Having just returned from my second trip to Belgium it really made me think about how amazing such a small country can be for cycling. Belgium, despite having no obvious mountains Belgium makes up for it by having hundreds of short punchy climbs on asphalt or on cobbles.
E3 Harelbeke 2018
The cobbles really do add something to a climb or a flat road, for that matter, they make your bike rattle and vibrate and they take it out of your hands and legs. They make your legs far more fatigued due to the vibrations from the cobbles and they are really challenging. Also the cobbled climbs tend to go up some solid gradients with a lot of them maxing at over 20%. Concentrating on the cobbles ahead of you and putting power down on such steep gradients is very challenging. However when you nail a cobbled climb and keep your momentum up it, they are so satisfying. Without riding on cobbles it is hard to understand how they change bike racing so much, but after riding on them you will have far more respect to the pro riders who fly over the cobbles like it is a perfectly smooth road. Climbing up the Muur Van Geraardsbergen and the Oude Kwaremont and watching the pro's come up being roared on by the Belgian fans is such an incredible experience.
The atmosphere in Belgium during the Spring Classics is incredible. Cycling in Belgium is one of their main sports and is not seen as a niche sport, so even mid week there will be hundreds of fans on the sides of the climbs cheering on their favourites. It is incredible to see the passion for the sport in Belgium. Going to Belgium during the spring, despite the sometimes questionable weather, is the best time to go due to the amount of pro races going on and for that whole period cycling is in the spotlight and the atmosphere on the climbs is unrivalled.
Belgium, however, has so much more to offer than steep climbs and cobbled roads, it has a great cycling infrastructure and there is huge respect for cyclists on the roads which is a pleasant change. Almost all roads have cycle paths and these are actually well thought out and well maintained. Moreover, there is a great network of cycle paths on canals which are normally as wide as a car and smoothly tarmaced which means it is easy to get around without even riding on the roads. One classic image from Belgium is winding and exposed farm tracks traversing the Belgian fields, these roads are good to ride on as there is little traffic and you get to experience the strong winds that occur in Flanders due to the lack of hedges.
I hope I have been able to convey to you why I think everyone should go to Belgium to experience the great roads there and the incredible atmosphere there.
Soigneurs and Fans waiting for the Riders
The Kemmelberg
Kittle Climbing the Muur - De Panne 2017
