The finishes of De Ronde van Vlaanderen and Paris-Roubaix are really quite close together, less then 40km! From Oudenaarde, you can be on the iconic banking of the velodrome where Paris-Roubaix finishes in no time. Together with our friends at Cyclist Magazine, we plotted an extremely indirect course of 120km from the Centrum Ronde van Vlaanderen to the velodrome in Roubaix, taking in the edited highlights of both races. The train takes you back or cycle back along the river. Get ready to shake them bones!!

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Pre-ride

Food & Drink
Peloton Café
221208 Cyclist Flanders 1078 min
0km

And we're off!

Shortly after the Koppenberg, you'll turn onto a 2.5km extended section of cobblestones that links the flat Mariaborrestraat to the draggy Steenbeekdries climb before sending us down the other side on the thrilling cobbled descent of the Stationberg. The sting in the tail of this descent is a switchback with a railway crossing at its apex to test your bike-handling skills.

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23km

Hotond

Time to start our trek towards the border. At km 93, in Cysoing, you hit your first Paris-Roubaix cobbled sector: the Pavé Gilbert Duclos Lassalle. Nothing too brutal yet, so it serves as a nice appetizer for what's coming up next.

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Camphin-en-Pévèle is waiting for you at km 100. Being a 4 star sector, this one already gives you more of a typical boneshaking Paris-Roubaix experience. Enjoy the ride!

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Before arriving at the velodrome is the ceremonial (and often missed) final section of cobbles that stretches to 200 metres and features the names of every winner laid out on the way to the turn onto the famous concrete banking. Spend a few minutes to pick out your favourites!

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120km

One last round to the finish

The velodrome itself is, officially, a public park. This means you should be able to access it whichever day of the year you show up for your regulation lap-and-a-half. It's always a strange feeling to arrive here after a hard day of pushing across cobbles and bergs to eerie silence or teenagers smoking in the tribune. There is, however, a magic about the place that can’t be denied: the only place this ride could have ended.

From Roubaix, you can easily take a train back to Oudenaarde, taking just under 1 hour. If you like to cycle back and take in the official last kilometres of De Ronde, you could use this route we designed: Roubaix - Oudenaarde.

All pictures ©Patrik Lundin | words Philip Malcolm | published in Cyclist Magazine UK

120km Finish