Advice for watching RVV live

[Spicco]

Hi,

I'm planning to go watch the Ronde in person for the first time next year. Ideally, I'd like to stay in Bruges and watch the start, then hop on a train to Oudenaarde and make my way to Oude Kwaremont for the remainder of the day. To those of you with previous experience in this arena, does this plan seem feasible? Or should I base myself closer to the finish and head straight to Kwaremont first thing in the morning?

I've had a look at the fan guide from last year to get an idea of the logistics involved, but would appreciate any insight into how reliable trains/buses/shuttles are on the race day, as well as any other tips that could be useful.

Figured this might be a good place to ask. Not a usual contributor, so feel free to move this thread as needed in case I misplaced it.

Thanks in advance.

 

[KenFiamingo]

Happy to give you my take on your plans. But first a small disclaimer: I usually do not go out and watch the RVV. Last year i did because my daughter asked me to. The time before that was in ... 1994. I have been living on the course for a large number of years which obviously made it easy for me to see the race in real life.

However, I am pretty experienced in shortcutting the course of the other Flemish races in the area ( OHV, KBK, DDV and especially E3). And although i've seen a huge increase of spectators over the last 20 years, last year's experience at the Ronde blew my mind. Even the most ordinary intersection was packed with people making it rather difficult to plan my journey (by car) because
A. I need to be there in time because i need to get rid of the car
B. I know i'll most likely end up being boxed in by other followers which again means a loss of time.

Additionallly, the police is closing off roads around the popular areas. These are things you typically don't have to deal with (or a lot less) in the other races. But the rule is: the smaller your mean of transportation, the easier it gets of course (bike or motorcycle).

Assuming the start is again at 10am and the first Kwaremont again is around the 130km mark (course hasn't been published yet), you'll have 3h15-3h30 time to get there from Bruges. The first train you'll be able to take in Bruges will be at 11h05, arriving in Oudenaarde at 12h29. This will only leave you 45mins to find the shuttlebus, get to the OK fan zone and walk to the course. So chances are you'll miss the riders on the first ascent. It even gets worse; the LAST shuttle bus is likely to leave from Oudenaarde at 12h30. So you might end up being blocked in the center of Oudenaarde.

So what about renting a car? Bruges will be very busy that morning and leaving the city will come with swearing, queuing and loosing time. But the good thing is you'll be able to head directly towards the OK. On a perfect day it takes 1h from Bruges to Berchem (Kluisbergen). So even if you double the travel time, you should have a decent shot at making it... If it hadn't been for the lack of parking around the fan zone. The list of roads blocked for traffic or where parking is prohibited is endless. Police and local authorities are doing everything to ban cars. So even if you manage to find a spot without the risk of the car being towed away, you'll be in for a serious walk to the OK. Unless you have your bike in the trunk of the car...

So if I would be in your shoes, i'd abandon this plan. I'd skip the start, head to Oudenaarde instead , watch the departure on a livestream, take the shuttle bus and find myself a nice spot on the climb.

If you want to enjoy every moment of the day and be submerged in the RVV experience, you need to avoid stress and other distractions at all cost.

 

[Berniece]

Happy to give you my take on your plans. But first a small disclaimer: I usually do not go out and watch the RVV. Last year i did because my daughter asked me to. The time before that was in ... 1994. I have been living on the course for a large number of years which obviously made it easy for me to see the race in real life.

However, I am pretty experienced in shortcutting the course of the other Flemish races in the area ( OHV, KBK, DDV and especially E3). And although i've seen a huge increase of spectators over the last 20 years, last year's experience at the Ronde blew my mind. Even the most ordinary intersection was packed with people making it rather difficult to plan my journey (by car) because
A. I need to be there in time because i need to get rid of the car
B. I know i'll most likely end up being boxed in by other followers which again means a loss of time.

Additionallly, the police is closing off roads around the popular areas. These are things you typically don't have to deal with (or a lot less) in the other races. But the rule is: the smaller your mean of transportation, the easier it gets of course (bike or motorcycle).

Assuming the start is again at 10am and the first Kwaremont again is around the 130km mark (course hasn't been published yet), you'll have 3h15-3h30 time to get there from Bruges. The first train you'll be able to take in Bruges will be at 11h05, arriving in Oudenaarde at 12h29. This will only leave you 45mins to find the shuttlebus, get to the OK fan zone and walk to the course. So chances are you'll miss the riders on the first ascent. It even gets worse; the LAST shuttle bus is likely to leave from Oudenaarde at 12h30. So you might end up being blocked in the center of Oudenaarde.

So what about renting a car? Bruges will be very busy that morning and leaving the city will come with swearing, queuing and loosing time. But the good thing is you'll be able to head directly towards the OK. On a perfect day it takes 1h from Bruges to Berchem (Kluisbergen). So even if you double the travel time, you should have a decent shot at making it... If it hadn't been for the lack of parking around the fan zone. The list of roads blocked for traffic or where parking is prohibited is endless. Police and local authorities are doing everything to ban cars. So even if you manage to find a spot without the risk of the car being towed away, you'll be in for a serious walk to the OK. Unless you have your bike in the trunk of the car...

So if I would be in your shoes, i'd abandon this plan. I'd skip the start, head to Oudenaarde instead , watch the departure on a livestream, take the shuttle bus and find myself a nice spot on the climb.

If you want to enjoy every moment of the day and be submerged in the RVV experience, you need to avoid stress and other distractions at all cost.

I would like to add that on top of this, if you arrive later you won’t have a good spot and it won’t be worth it. A lot of Flemish people go very early to their, and take food and drinks with them to have the best spots and get through the day.

 

[tobydawq]

I would like to add that on top of this, if you arrive later you won’t have a good spot and it won’t be worth it. A lot of Flemish people go very early to their, and take food and drinks with them to have the best spots and get through the day.

Are there big screens showing the race on the Kwaremont?

 

[BigCoward]

Even though I'd happily sit and watch 6-8 hours of monotonous cycling on TV, I have literally zero interest in seeing any live cycling.

The 2012 Olympics route went past my work, and I saw no benefit to going upstairs to watch them go past from the roof and just watched on the TV, it's not a sport you can follow live, I don't get it at all.

This isn't a criticism of anyone who does follow live, it's just completely outside my sphere of understanding where the fun is.

 

[gregrowlerson]

I think the fun is in the getting drunk part.

 

[Berniece]

Are there big screens showing the race on the Kwaremont?

No clue, never did this myself. I always went to the start in Antwerp and then sat in front of my TV.

Watched cycling 2-3 times live, not my cup of tea.

I think you need to wait until the route has been revealed and there is more info on their website.

 

[tobydawq]

No clue, never did this myself. I always went to the start in Antwerp and then sat in front of my TV.

Watched cycling 2-3 times live, not my cup of tea

I don't like it that much either but I think I have to experience De Ronde once in my life. But I would probably want to combine it with a participation in the Gran Fondo on the Saturday before the race which means that it's not happening this year...

 

[KenFiamingo]

The 2012 Olympics route went past my work, and I saw no benefit to going upstairs to watch them go past from the roof and just watched on the TV, it's not a sport you can follow live, I don't get it at all.

This isn't a criticism of anyone who does follow live, it's just completely outside my sphere of understanding where the fun is.

Rationally speaking, you're totally right. And I've always had a hard time explaining why it's worth waiting that long for the riders to pass in a split second.

Still, if you've experienced the climbs yourself then it puts the huge effort and suffering of the riders in a different perspective.

And what i really "get off on" is the sound of shifting and carbon rims on cobblestones.

 

[Spicco]

Happy to give you my take on your plans. But first a small disclaimer: I usually do not go out and watch the RVV. Last year i did because my daughter asked me to. The time before that was in ... 1994. I have been living on the course for a large number of years which obviously made it easy for me to see the race in real life.

However, I am pretty experienced in shortcutting the course of the other Flemish races in the area ( OHV, KBK, DDV and especially E3). And although i've seen a huge increase of spectators over the last 20 years, last year's experience at the Ronde blew my mind. Even the most ordinary intersection was packed with people making it rather difficult to plan my journey (by car) because
A. I need to be there in time because i need to get rid of the car
B. I know i'll most likely end up being boxed in by other followers which again means a loss of time.

Additionallly, the police is closing off roads around the popular areas. These are things you typically don't have to deal with (or a lot less) in the other races. But the rule is: the smaller your mean of transportation, the easier it gets of course (bike or motorcycle).

Assuming the start is again at 10am and the first Kwaremont again is around the 130km mark (course hasn't been published yet), you'll have 3h15-3h30 time to get there from Bruges. The first train you'll be able to take in Bruges will be at 11h05, arriving in Oudenaarde at 12h29. This will only leave you 45mins to find the shuttlebus, get to the OK fan zone and walk to the course. So chances are you'll miss the riders on the first ascent. It even gets worse; the LAST shuttle bus is likely to leave from Oudenaarde at 12h30. So you might end up being blocked in the center of Oudenaarde.

So what about renting a car? Bruges will be very busy that morning and leaving the city will come with swearing, queuing and loosing time. But the good thing is you'll be able to head directly towards the OK. On a perfect day it takes 1h from Bruges to Berchem (Kluisbergen). So even if you double the travel time, you should have a decent shot at making it... If it hadn't been for the lack of parking around the fan zone. The list of roads blocked for traffic or where parking is prohibited is endless. Police and local authorities are doing everything to ban cars. So even if you manage to find a spot without the risk of the car being towed away, you'll be in for a serious walk to the OK. Unless you have your bike in the trunk of the car...

So if I would be in your shoes, i'd abandon this plan. I'd skip the start, head to Oudenaarde instead , watch the departure on a livestream, take the shuttle bus and find myself a nice spot on the climb.

If you want to enjoy every moment of the day and be submerged in the RVV experience, you need to avoid stress and other distractions at all cost.

Thanks a lot, this was very helpful. I already had the impression that my plan might be overly ambitious, so will target Oudenaarde right away in the morning.

As for the discussion around following races live, for me it's more about the spectacle of the crowd and seeing these iconic places with my own eyes. Have only been to a couple of races so far, but have thoroughly enjoyed the environment every time. The Ronde also has the benefit of passing the key sections several times, not to mention it might be my favourite race on the calendar.

All together, I'm very excited to check this off my list.

Appreciate the input!

 

[tobydawq]

Rationally speaking, you're totally right. And I've always had a hard time explaining why it's worth waiting that long for the riders to pass in a split second.

Still, if you've experienced the climbs yourself then it puts the huge effort and suffering of the riders in a different perspective.

And what i really "get off on" is the sound of shifting and carbon rims on cobblestones.

A "split second" is also an exaggeration, especially if you're standing in a location where it's somewhat steep and the peloton has been split to pieces. Especially if it's somewhere the peloton will have to come by multiple times.

That's why it's great to be standing on Kiddesvej in the Tour of Denmark.

 

[laarsland]

I don't like it that much either but I think I have to experience De Ronde once in my life. But I would probably want to combine it with a participation in the Gran Fondo on the Saturday before the race which means that it's not happening this year...

I'm doing this, though a fair bit of focus is needed in the coming three months.

 

[tobydawq]

I'm doing this, though a fair bit of focus is needed in the coming three months.

Good luck! Which distance?

 

[laarsland]

Go big or go home (235 km)

 

[gregrowlerson]

To the OP: I've hiked up both the roads to Verbier and AX3 Domaines, and enjoyed that experience, but did it completely away from any periods of racing itself. I'm not even a cyclist; I'm sure that doing that sort of thing is more meaningful for amateur riders. Probably the same goes for amateurs cycling over the pave.

 

[Carrick-On-Seine]

Even though I'd happily sit and watch 6-8 hours of monotonous cycling on TV, I have literally zero interest in seeing any live cycling.

The 2012 Olympics route went past my work, and I saw no benefit to going upstairs to watch them go past from the roof and just watched on the TV, it's not a sport you can follow live, I don't get it at all.

This isn't a criticism of anyone who does follow live, it's just completely outside my sphere of understanding where the fun is.

Yeah I had mates meticulously planning where would be be the best spot to watch on Box Hill but I stayed at home for Vino Day.
Agree with everything you say apart from RVV - I'd love to go just for the atmosphere and the beer .

 

[Breezy1985]

Last year was my first RvV and I attempted Brussels to Oudenaarde by train then on to the Kwaremont. Local buses were cancelled and I missed the shuttle. In the end I reckon it would have been too much stress getting back anyway.

Didn't matter though as I had an absolutely amazing time in Oudenaarde. Saw the start of the women's race them watched the races on a big screen in the RvV museum cafe. Strolled (wobbled) up the road and was on 500m for the men's finish with a big screen to see the final ascents and 200m for the women's where sadly many fans had left.

Finished it all off with a few beers in local pubs and the most cycling experience in Stad Brussel pub drinking Orval watching a polkapop conga line.

 

[Potomac]

Unrelated to the race. Staying in Ghent and making day trips to other Belgian cities my recommendation.
And drinking lots of trappiste ales.

 

[argyllflyer]

On the live cycling thing, I had a great time watching the British champs and the Commonwealth Games on the Glasgow circuit but I know the city and was able to flit across the course to see the riders at numerous places across the day. Even got a few iffy photos too!

Not sure about repeating the craziness on a circuit I didn't know though.

 

[fox]

Are there big screens showing the race on the Kwaremont?

Yes, there is a big screen on "kwaremont plein". It is a little square about halfway the climb just after the steepest part. In the past, before the course change, we would see them 4 or 5 times before going to kwaremont square. Nowadays that is simply impossible.

 

[Extinction]

Even though I'd happily sit and watch 6-8 hours of monotonous cycling on TV, I have literally zero interest in seeing any live cycling.

The 2012 Olympics route went past my work, and I saw no benefit to going upstairs to watch them go past from the roof and just watched on the TV, it's not a sport you can follow live, I don't get it at all.

This isn't a criticism of anyone who does follow live, it's just completely outside my sphere of understanding where the fun is.

Well you'd have a different viewpoint, had you been roadside on the Col d'Eze during the last stage of Paris-Nice 92. Watching each rider pass with the building expectations of seeing the top GC guys, Indurain and Jean-Francios Bernard being the last, with the helicopter hoverning above and the motor brigade anouncing their arrival. It was actually quite thrilling.