The pros turn

At breakfast, I caught up with Sean and Adam plus 2 of their mates from yesterday, one of which recounted how whist he was theoretically taking the safe route on the side of the pave, he came off and ended up in a drainage ditch, still at least it was a soft landing. 

Continuing with previous days spotting of cyclists and related celebs, Phil Ligett and Paul Sherwin were also having breakfast. I managed to restrain myself from shouting 'Lance appologists' to them as it probably have caused a scene.

Then after stocking up with food for the day, it was off to my first viewing point on a corner halfway through Sector 6. I got there in plently of time and on the way managed to catch a glimpse of the Espoirs Race.

The atmosphere was building nicely, helped along by the race caravan and team cars. Astana's wanted to park their car with spare bikes right behind us and their DS helped himself to move my bike.

A few riders could have done with the Mavic car yesterday

I thought he was borrowing it for Lars Boom

I knew I had picked a good spot as a television crew set up their camera beside me and just before the riders arrived, the race photographers arrived on motorbikes driven by madmen.

I think he only ran over 2 people's feet

By the time the first riders appeared the crowd , helped by lots of Belgians and lots of Leffe, were worked up into a frenzy. 

Luckily all the leading riders made it through the rather tricky bend safely with Wiggo looking smooth tucked in just behing GVA and just ahead of Stybar and pre race favourite, Kristoff.

GVA looking strong

Silky smooth from Sir Brad, even on pave

A race too far for Kristoff

Go Luca go

Then there was a wacky races moment when me, half the crowd and all the photographers rushed to the next viewing point by car, van, motorbike, cycle and foot.

We all made it in time to see the leading riders go past with Ettix having numbers and with hindsight Degs looking very composed just behind Terps, looking stylish as ever. Wiggo was still in the group with all the favourites but not near the front. 

Terps was looking good for 2 in a row...

Until Degs looked even better

Stybar and GVA

Then, it was another mad dash, this time a good few kilometres, to near the end of Sector 4, the 5 star Carrefour d'Arbre. No photos of the leading riders as I was just screaming encouragement. However, lots were taken of the domestiques and team leaders who were off the pace. 

Standing room only

A very tired looking Orica Greenedge rider

Everyone then focused on the big screen and the Guv's pre race prediction of Degs was looking good when he bridged up to GVA and Lapaert. By this stage, Wiggo was definitely not going to win so my inner Belgian was making me cheer on GVA, but Degs was a massively well deserved winner and became the first rider since Sean Kelly to win MSR and P-R in the same year. 

After the finish, I took the opportunity to go back via a couple of Sectors, getting cheered on by drunken fans who were staying on with their barbecues.

I had time to grab a final beer in Lille before it was back to home sweet home - and no more cobbles for a long time. 

Cheers

L'Enfer du Nord

Today was, without a doubt, the hardest but best day's cycling imaginable. 

It was Saturday but still hellish

The best summing up of Paris Roubaix is a quote from Dutch rider Theo de Rooy whilst being interviewed post race - de Rooy: “It’s b******* this race! You’re working like an animal, you don’t have time to p***, you wet your pants. You’re riding in mud like this, you’re slipping, it’s a piece of s***…”
Tesh: “Will you ever ride it again?”
de Rooy, not hesitating for a second: “Sure, it’s the most beautiful race in the world!”

Also, in Bernard Hinault's words, 'Paris-Roubaix est une connerie' and in Chris Boadman's, who never did the race, 'Paris Roubaix is a circus and I don't want to be one of the clowns'.

As it happened, I was somewhere between Hinault and Boardman, not the winner like Hinault but apart from sector 2 and the Arenberg, I managed not to be clownlike.

The day started at 4am as I needed to get to Roubaix by 5am for the coach to the start in Busigny. Despite Google maps sending me via a motorway (again), I made the coach in time and struck up conversation with Seth a v cool, laid back anethesist from sunny San Diego. Unfortunately, the weather was nowhere near Californian as it started raining just as we got to Busingny.

Yep, the forecast is still saying rain

Seth's shoes were fine for California

The smile hid the apprehension

It was an apprehensive start but we joined a 100 strong peleton that flew over the first 15km to the first pave sector at Troisville. Unfortunately, I managed to drop Seth during the 2.2km of 3 star pave and headed on to sector 2, another 3 star affair. However, this one was downhill, very wet and therefore a completely different (worse ) proposition. 

After much braking and being overtaken by numerous Belgian and Dutch riders, it was onto the longest sector, Quievy a Saint-Python. Luckily, I managed to get my act together and pretty much held my position and after a few more sectors, it was the first food stop with much chat about how hard the pave is, honourary mentions to Lee from London and big Dave from Huddlesfield.

By now, I started to follow the faster riders on the pave and before long, we were at the infamous Trouee d'Arengerg', the first 5 star section and the most feared 2km in cycling.

2.4km of the worst bit of hell

The start isn't too bad

At this point, I was still confident

I knew it was going to be tough, but nothing prepared me for the horror that followed. Riders were crashing all over the place and it seemed virtually impossible to keep the wheels from slipping on the wet and muddy cobbles. About half the riders sought the safety of the pathway to the side and I joined them for a section in the middle before I told myself to get a grip and got back on the pave.

The second food stop followed shortly after where I saw Dave who looked a little worse for wear as he'd crashed twice on the Arenberg within a few hundred metres and did the rest on the path.

The next sectors were a mix of 3 and 4 star sectors and after the Arenberg, seemed tame in comparison and I did a few sectors overtaking 20+ riders on each one.

I was making suprisingly good time and my best sector came on the second 5 star sector, Mons-en-Pevele, as its uphill nature played to my climbers build.

Whilst the rain had stopped there was now a 20kph side/headwind, but I managed to strike up conversation with some serious looking Dutch riders and an echelon was formed - it was almost like real life racing. 

The last 5 star sector, the Carrefour de l'Arbre came next and inspired by Cancellara's winning move in 2013 when 2 Omega Pharma Quickstep riders got taken out by spectators, and the fact that it was one of the timed sections, I dug deep and put in what seemed like a decent time. 

When I finished the sector, it sunk in that I had nearly done Paris Roubaix and with only 2 short 2 star sectors to go, I raced to the finish at the Veledrome and went clear of about 30 riders to take a solo finish, which was lucky as it had started raining again and the concrete track was like an ice rink.

I finished in 7 hours which included 4 stops so I covered the 163km including 52.5km of pave in just over 6 hours of riding which I was v pleased with.

After drying out in the bar, I then cycled back to Lille with Andy from Edingburgh with us both reminiscing on an eventful day's riding.

Other honourable mentions go to a French guy on a 1980's steel bike , a guy from Brighton Mitre and numerous other people I rode with.

After a long, long shower at the hotel, it was into town for some Belgium beer - standing at a high table as sitting down is not good!

Tomorrow, it's the pros turn to suffer. Here's hoping for a Wiggo victory.

The Koppenberg

I met today's riding buddy, John from Wisconsin, on the train to Oudenaarde. He was an architecture student in Copenhagen for a year. And whilst I had a day's experience of cobble riding over him, he volunteered the fact that he rode for Team Wisconsin in races back in the states with a mix of amateurs and pros. 

John and bike were both from Wisconsin

After a flat but too fast 15km along the banks of the river Scheld, the route cut inland and we were faced with the first test of the day, the 2.5km Oude Kwaremont, which is often a critical point in the Ronde.

We hit the climb only for John to puncture after 50 metres. Still, it enabled me to have a bit of a breather and take a couple of pictures.

Dark and foreboding even on a sunny day

John enabling me to have a breather

The Kwaremont proved a challenge, even more so for the fully Sky kitted out guy we passed half way up. But then with minimal restbite, we hit the Paterberg, which is only 361m long but averages 12% and maxes out at 20% near the top. But, I was inspired by Cancellara's winning move in last year's Ronde and made it at a decent pace. 

Random bloke powering up the Paterberg

Next up was the main event of the day, the Koppenberg, which is twice the length of the Paterberg and has some of the worst cobbles in Flanders. 

We stopped for a couple of pictures, then took it on and whilst John powered up it (in a 34/25 gear ratio) ahead of me, I avoided suffering the fate of many a cyclist and made it to the top still on the bike, to some cheers from a local family at the top.

Beautiful and painful

Same pic just with me in the way

We then did a 4km cobbled section, which was good practice for tomorrow, then did Tom Boonen's favourite climb, the Taaienberg ('Tough Hill' in Flemmish) and unlike the great man, I avoided the temptation of the gutter and grinded it out, trailing John by a respectable 20 metres. 

John making it look easy at 30kph

We then went our separate ways and I cut back to Oudenaarde via the Eikenberg and completed 50km in 2 and a bit hours of riding.

Merckx's old team car in Oudenaarde

One last bit of pro bike drooling at Kortrijk with the Saxo Tinkoff bikes being prepped for Sunday's big race, then it was off to Roubaix to register.

This might be Sunday's winning bike

Tonight's beer was a little less good than the previous 2 nights as I'm now in France and whilst they win on food and wine, the Belgians win hands down on beer and hard cyclists.

Still went down well

And Lille's got some nice architecture too

Tomorrow is the big event...

Oudenaarde Geraardsbergen Oudenaarde

The day began breakfasting with a guy called Patrick who I met as we were going into the restaurant. He turned out to be the Product Manager for Merida bikes and was over with the Lampre Merida team. He gave me the lowdown on their set up for Paris Roubaix but didn't hold out too much hope for a good result. Wiggo and Bernie Eisel were also in the restaurant, with Wiggo looking pretty intense.

I then did a quick tourist walk around Kortrijk admiring the medieval and goth artitecture.

Then, it was back to the hotel where I bumped into Bernie Eisel and got chatting - he's a top guy and said that they're resting up after a pretty hard Scheldeprijs yesterday but he wasn't to be drawn on whether Wiggo will win on Sunday.

Anyway, next up was the main event of the day, a 120km ride from Oudenaard to Getraardsbergen and back again with the route taking in 15 categorised climbs including the Valkenberg, the Eikenberg , the Bosberg and the Muur, Belgium's most iconic climb. 

I met a couple of Aussies, Chris and Craig at the start and we rode at a fair pace for the first 40km, with Craig lagging a bit over the climbs which helped me no end. His lagging however was due to a knee injury that he picked up earlier in the week and he bailed out and turned back to Oudenaarde. 

Classic Flandrian farm tracks

We then got to Geraardsbergen and bizzairly bumped into Chris's dad and one of his friend's girlfriend. After a quick chat we climbed the Muur which is cobbled and has a 20% section. Cue lots of pictures.

Grinding up the Muur

Salvation awaits at the top

Chris' beard put Bernie's title in doubt

We then went back into the town for some well earned caffeine and Mattenraarten (a typically long name for a local cake) sitting outside a cafe in the main square in 20℃ sunshine - unheard of in Belgium this time of year. Then as I prepared to set off in the opposite direction of the Muur assuming we wouldn't have to go up it again, Chris informed me that we did indeed have to.

Next up was the Bosberg, another kilometre of cobbles but this time with huge gaps between some of them. I was now struggling somewhat and Chris finally dropped me on the 13% Kapelleberg, and for the first time in the day I was overtaken by a couple of riders.

But, I somehow managed to reel them in and drop them just before the final cobbled climbs of the day, the Eikenberg but with about 400 metres of the climb to go I heard a rider just behind me and went full gas for the rest of the climb only to be very pleased it was actually Chris who had taken a wrong turn and not one of the 2 riders catching me back up. It was downhill for the last 5km and we were helped by drafting some cars for the last section helping us to finish in a v respectable 5 hours of riding without being overtaken by a single rider.

The best can of coke I've ever had 

After saying goodbye to Chris I had a quick look round the Tour of Flanders museum which had Nicky Terpstra's Paris-Roubaix winning bike from last year.

And then, I got talking to some Taiwanese guys who were over from Maxxis, Team United Healthcare's tyre sponsor.

Pic taken by the MD of Maxxis

There was time for a quick look aTinkoff Saxo's bikes which were being cleaned by the mechanics.

Back in the hotel, I had a chat with Nigel Mitchell, Sky's nutritionist who gave me some tips before sorting out some grilled fish for the team (again Wiggo looked intense).

And finally, some evening refreshment courtesy of some Trappist Monks who have been brewing for 900 years.

Tomorrow, it's the Koppenberg, the climb that made the mighty Merckx walk...