Two Saturday's in April

[Race Radio]

2013 Paris Roubaix Challenge registration is now open.

http://sport.be.msn.com/parisroubaix/2013/eng/

See you on the stones.

2014 I will be there

 

[Race Radio]

What about this one.
http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/1...organise-324km-amateur-Ronde-100-Classic.aspx

Don't show Scott this......he is crazy enough to do it

 

[Hugh Januss]

I wish I could do this, by the time I can afford it I will be too old and infirm.

 

[Scott SoCal]

What about this one.
http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/1...organise-324km-amateur-Ronde-100-Classic.aspx

260Kms is my limit. Looks like fun tho.

 

[Scott SoCal]

I wish I could do this, by the time I can afford it I will be too old and infirm.

Don't know what you think it costs but I'll bet it's less than you think.

 

[Scott SoCal]

2014 I will be there

Looking at the course... 27 sectors of pave, 52 kilometers including Arenberg. Two years ago I think there were 18 sectors.

This is gonna hurt

 

[Race Radio]

I wish I could do this, by the time I can afford it I will be too old and infirm.

Get a credit card that gives you miles. United has good ones. Pretty soon you have enough for a free flight.

Ibis, Etape, etc hotels. $50-70 per night.

Your biggest expense is beer

 

[Race Radio]

Looking at the course... 27 sectors of pave, 52 kilometers including Arenberg. Two years ago I think there were 18 sectors.

This is gonna hurt

I am not so sure the PR ride. Flanders style pave I like.....cobbles like PR get old quick.

Thinking of hitting the Flanders Sportif, then the all you can drink beer tent on Sunday, then flying to Tuscany Monday for a couple days of Strada Bianche $100 Round trip on Ryaniar to Pisa. Wouldn't mind hitting a few sectors of Pave but for some reason I don't feel the urge to ride 30km of it.......

 

[Scott SoCal]

Get a credit card that gives you miles. United has good ones. Pretty soon you have enough for a free flight.

Ibis, Etape, etc hotels. $50-70 per night.

Your biggest expense is beer

You can rent homes for a little more and have cooking and laundry.

Agreed on the credit cards, especially for HJ. Run as many business expenses through there as possible. If I could figure out how to do payroll through mine I'd never pay for air fare again... except for the taxes.

 

[Scott SoCal]

I am not so sure the PR ride. Flanders style pave I like.....cobbles like PR get old quick.

Thinking of hitting the Flanders Sportif, then the all you can drink beer tent on Sunday, then flying to Tuscany Monday for a couple days of Strada Bianche $100 Round trip on Ryaniar to Pisa. Wouldn't mind hitting a few sectors of Pave but for some reason I don't feel the urge to ride 30km of it.......

Something about PR with the rolling enclosures... you really get a taste for the race.

Just go all Honey Badger on it.

 

[Race Radio]

You can rent homes for a little more and have cooking and laundry.

Bingo. Especially if you are traveling with a few people

You did the VIP beer tent last year right? What are the logistics/Price of that? How did you get to the tent? Did you see the race 3 times on the Oude Kwaremont?

Was just checking the schedule. Looks like it might just be a long weekend in 2014, to close to kids spring break for a 10 day trip

 

[Scott SoCal]

Bingo. Especially if you are traveling with a few people

You did the VIP beer tent last year right? What are the logistics/Price of that? How did you get to the tent? Did you see the race 3 times on the Oude Kwaremont?

Was just checking the schedule. Looks like it might just be a long weekend in 2014, to close to kids spring break for a 10 day trip

http://rvv.pro.p.assets.flandersclassics.be/files/1613/original/DEFINITIEF%20FC13_RVV_VIPMAP.pdf?1356018468


Okay, the VIP on the Kwaremont (flandersclassics.com) was really fun, very cool and had some draw backs. I won't be doing it this year. You should do it once, I've done it twice and that is enough.

The good

The food... Plentiful, lots of varieties including pretty damned good sushi.
The beer (got smashed on Charles Quint) did not suck.
Watching the race on live feeds as it unfolds.
Hanging out at the bar.. Chit chatting with Roger Hammond didn't suck either.
Lots of VIP's in the VIP tent

The bad

We paid 270 euros per. It will be more this year.
The parking is a complete disaster.
Don't bother with trying to see the start in Bruges if you are going to the VIP. You will not have enough time to get to the Kwaremont without spending a couple of painful hours in a traffic cluster F.
When you go outside to see the boys fly up the Kwaremont you realize you are 20 people deep and the fence line is on about a 30' set back. Unless you are real tall you won't see ****.


But, there's something to be said for being there. Electricity is in the air.

 

[Scott SoCal]

To follow up on the VIP...

Kwaremont, near the top at Flanders Classics VIP;

Our Table;

 

[Yingge]

Yes, at least once you should try to be there.

After watching on TV (replays sometimes), I decided to be there In 2012.

Sure, you see more of the race in front of the TV or an Internet feed while sitting in a comfy chair, but being there should be experienced at least once if you have the chance.

I did all 5 in 2012 - RVV and PR with a local tour company, then Amstel, FW and LBL on my own, 4 Sundays in a row, with the mid-week FW thrown in.

RVV - the start in Bruges, then to the Old Kwaremont.
PR - Arenburg (just beyond the old Rail bridge) then to the Velodrome.
Amstel - The 3 way point near Aachen, then a bus to Valkenburg, watched from the corner at the bottom of the Cauberg.
FW - Start at Charleroi, then a train back to Huy and camped beside the 150m to go sign.
LBL - At the pub in Mery at the foot of the Falcons climb.

All were bloody cold, with a few passing showers thrown in at FW and LBL, but worth it.

I was there, and many of my friends got jealous, but sadly cant make it again in 2013.

 

[CobbleStoner]

I don't understand why anybody would pay that much money to ride roads that you can ride for free any day of the year? do you really want to ride with 4,000 people? it seems like you would be spending most of the time concentrated on the other riders and not crashing in such a large group. for less money you and a few buddies could rent a car and have 1 (or 2, or 3) of the wives drive support and do the course on a day that the weather suits, and all of the bakeries and pubs you stop at will be much more welcoming than on a day of 4,000 cyclists. also, if you plan it for during the week before the Ronde, you will surely see stars and teams out reconing the course (that won't happen on the grand fondo day). It seems like you would see more of the country, and really get the feel for the course with just a few of your close buddies, or solo. I have ridden the Ronde course by myself several times and it is always an amazing ride.
I would love to hear peoples reasons for doing it as a Grand Fondo instead of just riding it

 

[MagnusMagnussen]

I've never ride on those days instead of it i used the 'Ronde van Vlaanderen routes':
http://www.crvv.be/nl/toerisme/routes/rvv-fietsroutes

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

Yeah, those routes do the most famous hills, but are (especially since the huge course change) far from what the pros do.

As for RVV, I have the habit of riding the course on Friday: all the signs (both pros and cyclos), are already there, but it's free and you'll be able to see more than 20cm around you.

 

[Scott SoCal]

Doing the Flanders Cyclo and Paris Roubaix Challenge again this year. Both event entries are open now... Going the long routes for both events.

So, anybody else going?