Tour of Flanders sportive, 2024. Anyone else going?

Have booked Le Chunnel and a Gent hotel for me, the missis and the dog. All I have to do now is sort out the ride registration which tells me I can’t enter twice after failing to take payment.  😡

Assuming I overcome that hurdle, is anyone else planning on going this year? Would be nice to have some company,  but I’m doing it anyway even if it’s a team of one.

I’m going. Doing the long one from Antwerp. Please, please, please, can the weather be better than last last year?! OK, it was good to have completed such an epic Flanders but boy was it miserable!

I’ve entered.  Not sure I’m going yet as I’ve been plagued by a prolapsed disc/nerve situation and barely managed a ride in the last couple of months.  See how things pan out closer to the time.

I’m going. Doing the long one from Antwerp. 

I’ve always assumed that the additional KM’s over the 2nd longest route is just bashing down boring roads so never been tempted. Have always entered and finished the longest Oudenaarde option, so doing that again. Gives the option to cut to a shorter distance if the weather is horrid.

You should go anyway even if you can’t ride the sportive Blazin-saddles. Go to the main square and watch the race on the big screens, still a great day out. 

Can’t be that boring, this’ll be my 20th time doing the long one.

Fair play Mr Pants. That’s a solid effort. This will be the 5th time I’ve been, but the first time not with my semi-amateur cycling work team. 

Have a good one tthew, must admit I prefer riding it on my own at my own pace. Too many times it ended up as a ‘last man standing’ ride with my club n the past.

Doing Liege Bastogne Liege instead this year. The extra 3 weeks of spring riding before the event will be nice.

 Too many times it ended up as a ‘last man standing’ ride with my club n the past.

Ha, no chance of that with the gang I went with. Last couple of times half of them didn’t enter the sportive of any length! 

Semi-amateur cyclists, semi-professional drinkers. 

Would definitely like to try one of the Classics sportives, although would prefer Roubaix as a first go. Have any of you tried that one – how is it relative to Flanders?

I’m not much of a roadie so a flat 100+ sounds easier, but I guess the cobbles get taxing after a while.

My buddy is doing Roubaix this year, I’ve meant to do it for the last three years but Covid, herniated disc and now finances have always stopped me, I think it’s maybe not meant to be!

Obviously fancied Flanders as well but I think if I was going to make the journey over I’d rather make a longer trip of it so maybe do the Flandrien Challenge over three days instead.

As a bit (more) of a hijack, did anyone else see an article or maybe newsletter with a ‘Gravel’ Roubaix route? I pinched the route as best I could (had to copy off a screengrab) but would really like to find the article again. I’m not sure if I’d prefer the official event finishing in the velodrome, or the gravel alternative which at least doesn’t require the morning shuttle…

https://www.strava.com/routes/3099376552565736118

We really enjoyed the Gent-Wevelgem as you could watch the E3 Harelbeke on the Fri, it’s about a 30-45 mins cycle over from Wevelgem, then do the G-W on the Sat and then watch the Pro race on the Sunday. So 2 races for the weekend made it brilliant.

I don’t know about the other courses, but the G-W was fairly flat, as many of the classics seem to be. With several punchy climbs in there but more flat that anything else.

I’ve ridden VC Roubaix’s P-R half a dozen times. Full route. Its all about the bike for this one. First time I did it I set the bike up more like a battle ship to try and get it through without breaking anything. It didn’t work. It was so uncomfortable with its heavy frame, wheels and hard case tyres that I nearly cried at one point when I was told we were only half way! Each subsequent edition was gradually more ‘enjoyable’; lighter bike, wider tyres etc. Last time I did it I was on my carbon crux with lightweight Hunts, 28mm race tyres, latex inner tubes, 50 psi, double bar tape and normal road bike position. World’s apart from that first edition.

So, my back is still borked. Anyone want a half price entry to the 176km version? I have until March 8th to change entrants details. Hit me up on PM if you fancy it!

Sorry, continuing my own we solitary thread hijack, I finally found the article about the Gravel Roubaix.

Grit! Hel van het Noorden

Will add it to the 2025 pipedream list 🙄

Done quite a few times, including first full route from Antwerp. Walking down the metal stairs under the river and back up in road cleats was not recommended. Doing the short route this time to accompany a nervous first timer on the cobbles – probably saving me from myself given current levels of fitness.

If Garry_Lager is still on the thread and think starting with Paris-Roubaix is a good idea….think again. I will do that again if/only once I have forgotten the pain. Done a fair amount of cobbles and always think it’s pointless to ride the gutter if you have come for the experience, but was desperately seeking the gutter, however dangerous, after halfway. Had done a few sections before, including Arenberg, but I was totally unprepared for just how attritional section after section can be.

Too many times it ended up as a ‘last man standing’ ride with my club n the past.

A fair few of those Belgian Sportives end up like that anyway – you get some properly fast groups getting together and, over there, everyone knows how to ride in groups and they all absolutely nail it. Ride with it or get spat out the back!

Ha, just noticed this thread and thought,  ooh great, somebody else going!  Having completely forgotten I’d started it in the first place. 🤣

I did enter the 180 km route,  but may bail to a shorter option given the lack of miles since new year.

I shall be wearing this subtle club kit if it’s not pissing down with rain. Happy to share a turn if you spot me.

Too many times it ended up as a ‘last man standing’ ride with my club n the past.

It’s a fun way to smash out the last few miles if you’ve got the legs. 👍

@13thfloormonk – that looks like a great ride. Hijack away!

Well I suppose I should update this, (actually I tried earlier, but there was a forum problem).

Edit – ah it appears to be working OK now, I didn’t want to type all this out a 3rd time!

Excellent day out on the bike last Saturday. I was seriously considering my planned shortcut down the river near the 3rd feed-station, but by the time I got there the weather had cheered up a bit so I carried on and smashed out the whole of the 160km ride. Well I say smashed it, but due to a mudguard failure at about 30km I was taking it a bit easier on the cobbled sections after that! Manged to get it all back together but lost the anti-rattle rubber which was somewhat off-putting and noisy on the rough stuff.

As per previous experience of sensible size tyres, the gravel bike or something a bit more all-road with full mudguards* is definitely more suited to the cobbles than full-on race replica bikes, OMG, the number of miserable looking, wet, cold riders replacing innertubes was probably the worst I’ve ever seen.

*or at least ones that don’t fall to bits. Although they’d worked up to then so at least I wasn’t wet and fed up.