAKERSFIELD

2PM PDT/5PM EDT (LIVE)

FRIDAY, MAY 18

PALMDALE TO BIG BEAR LAKE

2PM PDT/5PM EDT (LIVE)

SATURDAY, MAY 19

ONTARIO TO MT. BALDY

4PM PDT/7PM EDT

NBC - TV schedule of race coverage of Amgen Tour of California

SUNDAY, MAY 20

BEVERLY HILLS TO LOS ANGELES (L.A. LIVE)
10AM PDT/1PM EDT (LIVE)

TOUR TRACKER

If you intend to watch the race coverage online, the big news for 2012 is that RadioShack (sponsor of the RadioShack Nissan Trek team) will be providing Tour Tracker FREE to all fans. Use Tour Tracker every day to watch live coverage of the last 2 hours of the stage (with a pause and rewind feature). Enjoy typical Tour Tracker features including overall standings, route maps, profiles, gaps, break aways, and which riders are where out on the course. (You may follow the entire stage by GPS and live text coverage.)

If you miss the live coverage because of work or family commitments, no problem, visit Tour Tracker any time of day to view video highlights. They will also provide a gallery of still photographs. Tour Tracker is not yet live on the Amgen Tour of California website, but you will be able to go to the website www.amgentourofcalifornia.com next week and select the race-live tab. Download Tour Tracker Amgen Tour of California app for Apple iTunes. iPad gadget. Android app.

WHO WATCHES CYCLING

Two days ago The Inner Ring (cycling blog) wrote a very interesting informative piece on the demographics of, and differentiating between, the cycling fan and the cycling audience (Cycling Fans Versus The Mass Market Audience By Inrng.com). Please give it a read; of particular interest is his statement, "Do you know who the biggest watchers of bike races are in France, Spain, Belgium, Italy and Switzerland? The over-60s. And the second largest component of the audience? Women aged 35-55." That would be me!

I am so excited because for a long time I have known that there are plenty of people who watch bike races as arm chair travelers. That is much of the intent of Pedal Dancer™ - to help viewers understand what they are seeing while taking them on a journey. No matter your age or gender, I am eternally grateful to every single fan who turns on their TVs as well as those who show up at races to watch. Because the sponsors like you, the teams need sponsors, the riders need teams - it is the circle of life - see how important you are!

THE BEAUTY OF CYCLING

Now having said that, please watch the NBC sports network's preview show on the Tour of California, but do not get turned-off by the fact that the Individual Time Trial in 2012 will be located in Bakersfield. I know, it is impossible to top beautiful quaint Solvang as the traditional home of the Time Trial, but remember, although Bakersfield, California was recently named the most polluted city in the United States for 2012, there are many other beautiful things to see at a time trial stage. You will be delighted with colorful fans, a fun expo Lifestyle Festival area, team cars and buses, the most beautiful bikes in the world, plus some pretty beautiful athletes as well.

Now to share a few images I had yet to post from last year's 2011 Amgen Tour of California Individual Time Trial in Solvang, CA. Below are images of the typical mood and scene at a time trial. Please come enjoy the fun, I will be there. Or watch at home, television viewers are just as good for this sport. Please notice the team sponsors and give them your support.

Images from 2011 Solvang Time Trial Tour of California

A very friendly town ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Morning coffee at our favorite Bulldog Cafe http://bookloftsolvang.com/Bulldog-Cafe.html

The time time starting gate ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Watch the riders prepare ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Johan Vansummeren ready to race ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Bernie Eisel and Nick Nuyens waiting just behind the start ramp ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Riders warming up before their individual race ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Chris Froome ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Nick Nuyens signing an autograph ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Lucas Sebastian Haedo takes a photo with fans ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Peter Sagan ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Jacob and Andy Schleck ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Johan Vansummeren ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Chris Horner at the start ramp ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

The Fans ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

For more images and stories from the day:

Pedal Dancer: Stage 5 Tour of California May 20 2011

Pedal Dancer: Image of the Day: Bernie in Solvang May 27 2011

Pedal Dancer: Quote of the Day: Nick Nuyens & Ted King May 20 2011

Pedal Dancer: Amgen Tour of California plans May 14 2011

Pedal Dancer: Tour of California - pictures from the past May 1 2011

Pedal Dancer: Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen May 17 2010

Nissan Ride Before the Pros'

2012-05-04T13:19:00.001-06:00

Citizens event ride before Stage 8 of Amgen Tour of California

Date: Sunday, May, 20, 2012

Location: L.A. LIVE (Staples Center) 11th & Figueroa, Los Angeles, CA

Time: 8:00-9:30am

Cost: Free (but you must register ahead of time)

Who can ride: anyone!, all experience levels

Distance: 5-miles

Registration: Register for Nissan Ride Before the Pros'

Website: www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/nissan

If you missed the recent l'Etape du California allowing citizens to ride (race) a complete stage (Stage 7) of the 2012 Amgen Tour of California, don't worry, you'll have another chance to ride a small section of a stage on Sunday, May 20th, as all citizens are invited to ride the final circuit loop of Stage 8 in Los Angeles. The distance is only 5-miles, everyone is invited to participate (who owns a bike), and the ride is FREE. Come join in the fun!

The 'Nissan Ride Before the Pros,' taking place in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday May 20, 2012 from 8-9:30 a.m., will allow cyclists of all levels to ride on a 5-mile, closed-circuit course that will be part of the 2012 Amgen Tour of California's eighth and final stage taking place that same day. Free to participants of all experience levels, the 'Nissan Ride Before the Pros' will begin and end at the official finish line where the professional riders competing in the 2012 Amgen Tour of California will cross to complete the 42.6-mile stage they started in Beverly Hills on Rodeo Drive earlier in the day.

Read more on the official Amgen Tour of California website: Nissan Ride Before the Pros.

Route of 2012 Nissan Ride Before the Pros

Bring the kids and family - the next Dave Zabriskie (who happens to live locally in Los Angeles) could be in the crowd, waiting to be inspired. Note that the VIP area in Los Angeles opens at 8:30am, so you will have time to participate in this fun event, then grab a nice cool drink and a snack. Also getting there early will ensure you have a good place along the street to watch the real race, which begins at 10:10am.

Stage 8: Start in Beverly Hills, on Rodeo Dr at 10:10am, 5 loops begin *(map above) in Los Angeles at 11:01am, the Finish will be between 11:42am and 11:58am (depending on the speed of the racers) at the Finish area on 11th and Figueroa.

Los Angeles, Stage 8, Amgen Tour of Califronia route maps and timetables:
Stage 8 Stage Map
Stage 8 Stage Profile
Stage 8 Stage Log

If 5-miles is not enough, you could be one of the select few citizens who will be joining the Chris Carmichael "Going Pro" team and riding prior to the pros at every stage of the 2012 Amgen Tour of California. How this will work out logistically still baffles my mind, but you can read more about it here, (keep in mind it'll cost you $11,500): 2012 CTS Amgen Tour of California Race Experience. This same experience will be offered at the USA Pro Cycling Challenge in Colorado in August 2012.

An Interview with Thomson Bike Tours

2012-05-03T13:57:00.002-06:00

On being a cycling guide operator in Europe - a fun and informative interview with Peter Thomson of Thomson Bike Tours

Have you ever dreamed of taking a vacation trip to France to ride your bike? Have you watched the Tour de France from your home and yearned to be there, riding and cheering? Your dreams are possible - experienced bicycle tour companies are ready, whenever your are, to turn your dreams into reality. But the tour operator you select matters, as a fan who has traveled to France and the Tour de France for many years, I appreciate the hard work that goes into providing excellent experiences for cycling fans, I also recognize quality.

I was happy to have a Skype conversation with Peter Thomson of Thomson Bike Tours (www.thomsonbiketours.com) last January. I specifically wanted to interview Peter because of his company's deep and broad experience. They operate bike tours in Spain, France, Italy, Switzerland, and Belgium, guiding trips for fans to the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia, Vuelta a España, Criterium du Dauphine, and the Paris-Roubaix as an official partner with A.S.O. (Amaury Sport Organization), organizers of the Tour de France.

Thomson bike Tours is one of only two operators worldwide to hold a "Master" License as official tour operator for Paris-Roubaix Gran Fondo and all other ASO cycling events.

As a partner Thomson Bike Tours is eligible to lead bike tours and offer VIP access to any A.S.O race. In 2012, they will be registering riders for both acts of the 2012 L'Étape du Tour, held in July, as an official tour operator. Thomson Bike Tours is also known for their popular non-race chasing trans trips offering avid cyclists the opportunity to cycle across a choice of mountain ranges in Europe. In addition they run cycling tours to the Alpes, Tuscany, or Lombardy and Lake Como.

Looking for a challenge - ride across a mountain range in 1 week. 2012 trip schedule.

You could be here (on the Col d'Aubisque). Photo by Thomson Bike Tours

Prime road side race viewing Photo by Thomson Bike Tours

I would love to have a staffed support vehicle behind me Photo by Thomson Bike Tours

always another climb just around the bend

I know enough about cycling in France to recognize a very well planned itinerary. I believe Thomson Bike Tours does it right and is contributing to making the fan experience a good one. In 2008 I rode to the top of Col d'Aspin on a stage of the Tour de France, and there I witnessed the happy Thomson Bike Tour clients gathered under this tent at the summit of the col. Believe me, I wanted to join them. I never imagined when I clicked this photo below that I would be meeting Peter by Skype years later.


Thomson Bike Tours at the Tour de France, photo by PedalDancer.com

Thomson Bike Tours created one of my all-time favorite lists - a list of the top 50 climbs in Europe. A purely fun list which instantly creates a bucket list for every cyclist who dreams of cycling in France and Italy. Request your copy of their recommended top 50 climbs by writing to Thomson Bike Tours at: Send me my new to-do list.

What are the benefits of joining a tour company?

Experience; a professional tour company will save you 100's of hours in planning a trip on your own. They remove the guess work, the probable blunders, the communication gaps, the need to check your GPS every 12 miles, the need to rent a car, arrange accommodations, or pack all your water and food on your back during an already hard-enough climb up a mountain side. Tour companies are a smart luxury.

By the looks of their profile maps they also count the Cols for you, and maybe encourage you to keep climbing!

Thomson Bike Tours Trans-Alps route, do this in 7 days!

Now that we have covered who, where and why, it is time to hear from Peter. Knowing that the readers of Pedal Dancer are a group of fun-loving professional cycling fans who like to ride a bike and enjoy the culture of other countries, I contacted Peter Thomson with some simple questions. I finished the conversation wishing I could spend a week cycling with Pete, his enthusiasm and knowledge were evident but relaxed.

Peter Thomson

Thomson Bike Tour clients riding in the Pyrenees

Interview with Pete Thomson of Thomson Bike Tours:

One comment can change your life

In 2002, after moving to Barcelona with his wife, Peter headed to the Tour de France organizing a trip for 4-5 friends to watch the race in the Pyrenees. Two or three days into their own trip, one of those friends suggested to Peter that he "do this for a living." That very night they happened upon a Graham Baxter tour group at their hotel in town. After listening to the comments (and yes complaints on logistics) from some of the 60-80 guests, it occurred to Peter that he could do it better. He returned to Barcelona where he currently lives, had a friend put together a website, organized his trip to the 2003 Tour de France, within one month he had bookings. "Ok Paul what do we do now," he laughed remembering his comment to his friend.

The next year he lead a dozen clients on his first tour to the Pyrenees and the Alps. "It all just took off from there, pure chance, I had never thought about it before," Peter said. They had a great time, the clients returned home and told their friends, the next year they had 60 clients. Peter had been working in IT at the time, he was a project manager at SAP. He marveled how that one comment at the 2002 Tour de France had changed his life (and many others). The last 4 years have been particularly busy for Thomson Bike Tours.

Interview:

Karen: Not everyone is suited to lead a tour or build a company as you have, to complete the logistical work so that others may enjoy themselves. What made you think this was a good fit for you?
Peter: I have always loved cycling, I have always loved the mountains. I grew up in Scotland, we would ride our bikes to get to the mountains so that we could climb every weekend. And I have always loved maps. I could sit and look at a map for hours. I could ride my bike, I could share all these great bike rides with people, and I could use the maps. All the skill set I learned in project management - I could use in organizing bike tours. I had my resource and gantt charts (he laughs) - it all worked. All the planning that went into the trip, everything just worked and the client really appreciated that, they loved being able to relax and enjoy themselves. I get emails from people that say it has changed their life forever, just phenomenal emails. We have clients who come twice a year. They say, "I don't have to pay for a therapist, I just come to Thomson Bike Tours." I have built up so many friendships over the years. I view most of the clients as friends.

85% of Clients are returning customers

Karen: Do you have a large percentage of repeat customers?
Peter: About 85% of clients each year are either repeats or word or mouth. It is a huge network, we don't have to do much advertising. If you put on a good trip and everyone has a great time, they will go back on their Sunday morning ride and tell everyone about it. If you put on a bad trip, the same will happen, so you just have to continue to put on great trips and the clients will do the work for you. They absolutely want to come back. People come every year, or two years, on some trips we have 20-30 repeats on the one trip. It becomes a club atmosphere, the old clients take care of the new clients.

Karen: I saw your group at the top of the Col d'Aspin in 2008, I saw your tent and I have to say your clients were having a great time. On over five trips to the Tour de France I have seen most tour companies out there, some are over the top, some are huge, sometimes the people are clearly not happy; I wanted to speak with you because you appear to do it right.
Peter:: We have a lot of fun, the staff are all personalities in their own way. It is what I want to have; we ride hard, each tour is very very challenging, but at the end of the day we want to have a good time, we want to have a good laugh. It is that mix of having really good rides, behind it all you have to have good support, the clients are willing to get out and try to ride 4 cols in one day because they know the support is there. The support has got to be there, then have a nice time at night. That night before the stage of the Col d'Aspin, there was a huge thunderstorm at 1:00am, all the tents blew off the top across the road and down the mountain side, it was wild, but it all came off pretty well the next day.

Karen: Do you have a guide that stays overnight in your locations?
Peter: Yes, to get that place on the Col d'Aspin we have students that work with us, they will go up and camp out 2-3 or 8-10 nights before the stage comes through. They camp out and hold the spot, then set up the day before. It is the only way to get a good spot. On Mont Ventoux we had a team in place 10 days before. People will say to us, "oh your trip is kind of expensive" but once they have been on the trip and see all that goes into it, they say "wow". Because a lot of tour companies abandon their clients on the mountain tops, one year on the Peyresourde, we had the entire Steve Bauer Tour inside our tent watching the TV.

Favorite climbs in Europe

Karen: I have always enjoyed the list you put together of the top climbs in Europe. Which is your favorite?
Peter: Your favorite is often the climb you rode well on the year before, but I would say one of my favorites in the Stelvio, or the Col d' Bonnette, it is a beautiful climb from the northern side.
Karen: What about your clients?
Peter: The ones they want to do before they come over are Alpe d'Huez, Galibier, and the Stelvio. After they have been over the most popular climb is probably the Stelvio. Have you done the Stelvio?
Karen: No, I haven't.
Peter: Oh, from the Plateau de Stelvio, is beautiful.

Karen: Last year A.S.O. began offering two stages in L'Etape du Tour, are you guiding both and why did they decide to offer two stages for cyclotourists?
Peter: Yes, and demand. There is a massive demand in Europe, they sell out. From an organization and logistics standpoint it is big, I will be going to both of them this year. Our tours will be limited to 20-30 people for each stage, I want to maintain a level of quality and control.

Karen: Which tours have already sold out this year (this interview was in January)?
Peter: Trans-Dolomites is completely sold out. Trans-Pyrenees, Trans-Alps, and our Trans-Swiss. We have a series of trans trips and they are doing really really well. It is the level of difficulty, and the aspect of crossing a mountain range that appeals to people, it captures their imagination.
Karen: That kind of imagination is especially nice when sitting at an office desk throughout the winter months.
Peter: If you look at our typical client they are definitely Type A personalities, they love the challenge, they love it to be hard, they have been successful in their business life and now they want to do something else.

Logistical planning at the Tour de France

Karen: Have you ever been blocked off at the bottom of the Tourmalet on a day of the Tour de France?
Peter: Oh ya, many times, for various reasons sometimes they change the [closure] time. It happened on Mont Ventoux. I was waiting for the last few clients to come through, I have a checklist of clients, as I waited they [the Gendarmes] closed the road. I always have a plan B, I had scoped out another route through a vineyard, so we ran through the vineyard and hopped back on our bikes. There is always a way around, you just have to know the area, and keep going at it.

Karen: Where do your clients come from?
Peter: 80% from North America, Australia, South Africa, Mexico, Hong Kong. If Europeans want to go to the Tour de France, they jump in their car. There has to be an overseas clientele [Peter speaks English, Spanish, French]. By 2013 there is a good chance we might begin offering tours in North America.

Karen: I am not certain people understand the level of quality you offer on your tours.
Peter: Unless you have been with us, people cannot understand the level of service. We have clients who have been with 8-10 other tour operators but once they have been with us they realize this is a whole different level of service. It is like the Tour de France, unless you have been, it is hard to explain to anyone what it is like. [so true!]

Karen: Some of the cycling tour companies are huge, I don't know how they don't loose people.
Peter: Oh we have found people. I think the first one was two guys we found in the Pyrenees at the top of a Col de Peyresourde. It was between 7 and 8 at night, they were completely lost, they hadn't seen their tour group in the past 2 days! They had stopped and found their own hotels. They had a .pdf with the tour hotel names, we took them to the bottom of the valley [2 valleys away], and set them on the bike trail to Lourdes. They were two climbs away, they were cold, lost and starving, so we took them in the van. That is terrible. There was another tour operator team of a husband and wife at the Giro who had 3 clients and managed to loose all three. The husband was standing outside the hotel with a pair of binoculars at 8pm looking for them. There are lot of good tour operators, but some are an embarrassment.

Mountain top finishes

Karen: Do most of your clients want to go to a mountain top finish, time trial, start or finish of a stage?
Peter: The mountain top. They might want to go to a stage finish, just to hang around the technical area and meet some of the riders. But the main focus is the mountain top, because we have the tents and the satellite TVs, and the big buffet lunch, and such a nice atmosphere - they really enjoy that.
Karen: I am smiling because for me, when on my own, a mountain top finish means I will be out there for hours, hungry, thirsty, cold, absolutely wiped out the next day. I need a full rest day after a day at a mountain top. No wonder your clients like the experience if you make it so nice for them.
Peter: It is a bit of a fear factor for me, I am going to take 30 guys to the top of the Tourmalet, it can snow in July at the top, I can't leave them at the top without shelter. It can be miserable up there.
Karen: If your clients are well taken care of, it means they can enjoy every day of their vacation.
Peter: If you have ridden up Tourmalet, and you have sat up there freezing all day, and you need to ride up over the Peyresourde to get back to your hotel ... what a miserable day. I think of myself, what would I like to do? Every client has a backpack we bring up for them so they can change out of their wet clothes and have a nice time up there, it is a different philosophy.
Karen: I want to sign up.
Peter: For us it is a logistical nightmare, but there are ways of getting the supplies to the top.

Difficult beautiful bike riding

Karen: Do your clients come with proper gearing?
Peter: No. I recommend they come with a triple or at best if they are a strong rider come with a compact 34-27/28. Take my recommendation. But every year someone comes with a 39-25, by the second day they are cooked. People don't understand if you ride these climbs one-off you can get up, but if you ride 4 cols in a day, and then the next day and the next day, then your legs start to hurt, so you need the small gears to get through the entire week. I could be a millionaire if we had a stock of triples and where selling them halfway up the Tourmalet. It doesn't help that it looks relatively easy on the TV coverage [by the professionals].

Karen: Every year when the route is announced, is there an area where you are excited to see included and pleased to go back to?
Peter: Probably around La Clusaz near the Col d'Arvis/Col d'Croiz Fer (Grand Bornand area east of Lake Annecy). It is a beautiful area [this happens to be my favorite as well]. Other than that I am always happy when there is something around St-Lary-Soulon, Col d'Azet/Val Louron, Col de Peyresourde [all in the Pyrenees]. There are some areas where you know the hotels are hard to find or there will be van transfers, we avoid van transfers at all costs, clients come to ride their bikes.

Karen: What is your favorite region of France?
Peter: Definitely the Pyrenees. A lot of people start on the Tour de France with us. Then they realize they want to come back and do the rides without the chaos of the Tour de France, and that is when they do the Trans-Pyrenees trips. You do not want to see the Tour de France every day. Keep it simple, see it once or twice to experience it but not get exhausted. I really believe for a week at the Tour de France if you see it twice that is enough and ride the other five days, it is perfect. [so true!]

A master of logistics

As much of a logistical wizard that Peter Thomson is, he is also a good rider and an excellent story teller. He has been to the Tour de France for 30 years, guided for 10 years, if you enjoy stories of race history, travel, and key riders through the years - Peter Thomson is a treasure trove of stories. I will save these stories so you may hear them first hand during your trip. You will be assured of hard rides during the day and entertaining stories over dinner in the evenings. During our 1'20" interview I enjoyed Peter's stories of Bernard Hinault (an old teammate of his), Alberto Contador, Lance Armstrong, George Hincapie, Poppo, and others.

This morning Thomson Bike Tours published an interview with two of their recent clients in their newsletter. Sign up today and you can read Fred Schwartz from Larkspur, California and Gary Mann of Seattle, Washington tell their stories.

Related posts and links:

I wrote a previous post about Thomson Bike Tours and their top 50 climbs list included in the Grand Tours of 2011: The best climbs in Europe in the Grand Tours, or A non-cycling fan trip to the TDF (also offered by Thomson Bike Tours). An earlier post about cycling tour companies Take a Tour. I have included sections of this interview with Peter in other posts in recent months: George Hincapie, Contador and Armstrong.

View the 2012 Thomson Bike Tour trips, view their trip photo albums. Sign-up for Thomson Bike Tours' regularly published newsletter with stories and wonderful photography. Watch a video of their clients at the 2011 Tour de France (with loud music).

I wish them luck and hope to see their happy clients out of the road in France this July, where I will be wishing I had a buffet lunch waiting for me on a mountain top in the Pyrenees. I am encouraging Peter to come to Colorado to lead his quality of tour at the USA Pro Cycling Challenge, if interested - please ask him. Perhaps one day soon we can see this level of tour operator within range of an easy national flight. www.thomsonbiketours.com

Stories from Belgium

2012-04-30T23:59:00.001-06:00

Some of my favorite moments in Belgium

For my friends who keep asking me "I can't wait to hear stories from Belgium," I decided to finally write a few stories down on this last day of April before I forget them. In addition to these stories below I greatly enjoyed the cities of Gent, Bruges, Oudenaarde, and Ypres (leper). Tyne Cot and the WWI memorials were very meaningful. The velodrome in Roubaix was fun because I will always remember being there while watching the Paris-Roubaix from my home in the United States in coming years. I will also remember being in Belgium the year Tom Boonen won both the Ronde van Vlaanderen and the Paris-Roubaix.

Ghent (Gent) ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Ypres and the Menin Gate ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Tyne Cot memorial ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Brugge ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

And now story time, but first why not sit back and enjoy a nice cool Belgian beer ...

#1 Oscar Freire is standing behind me

It was the morning of the Tour of Flanders, I had flown from Colorado to Belgium specifically to be a fan at this race (and the Paris-Roubaix the following weekend). I didn't want to miss a thing, so I purchased a VIP Pass to the start in Bruges (Brugge). I was thrilled when I walked through the gates into the team area, I thought this is where I belong. I immediately began my typical "floating" as I call it, moving from one team to the next. Just then I caught site of some wildly dressed fans near the Katousha bus. Located on the outside of the fenced area, they were cheering loudly. Perfect photo op, I thought as I approached with my camera raised.

The fans started going crazy chanting "Oscar Freire, Oscar Freire, Oscar Freire." Wow they are really hamming it up for me ... wait a minute ... something is up ... I turned around and standing directly behind me was former World Champion Oscar Freire (Katousha) with his typical smile and playful disposition and iphone raised high capturing the fans. He was loving every minute of it. We all laughed as I tried to step out of the way. (p.s. happy ending, those crazy fans were let into the fenced area shortly after). View images from the VIP team area at Tour of Flanders: Pedal Dancer Images.

©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Oscar is behind me ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Who let the fans ~~out~~ in? ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

#2 Singing with the Belgian fans
For years I had watched the Paris-Roubaix on TV and dreamed of being among the fans standing at the side of the road. My dream was not to race or even ride, my dream was to belong. To fade into the sideline. When my turn came it was more than I could have imagined. In absolute awe I walked into the Arenberg forest on April 8th. We didn't get far before we were swept up by an incredibly enthusiastic clan of Belgian fans signing and chanting. They merrily taught me their song line by line; they would sing, I would repeat. I don't speak Flemish, I have no idea what I sang that day, but years of Catholic masses singing in Latin, University choirs in Italian and German, and my Irish roots did not go to waste - I sang out loud and clear. I had the time of my life. When in France ... sing with the Belgians! (Pedal Dancer: I was a fan at the Paris-Roubaix)

©Photo by PedalDancer.com

#3 Singing Sweet Caroline in a friet met mayonnaise line at the Paris-Roubaix
Enough said - great fun.

#4 Meeting cyclists and new friends
A great big thank you to the cyclists and friends I met during my travels who added so much to my experience of traveling in Belgium: To Ernie who shared his enthusiasm and was in Belgium to join Velo Classics Tours, plus the other group of cyclists I met in the customs line at Brussels Airport and later saw on the Mur de Grammont that same day (Pedal Dancer: The Mur de Grammont); to Bobby Julich and Georges Lüchinger who allowed me to take images of team SKY and BMC; to Rich and Ricardo Hincapie and their friends for a warm welcome in Kortrijk; to Chris (from SRAM) and Maureen who sat next to me on the hillside of Kwaremont watching the Tour of Flanders; to Steve from Great Britain who gave me tips and stories from his own solo travels as a fan; to the informative guide at Tyne Cot who shared a free short history lesson about WWI; to Ken, Jaye, Kyle and Colleen who taught me how to truly enjoy a good Belgian beer in Bruges; to Gregg and Holly from The Chain Stay and their ever-flowing hospitality; to Jon and Matt who joined my niece and I on a perfect day at the Paris-Roubaix. Thank you.

Cyclists on the Mur de Grammont ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Chris and Maureen on the Kwaremont (RVV) ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Jaye and Ken from New Belgium Brewing at De Garre

Jon and Matt of Subaru-Trek at Paris-Roubaix ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

#5 VIP Pass in Bruges
Arranging for the VIP pass through the organizers of the Ronde van Vlaanderen was an amazing experience and totally worth it. I had the pass sent to my hotel, it came with a map and parking permit and instructions (completely in Flemish) for €90. We started the morning with a fantastic buffet breakfast inside the concert hall next the t'Zand square. The entire market square was fenced off, unfortunately without a VIP pass, in Bruges you won't get inside the fence, making it is hard to see anything. Our breakfast was at 8am. Because we were there early, we had plenty of room to move around and watch the teams and riders get ready before the start blocks away at Markt Square (a different location, where you may also purchase VIP tickets to this specific local).

Without a pass I would recommend looking from the outside in at t'Zand, then walking to the great atmosphere at the start in Markt Square. The t'Zand VIP area did get crowded by the time Fabian Cancellara and Tom Boonen emerged from their team buses inches away. It was amazing to see the looks of competitive concentration on their faces before the race - they were certainly ready for the fight. Being close to the riders in the morning made the afternoon of sitting on a hillside, along the Kwaremont watching the race, more meaningful and personal. It was the perfect day in Belgium as a cycling fan. (Pedal Dancer: A day on the Kwaremont) See all the images from the team area before the start of Ronde van Vlaanderen: Pedal Dancer Images.

There were many kinds of VIP passes at RVV ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

©Photo by PedalDancer.com

#6 Learning about Belgian Beers
The appreciation of a good Belgian beer has stuck with me. My refrigerator has Leffe and Triple Karmaliet on it's shelves. (Pedal Dancer: Beers in Belgium). I am forever a fan and a blossoming beer snob, someday I may return to drinking wine (hopefully rose, probably by July, while in France!).

©Photo by PedalDancer.com

#7 Pedaling the Kwaremont
Reuniting with the simple pleasure of pedaling a bicycle has also stuck with me. Since I have returned to Colorado, I eagerly go for rides with friends. And through this pleasure, I have found a way to dig deeper and ride much harder than I have in a long time. I am also so pleased that I am finally healed! It took 15-months for me to heal from breaking my pelvis last year. I am happy to report that me and my completely new bike fit are back. But as the Belgian fan in the Arenberg Forest related to me after wondering what I was doing there, "You don't have life-insurance, what do you call it life insurance?" "Health insurance?" I replied. "Yes, I have health insurance - you do not," he said grinning broadly, adding "but Obama is your chef!" Oh their impressions of Americans. (Pedal Dancer: A day of pave in France and Belgium).

The Kwaremont ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

#8 Skirting traffic

I didn't grow up in Los Angeles County for nothing - it taught me some excellent driving skills. Mostly how to skirt around traffic. I later heard that it took locals 3.5 hours to travel 3km up the hill to view the Ronde van Vlaanderen (Tour of Flanders) on the Kwaremont. Within that time I had been to the start in Bruges, taken the autoroute south and around to the small country roads, parked the car in a farm field and walked easily to the Kwaremont. I also missed traffic at the Paris-Roubaix. So here is a bonus for any readers of my blog, the how-to directions on driving to and seeing these 2 Classics races:

©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Ronde van Vlaanderen driving instructions (viewing in Bruges and 3-laps on the Kwaremont): To get to the team area start in Brugge, drive north on the A17 continuing all the way (it will feel like you have gone too far) until you see the sign for t'Zand parking, basically it is a turn off the autoroute and into the parking structure below t'Zand paved market. Note: the actual race start is from Markt Square. You do not need to worry about leaving before the start, there is adequate time, exit Bruge the way you came in (take the round about to turn around). Drive south on the A17 all the way to Tournai, this looks long, but the speed is fast and traffic free, (avoid national roads in high traffic times!), connect onto the A8 heading east. At the second large interchange connect onto the N48. 8-10km up the road, look for the sign to Celles, turn left on the N391. Drive to the town of Escanaffles, turn right, follow this small farm road as far as you can with the large nuclear power plant and the river to your left. You may meet some children offering to park you car in a field (€3), you may continue past them a little further and park even closer. Park in a farm field or along the road where you see other cars. Follow the foot traffic (a few people) east to the Kwaremont. You will cross the large 4-lane N36 road. The Kwaremont runs parallel to this road 20 meters away and climbs from your left to your right. VIP tents and fences block some of the hill, but there is plenty of free viewing as well. There is also a beer tent area with large screen TV. The route of the RVV should be the same next year. (Buy map: Geocart World Travel Maps #60 Provincie Oost-Vlaanderen, Tourist Special; and Buy map: Michelin Belgie #213).

Paris-Roubaix driving instructions (viewing in Arenberg Forest and Carrefour l'arbre): Once you pass from Belgium into France, south of Roubaix/Lille, connect onto the large A23 autoroute. Continue south of the city of Orchies (at exit 2). You then have three choices to access the Arenberg Forest: Exit 4 will place you at the end of the Forrest where the riders exit; Exit 5 places you at a dirt trail where you may walk to intersect the first third of the forest (low traffic area, easy entrance back onto the freeway); Exit 6 takes you to the busiest intersection and the start of the Arenberg Forest (this is also where the beer tents, large screen TV, and performance stage are). You may easily walk the length of the forest, under the old defunct rail bridge. If you want to see the race pass over another section near the Carrefour l'arbre, get back on the A23 north, transfer onto the E42 towards Tournai and take Exit 3. Depending on the route (it changes every year), you should be able to park and walk (a long walk) to this famous sector of pave with more beer tents and large screen TV. These 2 sectors of pave are almost always included in the Paris-Roubaix every year. Many fans skip straight from the Arenberg Forest directly to the Velodrome in Roubaix to see the finish in person, but be warned this city is congested, parking is difficult and car vandalism is seriously high. (Buy map: Lille Maubeuge #102, IGN Institute Geographique National; and Buy map: Michelin #111 Grand Lille; and Buy map: Michelin Belgie #213).

Tom Boonen in the 2012 Ronde van Vlaanderen on the Kwaremont ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Tom Boonen (2nd rider above) at 2012 Paris Roubaix in Arenberg Forest ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

#9 The mood with BMC and SKY
Set aside the fun crazy times on the side of the road as a fan or the moments of inspiration when I see the best cyclists in the world riding so powerfully, the times when I feel the absolute graciousness of the riders is the best of the best. The time trial days at Solvang for the Tour of California, at team presentations, during one-on-one interviews - I truly like cyclists. Especially the morning I got to spend some quality time with team BMC and SKY. (Pedal Dancer: BMC solid through 2016 and The Sky was blue)

Philippe Gilbert ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Thor Hushovd ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Bernhard Eisel ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

#10 Mix of Nationalities
When everyone just wants to make it to the top it does not matter what country you are from or what language you speak. Achievement and satisfaction on a bicycle is understood and honored. I loved standing on top of the Paterberg and cheering for every rider that passed by. (Pedal Dancer: Big Day tomorrow)

Cyclists on the Paterberg ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

How to plan your own trip to the Spring Classics: Recommended travel tips on traveling to the Spring Classics in Belgium as a fan.

It is cold in Belgium in the spring, bring a couple good jackets and layers.
Be sure to arrange hotel accommodations which include free wi-fi, and offer breakfast.
Looking for a market to buy food? Look for these signs of grocery store chains: Delhaize (a sponsor of the RVV), Colruyt (Spar), and Carrefour (Champion), Aldi, Lidl, Cora, Match, Makro.
Get and use a GPS device, but be warned it will not always get you there or take you on the best route. You still need good maps (recommended above). The most memorable phrase from my trip to Belgium was the GPS lady phonetically telling me daily, "Stay right on the slipstraught to England." I have no idea what she was talking about, but England was a longways away.
The Ronde van Vlaanderen (Tour of Flanders) and the Paris-Roubaix are completely different race experiences as a fan, absolutely stay for both if you can. You can also attend Scheldeprijs on that Wednesday in between these two races.
I read Lonely Planet (good for smaller cities), Fodors, Frommers, Rick Steve's (very good for sites in Brugge and Brussels) guide books and googled like mad online to read anything I could find about traveling to Belgium. It all helped. But plotting the sites and points of interest (and bergs) on a map helped most of all.
Belgian chocolates - buy them, eat them. Also try a fresh waffle, local beers, and any other local food specialties.
Bring a beer opener to enjoy a beer in your hotel room.
Bring your bike or rent one, the riding is absolutely doable, don't let anyone intimidate you from riding in Belgium. If you are not racing 140km, you will have a great time.
Honorable mention goes to the gas stations on the autoroute, because they accepted my credit card, without a chip, at the pump!
Plan on getting lost - a lot.
Plan on wanting to go back - more than a lot.

delicious ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Links for a good travel experience in Belgium:
Maison Kerkhove, Hotel and wonderful breakfast
BartBikes.be there is also a good pro bike shop near Meerbeke.
The Chain Stay, Tour Company and Cycling Lodge
Gregg of The Chain Stay has written on each berg in Flanders: monumental bergs
New Belgium Brewing, Fort Collins, Colorado
De Garre, a wonderful beer house in Bruges
Frites stands in Markt square, Bruges - simply the best!
SRAM
La Dolce Vita, Kortrijk, pizza
Subaru-Trek Mountain Bike Team
Before you go: read about these blue disc parking passes (there might be one in your rental car).
To arrange a VIP pass contact: Ronde van Vlaanderen VIP

Fountain at t'Zand in Brugge ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Example of my itinerary:

Day 1: Arrival into Brussels; Mur de Grammont; to Kortrijk
Day 2: Tour the climbs of towns of Tour of Flanders: Paterberg, Kwaremont, Koppenberg, etc.
Day 3: (Ronde van Vlaanderen Cyclotourist) Visit the team hotels in Kortijk in the morning; Tourist day in Ghent.
Day 4: Tour of Flanders race - start in Bruges, race viewing on the Kwaremont
Day 5: Tourist day in Tyne Cot and Ypres. (Ride or visit climbs of Gent-Wevelgem)
Day 6: Velodrome and clubhouse in Roubaix, drive pave sectors of Paris-Roubaix route, afternoon bike ride.
Day 7: Fly from Brussels to Pisa, train to Florence (day of Scheldeprijs race)
Day 8: Florence (you could train to Antwerp)
Day 9: Florence, Pisa, Brussels, Oudenaarde museum
Day 10: Tourist day in Brugge - morning market and beer tasting.
Day 11: Paris-Roubaix Race - Arenberg and Carrefour l'arbre sectors
Day 12: Departure from Brussels

2012 Etape du California results

2012-04-30T22:27:00.001-06:00

Citizens rode a stage of the 2012 Tour of California

Last Saturday, April 28th, while Luis Leon Sanchez was busy taking a stage win at the Tour of Romandie, over 500 citizens in southern California rode their own stage race. It has now become tradition that the Amgen Tour of California offer the opportunity for citizens to ride a complete stage of the tour on closed road conditions. For every rider out there, if the day did not feel like a race, it certainly felt like a challenge.

The stage of the 2012 L'Etape du California takes riders to the top of Mt Baldy which is Stage 7 of this year's Tour of California. Remember last year when Matthew Busche (RadioShack) set a blistering pace up the mountain for his teammates Levi Leipheimer and Chris Horner? Well the climb is steep and certainly worthy of a UCI 2.HC stage race mountain top finish. Most impressive was the top 20 finishers of Saturday's L'Etape du California - look at the age ranges in this lead group of riders. If anything should motivate an amateur to keep riding their bike, this top 20 results list for the 2012 L'Etape du California should do it.

Please click to enlarge this image below - Wayne Stetina at age 58, uncle to Peter Stetina of ProTeam Garmin-Baracuda, former U.S. National Road Champion, and Vice President of the bicycle division of Shimano American, came in 4th! Rich Mull of Malibu, came in 12th at age 60! Dean Hall, age 21, came in 17th. Local Nate Whitman of Los Angeles won by 5 minutes, he is 36-years old. 533 citizen cyclists completed the challenge. Read more about the event and route: L'Etape du California is back for 2012. Watch the pros race Stage 7 of the Amgen Tour of California on Saturday, May 19, 2012.

Read the full 2012 l'Etape du California results list.
Read about the event and route: L'Etape du California is back for 2012.

Results 2012 Etape du California

If you missed this chance to ride a stage of the Amgen Tour of California, don't worry, you'll have another chance on Sunday, May 20th, as all citizens are invited to ride the final circuit loop of Stage 8 in Los Angeles. The distance is only 5-miles, everyone is invited to participate (who owns a bike), and it is FREE. Come join in the fun:

The 'Nissan Ride Before the Pros,' taking place in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday May 20, 2012 from 8-9:30 a.m., will allow cyclists of all levels to ride on a 5-mile, closed-circuit course that will be part of the 2012 Amgen Tour of California's eighth and final stage taking place that same day. Free to participants of all experience levels, the 'Nissan Ride Before the Pros' will begin and end at the official finish line where the professional riders competing in the 2012 Amgen Tour of California will cross to complete the 42.6-mile stage they started in Beverly Hills on Rodeo Drive earlier in the day. Read more on the official Amgen Tour of California website: Nissan Ride Before the Pros.

Route of 2012 Nissan Ride Before the Pros

Bring the kids and family - the next Dave Zabriskie (who lives locally in Los Angeles) could be in the crowd, waiting to be inspired. Bring the Grandparents too - the next winner of L'Etape du California could be there too.

The Sky was blue

2012-04-25T23:58:00.000-06:00

A morning with Sky Pro Cycling

Actually the morning was cloudy and chilly, but from underneath the helmets and caps and leggings and gloves shone some bright smiles of Team SKY preparing for a morning ride 1-day before the Tour of Flanders in Belgium. Time to share more images from a morning in Kortrijk, Belgium. This was the same morning that thousands of citizens were riding their own Ronde van Vlaanderen (Tour of Flanders for Cyclotourists). I had intended to go photograph the amateur event, but when I awoke I figured if thousands of amateurs (Wielertoeristen) were peppered across the bergs of Flanders south of Kortrijk, chances were good that the teams would stay local (meaning near their hotels), and sure enough they did.

After enjoying the relaxed good mood of the BMC team earlier in the morning outside of the Hotel Broel, once the BMC riders departed on their training ride, I walked a few blocks away to Hotel Messyne and found the SKY Pro Cycling team. Immediately their impressive black SKY team bus parked on the quiet small street, told me I was in the right place. Along the side of the hotel I caught sight of their enclosed mechanics trailer - wow impressive. And then their Jaguar team cars - wow impressive. And then their bikes, and then Bernie Eisel - wow very impressive.

There I was again, a simple fan, with yet another pro team preparing for their morning training ride - me, Race Coach Bobby Julich, Sports Director Servais Knaven (and winner of the 2001 Paris-Roubaix), a few skilled mechanics, a couple soigneurs, a cameraman and photographer, and a team of very good professional cyclists. I was in heaven - in Belgium.

Thanks for the morning smiles. Images of a blue SKY:

SKY team bus ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Bobby Julich coming out of the mechanic's trailer ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Mechanic's trailer and SKY team bikes ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Sky Jaguar team car ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

SKY Pro Cycling Team Pinarello Dogma 2 ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Pinarello Dogma 2 team bikes ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Rider label and the teams poem on the top tube ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Team SKY mechanics and their bikes ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

The trailer has a washer dryer - nice

Team SKY sponsors

Bernhard Eisel arrived ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Bernie Eisel (AUT) ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Team Coach Bobby Julich and his riders ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Bobby Julich and Juan Antonio Flecha

Loading the cars for the day's ride

Christian Knees arriving (GER) ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Christian Knees finds his Pinarello bike ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR) ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Edvald getting ready ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Christian Knees (GER) ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Boasson Hagen ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Bernie Eisel, Jeremy Hunt, and Edvald ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Christian ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Mathew Hayman (AUS) ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Jeremy Hunt ready to ride ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Christian waiting to roll out on the ride ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (ESP) ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Eisel and Servais Knaven (winner of the 2001 Paris-Roubaix) ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

SKY Sports Director Servais Knaven (FRA) ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Team SKY rides off in Kortrijk ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

In addition to visiting and photographing team BMC earlier in the morning, I later came across Lampre ISD at Hotel Broel, Team Katousha at Park Hotel, and Team Saxo-Bank at Park Hotel. But no riders were around by that time. Reportedly the Omega Pharma-Quickstep team were at Hotel Kennedy across the highway.

George ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

BMC team car ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Lampre ISD team car ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Lampre ISD mechanic's trailer, team bus and cars ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Lampre ID Wilier team bikes

Ambrosio wheels ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Lampre ISD mechanic's trailer ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Team Katousha ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Katousha team bus and team car ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Team Saxo-Bank team cars ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Saxo-Bank team bus and cars ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Saxo-Bank team mechanic ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Even when the riders are out riding, the work continues. Being able to so easily walk up and see these teams and riders in Kortrijk, Belgium, was very special for a fan from Colorado.

Related posts by Pedal Dancer, read more:
Read about Pinarello bike: Pinarello Dogma2
My morning with team BMC and some great photographs: BMC solid through 2016
A day at the Tour of Flanders: A day on the Kwaremont
Being a fan at the Paris-Roubaix: I was a fan at the Paris-Roubaix
Enjoying Belgian Beers in Brugge: Beers in Belgium
A visit to Ypres and Tyn Cot: Day 5 in Flanders
My ride up the Kwaremont and visit to the Roubaix Velodrome: A day of pave in France and Belgium

I have many more stories to tell and photographs to share, including traveling tips on how to make your trip to the Spring Classics happen for you.

SKY Pro Cycling team's motivational poem:

This is the line

The line between winning and losing

Between failure and success

Between good and great

Between dreaming and believing

Between convention and innovation

Between head and heart

It's a fine line

It challenges everything we do

And we ride it every day

Poetry in motion - Team Sky's top tube Photo from chasingwheels.com

I miss class

2012-04-25T09:43:00.000-06:00

Who says cyclists are not limber?

I'd say Bernie Eisel has some flexible hamstrings Photo by PedalDancer.com

George Hincapie stretching with a flexible spine in a classic yoga twist

Warm up stretching Photo by PedalDancer.com

Reminds me how important it is to keep the yoga and stretching going all year long. I absolutely indulge in these classes and exercises during the colder winter months in Colorado, now that I need to kick-up my riding days - I miss my classes, but mostly I really miss Zumba! Give it a try - find a Zumba class near you.

Dancing and music are universal. One of my favorite memories of being a fan at the 2012 Paris-Roubaix came when I joined in with the large crowd of fans at the beginning of the Arenberg Forest in France singing Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline. Ba Ba BA! So good. So good. So good.

Quote of the Day: Success

2012-04-24T08:33:00.000-06:00

"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." ~Sir Winston Churchill

Only one rider wins a bike race. Every other man in the field wanted to win. They go out and try their best again next time. The Spring Classics are over, half the race season is now in the past. I haven't given up on RadioShack Nissan Trek yet, even though there is dissidence in the ranks and their measure seems only to be winning. Meanwhile a number of other teams have been cramming their riders into the top placements, racking up UCI points - very smart. We now head into the season of stage races ... this should get interesting.

BMC solid through 2016

2012-04-21T00:50:00.000-06:00

Great news today - ProTeam BMC plans to keep on keeping on

This is a happy day, BMC is one of my favorite teams, today their primary sponsor BMC Swiss Cycling Technology announced they will continue title sponsorship through 2016 . BMC racing team compiled an amazing roster of riders for 2012, continued sponsorship increases the chance of retaining these riders for the coming years. There must be great peace of mind when a rider and a team believes the rider is racing for points that will remain with the team from this year to the next. There is also great peace in consistency from the viewpoint of a fan. (Read: BMC Racing Team to continue through 2016 By VeloNation)

Speaking of viewpoints or rather views - this was my view (images below) on a morning in Belgium three weeks ago as I watched the BMC team prepare for a morning ride. The next day they would race the Tour of Flanders. As you can see they were very relaxed and all smiles.

Time to share some photography of team BMC, but first a story:

If you have followed my blog you might remember that my inspiration to begin this ever-evolving cycling quest of mine occurred as a fan when I saw George Hincapie at the 2001 Tour de France. I was happy to see George again on a cool morning in Kortrijk. I was also thrilled to meet his brother Rich, and his very charming father Ricardo, along with their group of friends by chance that same evening, at the Ibis hotel in Kortrijk. I get sort of gutsy when traveling alone, realizing I get out of each day what I put into it. So when I noticed Rich Hincapie sitting among a loudly laughing group of Americans enjoying some beers, I walked up and introduced myself.

"Hi are you Rich Hincapie? I have some friends from Colorado, Brian, Rich and Dash, who wanted me to say hi." And that is sort of how I halfway made a fool of myself and yet made a new connection in life. Cycling is a tiny world, Dash had written to me earlier in the day and said, "Walk around Kortrijk, find Rich Hincapie, and say hi." Of course I didn't think that would actually happen, but I've learned to never write-off possibilities.

I sat down briefly to chat with Rich, Ricardo, and their 5 friends from Wisconsin and California. They were enthusiastically looking forward to their next day at the Tour of Flanders. Ricardo would be riding along with team BMC in one of the team cars, Rich would be driving the 5 newcomers to Belgium. How lucky were they to have Rich Hincapie, whose brother was about to ride his 17th Ronde van Vlaanderen, as their guide? Rich also spoke fondly of our local Colorado Ride the Rockies event ride. Hincapie sports manufactures the jerseys for the event, Bill Davis a local rep with Mavic and Hincapie has made arrangements for Rich to ride a few days at the event for the past several years. Rich said he enjoys it so much, it is an event he plans to attend for many years into the future.

To read more about BMC and their bikes please visit an earlier Pedal Dancer post: BMC bikes. To learn more about Hincapie cycling apparel please read: Jerseys of the 2012 Tour of California (Hincapie also manufacture the classifications jerseys for the Amgen Tour of California).

BMC Rider portraits: the day before the big race

BMC racing team riders BMC 2012 roster for Ronde van Vlaanderen

All photos by ©PedalDancer.com™, please click any image to enlarge

George Hincapie (USA) Photo ©PedalDancer.com™

George Hincapie Photo ©PedalDancer.com™

Thor Hushovd (NOR) Photo ©PedalDancer.com™

Thor Hushovd Photo ©PedalDancer.com™

Thor Photo ©PedalDancer.com™

Philippe Gilbert (BEL) Photo ©PedalDancer.com™

Philippe Gilbert Photo ©PedalDancer.com™

Philippe Photo ©PedalDancer.com™

Phillipe and Thor Photo ©PedalDancer.com™

Phillipe Photo ©PedalDancer.com™

Greg Van Avermaet (BEL) Photo ©PedalDancer.com™

Manuel Quinziato (ITA) Photo ©PedalDancer.com™

Manuel Photo ©PedalDancer.com™

Manuel Quinziato Photo ©PedalDancer.com™

Alessandro and Thor Photo ©PedalDancer.com™

Alessandro Ballan (ITA) Photo ©PedalDancer.com™

Alessandro Ballan Photo ©PedalDancer.com™

Marcus Berghardt (GER) Photo ©PedalDancer.com™

Jim Ochowicz (General Manager) Photo ©PedalDancer.com™

Jim Ochowicz (USA) Photo ©PedalDancer.com™

Ochowicz and Gilbert Photo ©PedalDancer.com™

Hincapie and Ballan Photo ©PedalDancer.com™

Gilbert chatting with a BMC mechanic and his son Photo ©PedalDancer.com™

Thor and the riders roll out Photo ©PedalDancer.com™

BMC Team preparation: I greatly enjoyed watching the mechanics and soigneurs prepare for the team ride on that peaceful morning in Belgium. When I arrived at their hotel I introduced myself to the mechanics and soigneurs and asked if I could take some photos, I was giddy happy at how fortunate I was to spend the quiet time watching and observing with just a few others. The staff were kind and cheery while working hard (and meticulously). Read about the BMC racing team staff on the team website

If anyone knows who these men are below please tell me, they were having a great time interviewing and laughing.

Below is Georges Lüchinger Chief Communications Officer for team BMC. He was very professional and allowed me to take these photos and watch the staff prepare before the riders arrived. Thank you!

Georges Lüchinger

Related Pedal Dancer Posts:
A day on the Kwaremont (my day at the Tour of Flanders)
BMC bikes
and many more on George Hincapie

Any suggestions on a caption for this shot of Manny Quinziato? Although I can tell you I have a few ideas of my own. Manuel is another one of my favorite riders. You can add him to my favorites list of Bernhard Eisel, Oscar Freire, George Hincapie, Ted King, Ivan Basso, Thor Hushovd, Laurens ten Dam, and Jens Voigt.

The McLaren Venge

2012-04-18T23:06:00.005-06:00

One fast bike

"Does Mark Cavendish miss riding a Venge?" This was the question I noticed someone posed on my blog the other day. I could conduct a poll to ask your opinion, or we could answer this question by asking another more simple question - "Does Tom Boonen like riding a Venge?" I'd take a guess at yes.

By now the 2012 race season is well under way, while Mark Cavendish is off riding his Pinarello, Tom Boonen has won the Tour of Qatar, E3 Harelbeke, Gent-Wevelgem, Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, plus a two stages in other races. The memory of HTC Highroad and Mark Canvendish's introduction of the ground breaking 2011 McLaren Venge has been overshadowed by Tom Boonen's recent success and hefty headlines. Just as Fabian Cancellara dominated the image of time trial bikes 3 years ago when he rode Specialized, Mark Cavendish was the face of the Venge last year. By the end of the 2012 season Tom Boonen will be the new face of Specialized.

Specialized sponsors Tom Boonen's Omega Pharma-Quickstep team which has an impressive line-up of talent. My guess is Boonen is happy to be riding Specialized (he rode Eddy Merckx last year) and Specialized is happy to have Boonen racing on their frames. Taking advantage of the lime-light, Specialized recently developed a brand new bike for Tom Boonen and Sylvain Chavenel (French National Road Race Champion) - when both riders introduced the new Roubaix SL4 at the Paris-Roubaix less than 2 weeks ago. Boonen won.

Read about the new Specialized Roubaix SL4: Tom Boonen, QuickStep, debut new Specialized Roubaix SL4 or Photo gallery of bike

The line-up of bikes offered by Specialized to their pro teams (and to amateurs) now includes:

McLaren Venge
Specialized S-Works Venge
S-Works Tarmac SL4
Roubaix SL4
Roubaix

A rider should find a bike of their liking in these options. Read about the other Specialized bikes in an earlier post by Pedal Dancer. (Should I mention I ride a Scott!)

McLaren Venge

At the top of the wish list for many riders remains the McLaren Venge. Last week while I was in Newport Beach, California, located 7 blocks from my brother's home, happened to be 1 of only 9 McLaren dealerships in the United States. I rode down to see these magnificent cars together with my brother Tom who is very knowledgeable about cars (McLaren Newport Beach on Pacific Coast Highway).

Pietro Figerio greeted us at the door with his thick Italian accent. Pietro is from Lake Como, Italy, and knows a lot about fast cars. I was pleased to discover he also knows a lot about cycling and is a big fan of the Giro d'Italia. When I explained that I wanted to see the cars made by the company that helped build a very fast bike, he smiled and later added, "We need to get a bike for our front window, we have so many cyclists passing by."

No we didn't test drive a McLaren that day, but I wish we had. McLaren makes a mono-cell carbon (tub) frame for their cars, plus they understand speed - that is precisely their tie to engineering a carbon racing bike. I believe the bike's official title is S-Works + McLaren Venge. When the design engineers from McLaren and Specialized teamed-up their focus was weight, stiffness, and aerodynamics.

The idea of the Venge began in 2006 and was finally officially released in 2011. Matt Goss, not Mark Cavendish, was the first rider to debut the McLaren Venge - winning the 2011 Milan-San Remo. Goss's teammate Mark Cavendish then went on to win the Sprint Classification (green jersey) at the 2011 Tour de France, and the 2011 World Championships Road riding his own Venge. Read about the timeline of development. See more images of McLaren cars. Click any image below to enlarge. All photos by ©PedalDancer.com™

McLaren MP4-12C carbon body

12C’s revolutionary carbon MonoCell: the lightweight safety cell, designed around the driver

If you need a faster model

They look nice even when all that carbon is covered up. Prices for this car are $230,000 to $310,000.

This black model was marked as sold, but the silver one might still be available

MP4-12C performance data highlights

0 - 200kph in 9.1s (8.9s on optional Corsa tyres)
CO₂ emissions of 279g/km (equating to 24.2 EU mpg combined)
0 - 100kph in 3.3s (3.1s with optional Corsa tyres)
top speed: 330kph (205mph)
100 - 0 kph in 30.5 m (100 ft)
¼ mile: 10.9s @ 135 mph
dry weight (with lightweight options): 1301kgs / 2868 lbs
carbon MonoCell chassis weight: 75kgs / 165 lbs
power:weight (lightweight options): 461PS / 455bhp per tonne.
power: 600PS (592bhp) at 7,000 rpm
torque: 600Nm between 3,000 – 7,000 rpm
CO₂ per horsepower: 0.47

Tom Boonen enjoyed his own visit to McLaren earlier in the season. How many bike races do you have to win before you get one of these?

Tom Boomen inside a McLaren Photo by Specialized

McLaren MP4-12C and two McLaren Venge bikes Photo by Specialized

Tom Boonen's McLaren Venge Photo by Road Bike Action

Have some fun, you can go to the McLaren website and configure your own MP4-12C: design a fast car now.

I was a fan at the Paris-Roubaix

2012-04-11T23:58:00.018-06:00

The Hell of the North

This was my chance to finally do what I always wanted to do - to stand along the pavé of the Paris-Roubaix and cheer like mad. "You must walk here," the fan pointed down to the huge blocks below his feet, "you must walk on the stone to feel the Paris-Roubaix." We were walking deep into the Arenberg Forest and this already inebriated Belgian fan was welcoming us to his world. American, Italian, Australian, New Zealand, Swiss, French, Belgian, Dutch - all the fans I met that day on the cobbles were here to watch the greatest race of the Spring Classics.

Everything you have imagined about the Paris-Roubaix is true. Yes you can feel the ground rumble when the cars and riders pass by, yes you can see the pain in their eyes as the riders pass so close you could touch them, yes the fans are so wild it lifts your soul, yes the dust is so dense you taste it and breath it, yes the beer is so plentiful you can't avoid drinking it, yes the crowds so large you become immersed in the atmosphere of being a fan. Even though this is a French race on French soil the Belgian national pride is so thick it is hard to hope for any other rider to win other than their beloved Tommeke Boonen.

We couldn't have asked for a better introduction to the Paris-Roubaix then beginning our morning at the Trouée d'Arenberg. Immediately upon parking we could hear the singing and chanting. As the car in front of us unloaded a father and his four grown children, I got that sense that generations have been coming to this same spot for years to watch this race. We walked into the forest with this clan of happy fans (below). They welcomed us instantly throwing their arms around us. We had a blast chatting and laughing our way down the narrow cobbled path to the far end as they greeted hugged and high-fived most fans along the road. They delighted us with perfectly entertaining broken English and taught me to sing their chant line by line.

That is me walking along with my new friends Photo by Gregg at The ChainStay

walking into the Arenberg Forest

Oh the glorious fans

We were more than observers, we were participants. "This area where we are going, it has great ambiance, you like ambiance," the fan asked me. Yes, I liked this ambiance a lot. We arrived at the end of the forest to beer tents, large screen TV, frites and sausage stands, and grabbed a "Jupi" beer near the festival area at the beginning of sector #16 (Arenberg). We watched the whacky entertainment on stage of baton twirlers, a Michael Jackson look alike, singers and dancers. We looked over to see that our friends were now on stage, smiled and soaked in the experience of being a fan at the Paris-Roubaix.

Fans on stage at the start area of Arenberg Forest

waiting for the riders

Loving every minute of this day so far, we made our way back into the forest to find our viewing spot. The crowd was growing in numbers. We came across Gregg and his happy guests from the ChainStay cycling lodge clustered under an American flag. Gregg appeared with a bottle of wine generously pouring me a glass. They had a perfect location on the long stretch of road.

Gregg of The ChainStay

After visiting for awhile, my niece and I continued into the forest to the point where the road begins to pitch upward out of the gap (trouée). This would be our vantage point for the race. This is also where we met Jon and Matt.

Jon Rourke and Matt Opperman of Suburu-Trek in the Arenberg Forest

Jon Rourke and Matt Opperman are the team manager and head mechanic for the Subaru-Trek mountain bike team. They were on their way to Houffalize, Belgium, for the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup race. I met them by offering them Easter candy after overhearing their English (a rare sound in these parts). Noticing their really nice Trek Madone bikes stashed in the ditch behind us, I greeted them with the same question the Belgians typically ask of me, "What are you doing here?" "I know, we wanted to see the race," they replied.

At ease and happy to be playing fan for the day, Jon and Matt's knowledgeable comments both before and during the race were entertaining. Matt easily noticed the sound of a flat tire in the break away group. We looked at each other in shock wondering what happened to him as Guillaume Van Keirsbulck rolled by with blood dripping from his knee and nose. We wiped dirt from our faces as the main peloton sped by. We wondered what crash had happened ahead that stopped the cars momentarily along the pavé in front of us. It was memorable indeed. Every day in Belgium I seem to run into the perfect hosts for my day's adventure. It was certainly a treat to be able to watch the race with Jon and Matt.

No moss on these cobblestones in the Arenberg Forest

The cobbles of the Arenberg forest are enormous, the road noticeably convex. The affect on the riders is brutal and makes jockeying for placement heading into the forest vitally important and very dangerous when wet. For the fan, the arched road has the affect of raising the riders to eye level. Fans stand in the dirt or paved walked behind metal barriers or ropes along the edge of the pavé section seemingly below the riders.

One of my first photos of the break, before I realized - hey they are above us!

I love to look into the faces of the riders as they pass by, looking directly at Boonen, Chavanel, Vansummeren, Hincapie and so many more. I rested my camera on my knee and intermittently clicked away while watching the real race fly by. For those who dare to say a race is not worth going to because the riders whiz by in seconds - just look at all the action that happened around us on this day. Plus my eyes and body experienced far more than my camera lens. Being at the Paris-Roubaix rocked!

Tom Boonen came flying by

I believe that is my beloved Bernie Eisel with the rest of the strong lead group

Sylvain Chavenel

George Hincapie in the center

The team cars were so close

so were the riders

bloodied knees and noses

Flat tires

Dropped chains

dust

And then it was over, the race had passed.

Chasing le parcours

Time to move onto the next section of pavé. This year's route made chasing the race a bit tricky. Infrequent autoroute exits and the crisscrossing route meant that the options were limited, but possible. We ended up at the Carrefour de l'arbre cobblestone sector #4. Parking in Basieux and walking the long distance, we were mesmerized as we watched the team cars and riders pass through the long lines of fans in the open fields like a camel caravan through the desert.

Most special was standing in this wind-swept junction between pavé sectors #4 and #3 in the French countryside looking up at the large screen TV as Tom Boonen rode the final kilometers into Roubaix and around the Velodrome. We joined in the loud cheer as Boonen crossed the line to victory marking his 4th Paris-Roubaix win. Sixteen kilometers from the finish line, the last riders were still passing in front of us, determined simply to finish their own race.

Tom Boonen had won his fourth Paris-Roubaix. For the fans it was time to relax or walk home.

Kristina joining in on what felt like a pilgrimage of cycling fans

All images by ©PedalDancer.com click any image to enlarge

For a full gallery of images from the day please visit: Pedal Dancer Images

Words of the day:
tranchée (trench)
trouée (gap)
le parcours (route)
le secteurs pavé (cobblestone sectors)

Photographs and other stories from the 2012 Paris-Roubaix
Graham Watson Album
Steephill.TV big photos
Ted King: Done and Dusted
BikeRadar: Boonen triumphs at Paris-Roubaix
PezCycling: Chasing Roubaix: One Last Day On The Cobbles
2012 Paris-Roubaix route
2012 cobblestone sectors
Part 1: Last 75 Km (55:54 Dutch) — sporza (via Steephill.TV)
Part 2: Last 35 Km (56:26 Dutch) — sporza (via Steephill.TV)

Watch this weekend's Houffalize WC mtn bike race coverage and the Subaru-Trek team on http://redbull.com/bike.

CyclingNews (James Huang): Tom Boonen's new Specialized Roubaix SL4

Paris-Roubaix 2012 Results
1  BOONEN, Tom (OMEGA PHARMA-QUICKSTEP)                 5:55:22
2  TURGOT, Sébastien (EUROPCAR)                          + 1:39
3  BALLAN, Alessandro (BMC RACING)

American again

2012-04-10T11:19:00.026-06:00

10 ways I know I am back in the United States when...

I reach down to plug in my laptop and realize it won't fit because the adapter is still on the plug end.
I get straight to the business of ordering my chicken burrito at the airport without any formal greetings.
I am free to ride in a car on the freeway without reading every single sign on the highway in panic mode.
I don't pull my shoulders in while driving on local roads (as if it will help the car squeeze through).
My sleep remains filled with dreams of roundabouts and white-lined pavement speeding underneath my car.
I have strange cravings for toasted blueberry poptarts. Maybe it was the waffles?
I do not have cravings for french fries (well satiated).
I'm entertaining the idea of drinking water rather than beer with a meal, okay maybe wine.
I'm weaning myself off daily chocolate.
I miss modern interior design.

The five most common phrases I learned in Belgium:

Wow this is beautiful. [countryside]
Whoa! [the one word that sums up passing trucks on small roads]
No chip. [pointing to my credit card]
Lost again. [navigating Belgium]
This is so good. [happy moments sipping beer]

Now if I could learn to say these phrases in Flemish!

I flew home yesterday, across the Atlantic ocean, over our oh so beautiful American landscape, finally arriving into LAX airport after a 23-hour journey. Thursday I will begin my 2-day drive back from California (where my family lives) to my home in Denver, Colorado. I will drive through Nevada, Arizona, and Utah to reach Colorado. All these states have the same language, much the same culture and food, all the same road signs; only the alcohol consumption varies slightly (eh-hem Utah!). The wind-swept brown plains of Nevada, white church steeples of Utah, and a noticeable lack of oxygen in Colorado mark my progression east. America is pretty-much one big congruous country, linked by one McDonalds after another.

From the heart of Belgium within a 2-hour drive I could arrive in the Netherlands, France, Luxembourg, or Germany. Yet this small area on our planet encompasses 5 different languages, many different accents, varied cultures and food, and hundreds of choices of beer! If America is the land of plenty, western Europe is the land of options.

Did you read Ted King's honest personal account of his race at the Paris-Roubaix last Sunday? (Done and Dusted). In the post on his blog he quotes his Liquigas team bus driver as saying, "to win in the north, you must live in the north." The statement reeks of truth, yet watching from a distance or looking at the region on a map gives no indication of how truly different the cycling is in this region of Europe. What could be so tough in a seemingly small flat region that would require taking up residence to win a bike race? I admit I don't understand, but history tells us it matters.

To walk upon these roads, to drive upon these roads, and especially to ride upon these roads on two wheels is truly brutal cycling. If you have revered the riders over history who have triumphed in these races, seeing the páve in person will cement your sense of awe. The cobbles of the Paris-Roubaix are huge. I was routinely asked, "Why is someone from Colorado here in Belgium to watch cycling?" They could not understand coming so far. But I had to come in person to understand the mythical status.

Getting to Belgium is easy, getting around Belgium is a bit challenging. You can do it though; Join a tour if you do not have hours to plan or guts to make it happen for yourself (plus nerves to navigate on your own). Gather some friends together to share driving and accommodation if possible, come alone if needed. I learned so much and am so glad I came to Belgium/France to see the Spring Classics, the experience has greatly broadened my love of this sport.

A few last generalizations about my take on Belgian cycling: I appreciated that I commonly saw young and old cyclists alike cycling in full kits of their favorite team, I wish we did that more in this country. Also cycling is so popular in Belgium that it matters little what type of bike you own. I also perceived no differentiation between generations in age when it came to cycling and having fun. Everyone easily joined together in celebration, for me this experience in particular felt refreshing. I had more fun on this vacation then I have had in years.

The relaxed accepting demeanor of the Belgian fan that Ted King conveys through his story of the family who gave him a ride home from the race, best sums up my experience of my own travels through Belgium. After suffering a flat tire with no team support car in site, American Ted King (Team Liguigas) finished his Paris-Roubaix, heading to the city of Roubaix, in a family car with 3 generations of Belgian cycling fans.

Now to work on my next post .... sharing pictures and a story from our day at the 2012 Paris-Roubaix. Very memorable indeed and so FUN.

Images from Paris-Roubaix

2012-04-08T16:13:00.001-06:00

An amazing day as a fan

Today we were fans at the Paris-Roubaix. It was everything I dreamed and more. We began the day with the crazy fans in the Arenberg Forest and then saw the race pass by the end of the Carrefour de l'arbre cobble section. I met so many great and colorful people today, but a full story will have to wait, this was my last glorious day in Belgium. For now a few photos ....

I have many more stories to tell you, but for now sleep and then flight time back home. Happy Easter from Belgium! With their famous Belgian Chocolate and the Paris-Roubaix - Belgium is the best place to be on Easter.

Beers in Belgium

2012-04-07T16:58:00.013-06:00

Well it's about time I talked about beer!

I need to get straight to the best story of the day. Kristina and I headed to Brugge this morning. We roamed around the morning open air market in t'Zand square eating (yes again) a bag of fresh hot waffles we bought from a vender for €1.50. I posed the day's challenge to Kristina - okay, we are here to eat waffles, friets, and have a few excellent Belgian beers. Kristina looked at me like I was nuts, it was only 10:30 in the morning, and she was far more interested in the architecture at this early hour.

An hour later we entered De Garre, a wonderful small bierhuis down a small alley off the Markt square in the center of town. The entrance appeared unassuming, we looked at each other, might as well go in. We found a small table upstairs and opened the menu to dream list of Belgian brews. This would require some time to study. We decided to order two of the house beers which were delivered with a small plate of cheese. We began the process of slowly sipping, instantly feeling comfortable.

Appreciating the loud laughter from a round table of 8 Belgians next to us, I noticed the couple to our right taking a photo of each other and offered to take a picture of the two of them. Here is where the story gets awesome - would you believe the guy at the next table was Ken Petroski who makes beer for New Belgium brewery in Fort Collins, Colorado! He was in Belgium on "work," to taste beers, along with his girlfriend Jaye.

We began to chat and soon another couple from San Francisco, Kyle and Colleen, came over to introduce themselves and asked if they could join us at our table. We all decided to move to the larger table which the laughing Belgians had just vacated. Soon our laughter easily matched theirs and Kristina couldn't believe we were now having as much fun as the group she had been admiring earlier. I haven't laughed so much in the most pure simple enjoyment of spending a random afternoon in Brugge tasting beer in a long time. Wait, I've never spent a random afternoon in Brugge drinking beer in laughter. It was FUN.

It was also Ken's idea to order a number of different beers so we could all try a taste. Can you imagine having a Brewmaster (who had arrived in Belgium that same morning) selecting your next beer for you? Can you imagine receiving the most well-presented lesson in how beer is made siting in a bar serving what many would argue are the best beers in the world (well besides New Belgium beers, in case Ken is reading this post)? That was our great day in Belgium today.

Of course you want to know some of the beers we tasted - right? A Triple Karemeliet, Rodenbach Grand Cru, Orval, Palm, Boon Kriek, this was after all of us had sample the house specialty a Triple van de Garre

Did you know the New Belgium's Fat Tire Beer is modeled after Palm? That is correct according to Ken. I think I liked the Rodenbach Grand Cru best although we all liked the Triple Karemeliet, and the Boon Kriek was delicious. All of these beers tasted so much better here in Belgium.

Of course you want to know if the story ended happily - right? Yes it did because we also found our best friets yet (in Markt square, from the vendor on the left, for those in the know).

Other images from Brugge (Bruges):

every beer has it's own glass shape

Ken leaving de Garre, what a fun day!

Cambrinus in Bruges reportedly serves Westvleteren 12

Tomorrow the Paris-Roubaix. Happy Easter everyone!

I'd also like to send a very special Happy Birthday to my brother Michael who is presently traveling in China and celebrated a very "big" birthday this week. Wish you were here - be sure to find coverage of the Paris-Roubaix while in China. We hope to be in the Arenberg Forest. go Boonen! go George!

George Hincapie (BMC) and Frederic Guesdon (FDJ-Big Mat) will be lining up for their 17th Paris-Roubaix tomorrow. Good luck men.

The rider roster startlist and links for live viewing of the Paris-Roubaix can be found on Steephill.TV/Paris-Roubaix. Or read more information on the P-R at the end of this Pedal Dancer post: Update on the Classics

Début de secteur pavé de la Trouée d'Arenberg (16)VC

85.5

172.0

13:26

14:25

14:37

14:51

A side trip to Italy

2012-04-06T17:10:00.003-06:00

I would have written but I was busy eating in Italy

I ate my way through Pisa and Florence. After a hiatus to Italy I am back in Belgium, with my niece in tow to attend the Paris-Roubaix race this Sunday in France. In between races in Belgium/France, I decided to hop a Ryan Air plane to Pisa, Italy, to take advantage of not traveling with a cumbersome bike case. My intent was to visit my niece Kristina who is studying Architecture for the year in Florence and later Switzerland. Little did I know I would fill my time walking what seemed like 20-miles a day and eating everything in site.

How could I not - it was Italy! The land of gelato, espresso, sandwiches, enotecas, chocolate mouse, and strawberry tiramisu.

I drove to the Brussels-Charleroi airport in the early morning last Wednesday and boarded the plane to Pisa. By choice I sat next to two smiling women, it turned out they were mother and daughter from Livorno. Once on board the plane, I pulled out my guide book to begin reading about Pisa. Erika and her mother instantly began to offer me helpful tips on how to get around Pisa. Before long Erika simply said "come with us, we will take you there." Next thing I know we are disembarking the plane onto the tarmac in Pisa, where Erika saw a good friend (or a cousin) who works at the airport. Exuberant greetings, hugs, and introductions followed. We walked into the terminal where more hugs and another introduction was given - "this is my papa," Erika said. Well of course it is!

Soon I was in a car buzzing towards the central train station of Pisa blocks away from the leaning tower of Pisa with the friendliest family in Italy, loving life. After asking if I am on Facebook, Erika stopped the car in the road and explained to me as if we had all the time in the world, "ok you walk there, then you come back here and get on the train over there to Florence." By now I am beyond grateful and so thrilled to have had the best possible introduction to Italy.

Feeling jubilant I decided to celebrate with my first scoop of delicious Limone gelato (my favorite) and walk the streets of Italy enjoying the sounds of the Italian language and peering into storefronts.

Carrying only a small backpack for my side trip to Italy, off I walk to the leaning tower of Pisa. I decided to visit last minute, I've only been through Pisa once before, to make a connection to a cycling tour in Tuscany. I had never been to the famous tourist site. This site is so touristy, there is no point in acting like anything but a tourist, so I too had an attempt at straightening the tower like most of the hundreds of tourists that filled the courtyard. A young group of girls from Australia took this photo of me (below), afterward they asked, "would you like a normal one now?" "What, that wasn't normal," I responded - they laughed realizing, yup it's totally normal - when you are in Pisa.

Relaxing as a tourist

Most of the buildings in the field of miracles tilt slightly

Remember the post I did from Paris in 2010, the day before the final stage of the Tour de France (Ah Paris!) well Italy does tacky souvenirs too.

Putting an 839-year old structure back in place took some effort - it was time to eat again. A crudo (dried ham) and cheese sandwich with a hot espresso was easy to find before the soft rain signaled it was time to hop a direct train to Florence.

I arrived in Florence to familiar sites, yet finding Kristina's small apartment was slightly confusing.

view from Kristina's apartment

We didn't waste any time - we needed wine! And some fresh food from the market to cook dinner. Kristina cooked a wonderful cauliflower fennel and onion creme pasta with a bib lettuce salad with pear, apple, and roasted nuts. I really enjoyed watching Kristina carry her empty wine bottle to this Enoteca and order a Montalcino wine, her Italian is now excellent.

at the enoteca

After our delicious dinner with Jessica, we met up with Korey, another architecture student from San Luis Obispo, CA, and walked for 3 hours around the city of Florence enjoying - you guessed it - more gelato (there are a lot of flavors that needed to be tasted)! The city of Florence at night is magical.

Grom gelato

Santa Croce

Duomo

Ponte Vecchio

The next day involved a visit to see Michelangelo's David at Academia, a delicious sandwich and chianti at Fratellini sandwich shop, an espresso americano with views of Palazzo Vecchio, buying flowers for our dinner hostess that evening, a walk to see the view from Palazzo Michelangelo and listening to the choir in a nearby church. All before we caught a bus out of town for the most delightful home made true Italian family dinner with Kristina's "Italian Family" - the Boncianis. The conversation was almost entirely in Italian. The evening a delight.

Fratellini's - a delicious sandwich and wine shop in Florence

Views of Florence, Italy

By day three it was time to head back to Belgium. We arrived and instantly Kristina was taken with the architecture in the area.

travel shoes at the airport

"Can I go touch that building," she asked, "Sure."

windmill in the countryside of Flanders

Cycling museum in Oudenaarde

City of Oudenaarde (the new finish town of the Tour of Flanders)

Relaxing with dinner and wine at our hotel this evening - we are back in Kortrijk

Disappointingly I missed a chance to meet Gregg and Holly from The Chain Stay Belgian Cycling Tours and Co-op Lodging in Oudenaarde, we were late in arriving into the area and internet in Italy was almost nil. Gregg and Holly are Americans living in Belgium, they and their clients were located 30 meters from me the other day on the Kwaremont, but I missed them there as well. Maybe they will need to come to Colorado to see me. I wish them well, they are having a busy few weeks creating special experiences for their guests.

We are back in Kortrijk for 3 nights. Although I am not crazy about the city of Kortrijk (Oudenaarde or Leper have much better small city character / Gent and Bruges are larger cities), Kortrijk has a central location good to take in all the sites in the area. This time we are at a very nice hotel with easy access on and off the autoroute, but no restaurants within walking distance. Still the room and breakfast are very good (Bell Expo), probably better for tourists than cyclists. Tomorrow we head to Brugge for the day before the big race on Easter Sunday - the Paris-Roubaix. I am so excited.

A day of pave in France and Belgium

2012-04-03T17:19:00.006-06:00

I am in awe of the men who race the Paris-Roubaix

Another fantastic day in Belgium where I had no clue what my day would entail, but by day's end I found myself giggling on a bicycle. Yesterday on a Skype call to my Father, he asked me, "you rented a bike there, right?" "No, not yet I haven't." When I hung up with him I thought, hmm must change that. Little did I know I would be riding a bike the very next day.

A visit to the Roubaix Velodrome

I awoke at Maison Kerkhove to the most spectacular homemade breakfast and real espresso. I thought I would drive over to Roubaix to tour the Velodrome and clubhouse (the finish stadium of next's Sundays Paris-Roubaix race). The Paris-Roubaix is the second race I am here to see, only it is of course, in northern France. I also wanted to drive some of the last typical sections of pave on the race route. On actual race day I hope to be in the Arenberg Forest and will likely not see other pave sections that day. I drove along the Carrefour de l'arbre and was amazed at how ruggedness of this road. I don't know how they do it.

Images from today at the Velodrome in Roubaix. Can you imagine how exciting it must be to be the first rider to enter this stadium. Today painters were out giving the track a fresh paint of coat.

The track

The stadium

Final turn into the Velodrome

The best view in the house

Images of the Clubhouse at the Velodrome, you can stop in for a drink, look at the memorabilia, and buy a souvenir.

The Roubaix velodrome clubhouse is across from the stadium

Inside the clubhouse

You can enjoy a drink at the bar

They were bringing in a larger TV for the big day

Images of the last section of pave in the Paris-Roubaix race. This section is in the city and leads to the final turns into the Velodrome. I had no idea this section of pavé was like the Hollywood Walk of fame, rider's names are etched on large stone plaques and placed among the cobbles. The first winner's plaque is located closest to the velodrome entrance, the most recent winner (Johan Vansummeren) is furthest from the Velodrome and the first name seen when a rider enters this final section. It was interesting to walk along and read the names and dates in history pass under foot.

Drive on the route of the Paris-Roubaix

Images from the Carrefour de l'arbre. These are tough cyclists who race this road.

A surprise crossing of the road on my return drive back

My ride up the Koppenberg and Kwaremont

I am saving the best for last today. At Breakfast my hosts mentioned, "you can rent a bike 3km away, you know?" "I might just do that when I get back," I replied. And so I did. I ventured up the road to Anzegem and rented a bike (BartBikes.be) for 10 euros. Again I had no idea where I was going to ride for my 10 euros. I pedaled away from the bike shop, as the owner looked at me wondering if he'd ever see me or his bike again, "don't worry," I said, "I have two maps with me."

Off I pedaled toward the river where I rode in peaceful solitude in the quiet countryside near Oudenaarde. Barges motored by on the river, cows, sheep, and horses passed the day in green fields. I pulled out one of my maps, hmm, I think the Koppenberg is right up that hill over there, why not go take a look. In fact why stop pedaling until I need to. Next thing I know me and my 45lb seat-too-low city/path 10 euro rental bike and my Salomon trail running shoes and jeans were pedaling up the Koppenberg. It was instinctual, I just kept pedaling ... until I stopped. I put a foot down short of the top.

I was so close to the top (my bike up on the right)

My powerful steed

Looking down the climb

Darn. I smiled and stopped to mark my place, thinking next time I come I will remember my first ride up the Koppenberg. I rolled back down the hill smiling and began pedaling east along the bike path. Tricked-out road cyclists rode toward me returning the smile I still had on my face from my ascent of the Koppenberg. The thought occurred to me maybe I didn't need to put a foot down, maybe I just needed to click into a harder gear to keep my bike from rolling back down the hill. Feeling a renewed confidence in my 10 euro rental bike, I decided this biking stuff was all about attitude. I needed another challenge, just at this moment of revelation, I looked over and saw what I thought might be the Kwaremont (after six days in Belgium I know just enough to be scary).

Left turn it is, I'll go take a look at the Kwaremont. Next thing I know I'm riding up the entire length of the Kwaremont with a huge grin on my face. This time I was certain there would be no foot down on the cobbles. Workers who were busy taking down the tents from the race 2 days earlier could not believe the site of me cruising up the cobbles and gave me huge grins of approval. I was having such a blast I decided to reach back and pull my camera out of my napsack to take some photos. Wow this attitude stuff really works, now I'm riding up the Kwaremont one handed, taking photos as I bounce along. I reached the top giggling with delight, I can't believe I just did that. Coming to Belgium was the best thing I could have done to break away from the pretense of cycling in Colorado and get back in touch with the pure joy of riding a bike.

They were still taking down the tents on the Kwaremont

I sat on the right side of this hill during the Tour of Flanders last Sunday

I made it to the top!

Riding a bike is FUN!

Day 5 in Flanders

2012-04-02T17:04:00.007-06:00

And the good times keep rolling

I had yet another wonderful day in Belgium, a girl could get used to this. First off I would like to give a shout out of congratulations to my 6 foot 11 inch (210.82 cm) 16 year-old nephew Kevin who just made try-outs as one of only 19 juniors nationwide vying for 12 spots on the 2012 U.S. Boys' Youth National Team for Volleyball. If he makes the team he'll be competing at the Pan-Am games and the World Championships this year ,and his parents will likely be doing more traveling. Good luck Kevin!

Now back to life in Belgium, I had a lazy morning lounging at the breakfast table in my hotel in Kortrijk talking to a very knowledgeable cycling fan from Britain. His enthusiasm would have been contagious if I hadn't already caught the bug myself. I checked out of my hotel in Kortrijk (Hotel Focus), stopped by the local Delhaize market 2 blocks away and picked up some lunch to go. Including a mini kugel. I have now tried a kugel - (it didn't last long enough to take a picture) it was delicious. To date I have also enjoyed a waffle, frites, stroopwafles, and Belgian chocolate. I have tasted a Triple Karmeliat, Rochefort, Westmalle Triple, and your basic every day Jupiler beer. That makes 5 treats to 4 beers in 5 days. I'd say I'm one beer short at this point. Westvleteren 12 perhaps?

Walking with a hot waffle in Belgium

Today I took a drive to the battlefields of West Flanders. I visited the museum in Passendale (Passchendaele). The In Flanders Field Museum is closed for renovation until June 2012, so I stopped by Passchendaele Museum where one can walk through a simulation bunker, and then to Tyne Cot Cemetery, and finally visited the the city of Ypres (Ieper) and the Menin Gate.

Although most of us had exposure to the story of World War I this year through watching the movie War Horse and the TV series Downton Abbey (I am a huge fan), my personal story is that my Grandfather Earl Bennet Rakestraw fought in five of the major battles of World War I. My Father's Father was a Command (Regimental) Sergeant Major in the 42nd rainbow division of the U.S. army and was later promoted by General Douglas MacArthur to First lieutenant (officer), the story is - because they played cards together, but more likely because my Grandfather was a good man.

Walking the meticulously maintained fields of Tyne Cot was most touching when I started reading the names and ages of the men, and saw the notes of thank you and flowers left by those who still care about these soldiers. WWI was fought between 1914-1918. Tyne Cot is the largest commonwealth war grave cemetery in the world. It is the site of approximately 11,400 grave sites. The walls bear the names of many thousands more who died in the Great War.

The long battle of Ypres Salient (The French term for "bulge") was the birth of modern warfare - machine guns ("the peacekeeper"), poison gas, and trenches ("dugouts"). If a battalion is 1000 soldiers, and a division is 10,000, this one cemetery represents greater than a division of men. Over 9 million lives were lost in WWI, 48 million in WWII. But over a million British soldier were killed in WWI with 3 million casualties (76% of all forces). This is why to many commonwealth citizens, WWI was and will forever be "The Great War."

Germany lost a devastating 3 million men in the war and refer to this battle as Kindermord, "Massacre of the Innocents." The term "all quiet on the western front," came from the battles in this area, so did "over the top" when the soldiers came out of the trenches to fight. This was also the site of the famous "Christmas Truce." I thought of my Grandfather today as I walked these now green fields.

Images from Tyne Cot Cemetery

These young boys from Australia were on a platoon experience visit. They were almost the age of most of the soldiers.

The cemetery

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

by John McCrae, May 1915

I drove into the town of Ypres passing under the enormous Menin Gate (a Belgian bugle corps plays the "Last Post" under the gate every night at 8:00pm). I liked this area and this town a lot. There were cycling lanes everywhere and green rolling hills. Such beauty in heavy contrast to the wars that have been waged over this land.

I also bought some more Belgian chocolates as gifts and found the most exquisite lingerie store (they carry Marlies Dekkers!). Belgium/Holland/France are manufacturers of some of the best lingerie in the world. Thank you for that.

Easter is definitely the best season to be in Belgium

The best lingerie in the world

I have checked into a new hotel and this one is a keeper. I like it here a lot. Quiet, super clean, large rooms, friendly hosts, refrigerator of beer, perfect for cyclists - the Kwaremont and Paterberg are a few kilometers away. I dare to share it but this one is too good not to. Team Astana stayed here last year with 20 persons for 11 days, but this year the team needed room for 30 and the small hotel could not handle them, the place was booked with happy cyclists instead. The owner said she cooked enormous pots of pasta for Team Astana 3 times a day. Maison Kerkhove. Fantastic.

So far my itinerary in Belgium has been:

Day 1: Arrival into Brussels; Mur de Grammont; to Kortrijk
Day 2: Tour the climbs of Tour of Flanders: Paterberg, Kwaremont, Koppenberg, etc.
Day 3: Visit the team hotels in Kortijk in the morning; Tourist day in Ghent.
Day 4: Tour of Flanders - start in Bruge, race viewing on the Kwaremont
Day 5: Tourist day in Tyne Cot and Ypres
... Day 6: to the Velodrome in Roubaix

A day on the Kwaremont

2012-04-02T04:52:00.003-06:00

Being a fan at the Tour of Flanders

The day far exceeded my expectations, which I had lowered to nothing because there was so much unknown for me as a first time fan at the Tour of Flanders. Even if they had been high, yesterday would have blown away even the highest expectations. Yesterday at the Tour of Flanders was the best day as a fan I have had since my first day at the Tour de France in 2001.

Perfect weather, friendly relaxed people, atmosphere galore, fantastic race viewing, delicious food and drink.

Thanks to everyone who has inquired about my travels and wished me well. I wish each of you had been there with me yesterday, in my heart you surely were, but traveling alone to these races is completely worth it to make the dream come true. In fact I met another English gentlemen at breakfast this morning who was doing the exact same thing I was here to do. His friend had cancelled last minute, "I decided to come anyway," he said. After watching the race for years at home on TV, he too had wanted to come in person to be a fan. He then told me, "I can't believe I never came before, it is so easy, next time I'll fly over and come for the weekend."

Yesterday I started my day at the VIP area in Brugge, I then drove (and walked) to the Kwaremont. I found a nice spot very near the end of the long pave section, standing on the right side of the grassy embankment. I was wearing a white jacket, I'm sure you saw me out of the thousands of fans, I was the one waving a small yellow flag of Flanders.

Being here in a year when Tom Boonen won the Tour of Flanders was phenomenal.

I had the greatest day on earth as a fan of cycling, so good that I kept the day to myself and did not blog or tweet. WOW. The VIP area in Bruges was impressively well organized, the breakfast was good, the rider area fun, the fans gracious, the teams accessible. When I entered the t'Zand parking structure from an alternative route, I met a very kind father and his young son in the parking area, who were so gracious as to come back and lead me to the ticket taker to ensure I parked correctly. Of course they only spoke Flemish, but I fully understood and appreciated their drection.

Being in the rider (fenced in) area was well worth the early morning trip to Brugge. I had decided to try a new experience as a fan - I purchased a VIP ticket. This was the first time in my life I have ever paid for VIP. But I wanted the experience, which turned out to be totally worth the time and money. I arranged the ticket from the United States through the Flanders Classics Ronde Van Vlaanderen website. They couldn't have been more professional and courteous. The trick was wiring the payment to them (they will invoice you, you need the Bank name, BIC, and IBAN information from them) and asking them to please mail the pass to my Hotel in Kortrijk.

I now have tons of photos (will add many later) of the riders and teams preparing for the race. Also a side note for any women cycling fans - this area was basically a pen of incredibly handsome men. Not just the riders, but the support personnel and Belgian fans. I could not have been more pleased at any other place on earth on that Sunday in April.

I skipped out of town after watching the riders race by and jumped on the Autoroute south towards the heart of Flander's cycling bergs. I took the autoroute far south to Dottignes, exiting onto the small country roads east to the area near the famed Kwaremont. I parked in a farm field, happily paying the local children €3 for their help in providing me a nice parking place where I could walk a beautiful road toward the Kwaremont. It was a nice walk to a perfect spot on the hillside with a long view north down the cobbled climb.

Sitting next to me on the hillside happened to be Chris, the supervisor of warranty with SRAM (an American living in Netherlands) and his friendly partner Maureen. He told me he has sat in that same spot on the Kwaremont for 7 years. I felt fortunate to have happened upon his lucky spot on my first year, and also to hear his stories over the course of the day. There was a nice group of locals and Germans near us and a very cheery clan from a University just across the way. We all had fun with the flags and clappers handed out to the fans. I was offered spice cake from a boisterous group of Belgians, who commented that they "liked my pat," (pat, I'm sure they meant hat).

We were treated to 3 race laps on the Kwaremont.

After starting in Bruges, I felt as if I had watched 4 races by the end of the day. It was thrilling to hear the sound of the bikes rattling across the cobbles and to see the expressions on the rider's faces as they passed. Especially on the last lap as Boonen came by looking strong, while so many other rider's faces were grimaced with pain. After the race the crowd moved in mass toward the large screen TV in the center of the farm field. At the edges stood the friets stands and beer stands which had fueled the fans throughout the day. There I watched the final kilometers of the race with 100s of Belgians as Tom Boonen won the sprint. A huge cheer filled the air with arms raised in a magical moment in Belgium. The sound and atmosphere sent chills up my spin.

The day did not end there, although everyone certainly went home happy. I returned to my car, walking peacefully across the fields of Flanders, heading west then north to avoid the return traffic to Kortrijk. I looked at the clock, it was exactly 12 hours after I had started my day and I was back at my hotel; I was so exhausted by this point but euphoric. I showered and went out for the most fantastic 4-course dinner at Bistro Bellino, 5 courses if you count the Westmalle Triple as the first course.

It was an absolute perfect day in Belgium.

I have been a long time fan of cycling in France, now I am happy to report, I am in love with Belgian cycling. And honestly, none of this was planned or a known to me before, I just went for it, every minute of it. I am so glad I am here - wish you were here too!

A surprise in the morning in Brugge when Tom Boonen passed by so closed to me he nearly ran over my toe.

Race viewing on the Kwaremont

A walk in the countryside of Flanders (to my parked car)

I will add pictures in the future, I need to get going on my next day in Belgium.....

2012 Paris-Roubaix route

2012-04-02T03:41:00.000-06:00

The route and teams for the Paris-Roubaix

The roster startlist of riders has not yet been announced, certainly after yesterday, there will be changes after Fabian Cancellara's sad fall and injury during the Tour of Flanders. At least will finally know the parcours for the race, and I am so happy to see the Arenberg Forest officially on the map. It is labeled as climb 16. That is exactly where we plan to be on the day - the Arenberg. After what could have been the best day ever as a fan of cycling, I hope attending Paris-Roubaix as a fan will be close to as fantastic as the Tour of Flanders was yesterday. If it is it will be icing on the cake. Yesterday was worth every minute of planning, every hour of travel, every instant of anticipation. I am in love with Belgian cycling. For anyone dreaming of coming to a race in Belgium - just do it! You will be blown away.

Looking forward to the next race, this time in France:

Route: .letour.com Paris-Roubaix parcours

Teams: Equipes 2012 Paris-Roubaix

Parcours 2012 Paris-Roubaix, click to enlarge map

Big Day tomorrow

2012-03-31T15:46:00.002-06:00

Where should I be?

I think this question should be posed as where will I be? In a maze of parcours and fans I will be happy simply seeing any part of the race. It might be more likely the Kwaremont, and less likely the Paterberg or the Koppenberg. Although the Paterberg had fantastic atmosphere and the Koppenberg is a wonderful place to be. The Kwaremont might be a VIP zoo, but the access is much easier. I'll let you know how it went ....

Kwaremont

Paterberg

Koppenberg

This sign means that 10% of the population of Belgium might be out on the roads on Sunday until at least 6:00pm. This race is a big deal in Belgium and I am thrilled to be here for it.

Hanging with the teams

2012-03-31T05:29:00.004-06:00

Just another fan in Belgium

Yesterday on my second day of crazed rally car driving in the countryside, I was thrilled to visit many of the major bergs in the area. I have laid my eyes upon the Paterberg, Kwaremont, Koppenberg, Eikenberg, and Molenberg. I have also laid my feet and car tires upon these climbs as well. I witnessed others laying their bodies upon the climbs; I happily stayed upright.

I have now pulled U-turns and stopped along the road, to check my map, in nearly every small town in Flanders, or so it seems. After ditching my phonetic speaking Garmin car GPS for traditional Michelin paper maps, I have lowered my getting lost feeling from 75 times a day to a manageable 22. I have also discovered that the best way to manage hydration (and therefore having no need to take a break in the countryside) is to not drink water all day and then enjoy 2 Triple Karmeliats in the evening. Add to that my day's diet of stroopwafles and an apple and you can guess I am not in training mode while on this vacation.

I am somewhere between I can't believe I am actually here to see this in person and I think I have already seen that building 2 times before - does this mean I'm lost again! This morning I was going to go watch the Cyclosportif to see real humans tackle the famous climbs, but realizing that 20,000 people stood between me and a good parking space, I instead decided to rest the car clutch and my nerves for a few hours ... what to do, what to do.... hmm, since 20,000 cyclosportivees (or is it cyclosportivians) are peppering the hills of Flanders this morning, chances are the ProTeams will be nearby and out on local rides this fine Friday morning before the big race on Sunday.... why not mosey on over to the team hotels marked on my custom made FMVC Hotspots in Kortrijk map (thanks to my friends at Frites en Mayo Velo Club) ..... commence moseying with map and camera in hand ....

Well lookie there the BMC team bus and mechanics right where the map said they would be. Why not ask if I could take some pictures and introduce myself, "Hi, I'm Karen from Colorado." "Oh ColorAdo," they replied, everyone was super nice as I positioned myself in wall-flower mode. It is a bit awkward standing around watching people do what they do best, but they are so gosh darn good at it and I always learn something. Absolute perfectionist mechanics worked on bikes to spec, cheery men filled bottles and loaded the coolers and cars for what seemed like 50 riders, merry personnel came and went giving interviews for cameramen, and sponsor representatives were there to deliver Bell helmets (dream job). Only a couple of us "fans" were there to witness it all.

I felt quite privileged. I started the morning with BMC and Lampre, then walked to Hotel Messyne to see SKY, then to the Park Hotel where Katousha and Saxo Bank were located. All within an easy walk. And it was pretty much me and the teams. Score. I have wonderful pictures from the morning, I'm back at the hotel waiting for my battery to recharge - it was a big morning for Pedal Dancer portrait photography.

I have hundreds of photos now ... will post more on the climbs and the teams later. All I can say is I am having a BLAST in Belgium!

The Mur de Grammont

2012-03-30T03:48:00.000-06:00

It was better than I imagined

The Mur de Grammont is one of those sites we have all seen on TV and dreamed of walking upon. Yesterday I was one happy fan as I walked the steep cobbles to the familiar site of the chapel that rests upon Mur de Grammont (Muur Kapelmuur en néerlandais) (Muur van Geraardsbergen).

Mur in English means wall, this wall is more like a path to heaven. It is longer, with more bends, then I had imagined.

Would you believe I met these cyclists earlier in the day standing in the passport line at Brussels Airport? They are here for a "long weekend" to tackle both the Tour of Flanders Cyclosportif on Saturday, and the Paris-Roubaix Challenge on Sunday. From New York, Wisconsin, and California these riders were as happy as I was to be standing on a monument of cycling.

I marveled at how the earth around this cobbled lane had been pressed into the ground over years of fans standing and cheering. One could see the footprints of fans. Even on this quiet day with only occasional riders passing by, it is easy to imagine the excitement of being a fan on the Mur de Grammont (which will not be included in the 2012 Tour of Flanders).

Much more to come about traveling to Belgium and the sites from my first day (yesterday), for now many more bergs (which will be in the Tour of Flanders this Sunday) await ....

Travel Lists for Cyclists

2012-03-25T23:16:00.018-06:00

Guess what I am doing - packing for an adventure

Time to pack! What to bring, what to bring? I have two big trips coming up this year, my first trip is to Belgium, Italy, and France. This fun journey is focused around being a fan at the Tour of Flanders and the Paris-Roubaix in April. It also includes a quick side trip to Florence, Italy, to visit my niece Kristina who is studying architecture for the year in Italy and Switzerland.

I had a romantic notion of traveling unencumbered to Europe as a simple fan, with a camera and one small bag. Concentrating on packing light but right for a mix of country mud and city cobbles, with no bicycle. That is right - no bike. This is the first trip in a long time when I will not be bringing a bike with me to Europe. Although I admit my small romantic bag grew in size when I was given the added task of exporting Belgian beer back to the United States for friends in Denver (FMVC). Oh well, beer is romantic - right?

My second adventure will be to France in July for the Tour de France. This will be the typical bike case, suitcase, backpack type of trip. I have a friend who claims he only brings one carry on bag on his bike trips to France. I was mighty impressed. I've never been able to pack that light for a cycling + hiking + city tourist adventure. Here I offer what I have learned about packing lists for cyclist travelers to help you decide what to bring on your next adventure. Bon voyage.

Packing a bike case: Pedal Dancer: How to pack a bike box for Travel

Travel tips for cyclists: Pedal Dancer: Packing Tips for Cyclists

Dressing in layers (by temperature, for cyclists): Pedal Dancer: Cycling Apparel

Travel Checklist for Cyclists (below): 1 CARRY-ON 1 SUITCASE 1 BIKE BOX

*Luggage Tags on all bags

CARRY ON rolling carry-on or backpack (in 3 parts)

In small PURSE or moneybelt in CARRY-ON (keep inside carry on at all times or on your body)

Phone
Airline tickets
Passport / Drivers License
Money/ ATM cards/ Credit cards / Medical Insurance card

STUFF SACK stored inside CARRY- ON, remove this bag for during flight access, store the main bag up top

Book/magazine, reader / ipod / shuffle, nano
Laptop / iPad
water bottle (empty through security)
Food, snacks
ear plugs / eye mask
Tylenol / Meds / Chapstick
Mints / toothbrush / eyedrops
small tissue pack / travel wipes / liquid soap

CARRY-ON bag (inside the main bag)

Cycling shoes
Bike pedals (I carry them on in case the bike case is lost in flight)
Sun Glasses – x2 pairs (cycling and casual)
Eye Glasses/contact lenses / Rx (eyes)
Medications / Rx (meds)
Camera /extra memory cards & extra battery
Travel Documents: Travel Book / Maps / Itinerary / Contact List / Directions
All battery chargers / cords / adapters

SUITCASE with strap to attach rolling bike box

Toiletries

All personal sundries (toiletries)
Sunscreen lotion

Miscellaneous

Light weight power strip (to charge all devices)
Alarm Clock/or phone
Plastic multiple ( hanger / clothesline (cord) and clothespins (for washing clothes)
Large plastic bags x2 (groceries)
Small plastic baggies for food storage (picnics and food while cycling)
Small flashlight/headlamp
Wine opener, beer opener
Extra napsacks (for later storage)
Photocopies of essential information: passport, credit card contact #s (hidden in suit case) (in case of theft of backpack/purse)
Locks/ lock keys for later storage (for storage at hotels and train stations)
small gifts for your hosts (optional)

Clothes

Plane: pants, shirt, lightweight fleece or cashmere sweater, compression socks
pants / capris / skirts / dresses / shorts (x3-5)
Shirts for hot and cold weather (layers) (x5-6)
Sweater or vest
Rain jacket
Jacket for cool nights (city) (get a nice one that can be used on or off the bike)
Shoes x2-3 pairs (lots of walking in mixed weather conditions), and sandals
Underwear, socks (x5-7), compression socks (for plane)
Pajamas
Swimsuit (optional)
Jewelry – very simple
Hat for sun, and hat for warmth
Scarf / gloves (for cold weather)

*tips on packing clothes:

I pack by purpose, not everything needs to match, because I will not be wearing everything at the same time. I need a comfortable outfit for plane travel, 2-3 outfits to change into after riding or for being a tourist, 1 to hike in, 1-2 for dinner out, 1-2 city outfits (black is safe). Mix it up. 3 outfits should be adaptable to cold and 3 adaptable to hot weather, including warm rain. If you go for black in the cities, color in the countryside, you will fit in.

*tips on washing clothes:

Most of the time I am able to do laundry in the hotel at least every 3 days, so bring at least 3 days of cycling clothes. In the summertime cycling clothes will dry in 1 day (not always for the next morning), in spring and fall seasons allow 2 days to dry, in winter 3 days. You can also find laundromats to wash and dry clothes quickly, located in cities or sometimes next to markets in France.

*tips on fan clothing:

In winter or cool months, a hat, scarf, gloves, and long ski socks or running tights will keep you warm when standing outside for long periods. During the hot days of summer remember it gets cold on mountain tops, bring a rain jacket, cap, and knee warmers.

Cycling clothes

Helmet (sometimes in carry-on)
Cycling jerseys – x3
Cycling shorts – x3
Cycling socks – x4
Arm Warmers
Knee Warmers
Vest – x1
Cycling rain jacket – x1
Gloves ½ x2
Gloves – full x1 (winter if cold)
Skull cap (mtn top finishes)
bike shoes (carry on plane)
*check weather – for colder layers, shoe covers, tights, warm jacket, etc.
Road I.D. - order one for national and one for international riding

Cycling Supplies

Chamoix crème, embrocation
Food bars, replacement drinks (optional)
Road I.D., identification, money
Water proof bags to carry phone and small camera
Bike lock (optional)
Bike pump
Extra inner tubes
Allen wrench, tire lever, pedal wrench, bike lube, rags
Extra cleats (optional)
New tires, or tires in very good condition
Bike geometry measurements (optional)
*complete bike check to be done before departure
Road chalk, flags, hats, etc. (optional for fans)

BIKE BOX

ID tag on outside; also label inside case with name and address
Bike (see link to packing instructions above)
2 empty water bottles
Foam /foam tubes /rags /plastic zip ties for packing
*any tools used to disassemble the bike
*remove pedals and carry-on, or tape securely inside bike box

Seat Bag:

Tubes x2
Allen wrenches
goo
copy of ID/passport in seat bag
(*remove air cartridges, not allowed in any airplane luggage)

Supplies to buy at destination (if staying longer than 2 weeks)

Shampoo, soaps, or any heavy liquids (bring 1st night's supplies with you)
Baby wipes, small wash cloth (to rinse off immediately after riding)
Laundry soap (for hand-washing)

Optional supplies (for longer stays or camping/picnics)

Spoon, fork, knife, glasses (for picnics and drinks)
Cooler bag (day storage of food)
Floor pump (better tire pressure)
Sponge to clean bikes
1-2 light cheap blankets to cover luggage/bikes while stored in car
Air cartridges for bike

*It is a safe idea to leave a full itinerary, contact information, medical and financial information at home with family member. Also give your family contact information to your travel companions.

These lists are for Janet, my friend from Denver, who will be accompanying me on part of my trip to the Tour de France this summer. It will be her first trip to cycle in France. She wrote to me yesterday to make sure I would be able to put her bike back together in France ... sure, no problem. Traveling with a bike is fun! Traveling light is more fun.

I foresee a muddy Paris-Roubaix

2012-03-22T14:48:00.018-06:00

Tut-tut it looks like rain

This year I am predicting mud. Forget the recent years of hot dusty racing on the cobbles in Belgium and France, it turns out that the talk of not including the famed Arenberg forest and the fuss over cleaning the slippery moss off the cobbles in the forest may have been prudent indeed. The early weather forecast for the 2012 Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix calls for rain rain and more rain. Ah springtime in Flanders!

I have thus revised my packing list, which now reads: rain coat, rain coat, and an extra rain coat in case the first two get wet. All these years I've watched the hardy fans waiting for hours slogging through the gutters and muddy fields of Flanders, thinking I want to be there among those hardy fans - well I might get my wish and then some. Please allow me at least one whimper from Belgium by the fifth day of rain, rain, followed by rain.

Update 27 March, 2012. The weather report in Belgium is looking bright!

Weather forecast for Oudenaarde, Belgium - the finish village of the 2012 Tour of Flanders (Ronde van Vlaanderen) on April 01, 2012 (cloudy sunny 52°F):

Weather forecast for Roubaix, France - the finish village of the 2012 Paris-Roubaix, on April 08, 2012 (cloudy/sunny 50°F/10°C, chance of rain):

And lastly for those 20,000 special cyclists attempting their own Tour of Flanders by riding the Ronde van Vlaanderen for cyclotourists on Saturday, March 31, 2012, they will have cool weather only a chance of rain!

I am also predicting much discussion among riders and mechanics about wheels and tires for the races. Bring in the Ambrosio wheels. Related reading: Race tech: Wheel and tire choices at Paris-Roubaix 2011 By BikeRadar.

How to recognize an Ambrosio wheel (even if the rims have been painted over to avoid Sponsor issues)

What's a little rain? I prefer to look on the bright side - the rain might result in more muddy George Hincapie epic photographs. For now see: Can we get some mud for George. This could be George's 17th Tour of Flanders, and it very well could be a muddy one.

For more race information read: 2012 Race Dates and Routes or visit CLASSICS