Bergs, cobbles & beers with Sir Bradley Wiggins

‘t Kuipke

The route passes the famous Kuipke Velodrome in Ghent, the track where Wiggins' late father, Gary, once raced and where Bradley finished his own career. “My earliest memory of watching a cycle race was in Ghent in 1986 when I was six,” he recalls.“I rode my first Ghent Six Day when I was 19". The velodrome is a special place: Merckx, Sercu and all the rest used to race there.

Vleesstraat

Distance

0.5km

Altimeters

3m

The perfect introduction to Flemish cobbles, a short stretch of cobbles to warm you up before you hit the real stuff. Located just outside Oudenaarde.

Molenberg

Distance

0.4km

Altimeters

28m

The Molenberg was for a long time the first pivot point in the Ronde. Indeed, much hinged on the poor state of the cobblestones and the bottleneck that ensured when the peloton attacked the Molenberg. Two-time winner Peter Van Petegem always said: “If you’re not in the first 10 to take the Molenberg, it will take you at least half an hour to get back in front.” The Molenberg was also the place where Tom Boonen and Fabian Cancellara broke away from the pack in 2010. On that occasion, Cancellara went on to win the Tour of Flanders. This is a climb you want to hit hard.

Haaghoek

Distance

1.8km

Altimeters

20m

This is one of the signature cobblestone roads in Flanders. The cobbles in this two kilometre stretch are rough but what makes this road really special is how it sinks in the middle, causing a slight descent at the start and a rise at the end. The Haaghoek is featured in races such as Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, E3 Harelbeke and Tour of Flanders.

Leberg

Distance

0.9km

Altimeters

33m

This asphalt climb is regularly featured in the Flemish spring classics. It's positioned immediately after the legendary cobbles of the Haaghoek. The Leberg is 700m long and has an average gradient of 6,1% with its steepest point, 14%, in a right-hand curve at the bottom of the climb. The climb connects to the last bit of the Pottenberg which is less steep, but runs exposed through fields and acres, causing wind to have a significant influence. Look out for the road graffiti in support of local riders that can be seen on your way up all year round.

Berendries

Distance

0.9km

Altimeters

66m

This is Greg Van Avermaet's absolute favourite climb. Boasting a maximum gradient of "only" 10% it seems to feel harder than it is, perhaps because you can always see exactly where you're going. It's usually encountered reasonably early in professional races, which means it isn't taken full-gas, but that will be of scant consolation as you grind your way up.

Bar Gidon

Bar Gidon is located on the market square in Geraardsbergen, next to the Vesten and close to the famous Muur, where cycling history is written. The cycling café bar is owned by ex-professional Frederic Penne who was active in cycling for 20 years, of which 5 years as a prof. Perfect place to taste the local specialty: Mattentaarten. It’s a unique regional cake that enjoys great fame, even beyond the national borders.

De Vesten & De Muur

Distance

0.9km

Altimeters

63m

The legendary 'Muur van Geraardsbergen' (Grammont Wall) takes you to the 110 meter high summit of the Oudenberg. The 910m long climb has an average and maximum incline of 9% and 20% respectively. For decades De Muur was both the penultimate and decisive climb of the Ronde. Also other races such as the Three Days of De Panne, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and BinckBank Tour use the hill to separate the men from the boys. Don’t forget to pay a visit to the lovely neo-baroque church on the top of the Kapelmuur, which will be a welcome stop after a 20% steep climb.The rather dated joke in Geraadsbergen is that there are only three famous walls in the world, Berlin, China and theirs. You can, if you are sure you can get moving again, stop on the very roughest section to pay homage at a poetic tribute to Eddy Merckx or you can take a pause at Bar Gidon on the Market Square, which is festooned with race-worn jerseys and autographs of riders past and present. It is also headquarters to Remco Evenepoel's fanclub.

Ronse '88 Worlds Mural

Take a moment for a picture at the scene of the 88’ worlds finish straight in Ronse. Just left on the Nieuwe Kruisberg

Oude Kruisberg

Distance

0.8km

Altimeters

54m

The 750m climb starts going gently uphill from the center of Ronse. The upper – and steepest – part of the climb has a roughly-paved cobbled surface, totaling 450 m of cobbles. The climb was first included in the Tour of Flanders route in 1973 and has become a fixed location in the route since the race's restyling in 2012. In recent years, it comes at 26 km from the finish in Oudenaarde, as the last cobbled climb before the iconic Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg climbs. The Kruisberg is also regularly included in the Three Days of De Panne, E3 Harelbeke.

Oude Kwaremont

Distance

2.1km

Altimeters

92m

Three: that’s how many times riders must climb the famous Oude Kwaremont during the Ronde. The Oude Kwaremont is the longest cobbled climb of Flanders at 2200 meters long, and 92 meters of climbing. While it averages a nice “easy” 4% gradient it’s maximum gradient of 11.6 % lies in the middle of the climb – it’s not an easy feat to recover from that over cobbles. Indeed, if you fail to recover from it in time, you can consider a pause at In 't Palet on the corner of the village square.

Ronde van Vlaanderenstraat

Distance

1.3km

Altimeters

23m

In the Ronde van Vlaanderenstraat in Kwaremont you can pay homage at the monument of Karel Van Wijnendaele, creator of the Tour of Flanders. You can also enjoy an outdoor Hall of Fame as the names of every winner of his race are stencilled onto the road. If you want to prolong your encounter with cycling royalty, the cafe D'Oude Hoeve offers the best in Belgian beer, a coal fired range on a cold day and a warm welcome from owner Joelle whatever the weather.

d’Oude Hoeve

​This authentic cycling bar is located in the Ronde van Vlaanderenstraat. Perfect place to hang out.

Paterberg

Distance

0.4km

Altimeters

41m

It’s only a relatively recent addition to the Tour of Flanders, constructed in the 1980s on farmland by a landowner jealous of his friend's proximity to the Koppenberg every year, but the Paterberg has already achieved legendary status. With a maximum gradient of 20.33% and an average gradient of over 12%, it’s one of the steepest climbs in the region. The descent to the sharp right hand corner at the foot of the climb requires care and usually claims at least one victim every year on the Tour of Flanders.

Koppenberg

Distance

0.6km

Altimeters

62m

If you sitll have power left, climb this monster. If not, just follow the old railroad cycle path back to Oudenaarde (what we did).