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...