ogden
25-07-13, 10:22 PM
It's that time of year again. In four weeks' time I'll be nipping across the channel again. This one'll be rather shorter than the last trip, just down to Gedinne in Belgium.
There aren't many things the Belgians do well (cue that gag from In Bruges) but one thing they do is classic bike racing on public roads. I usually go to a couple of meets each year, at Chimay and Gedinne, but this year it's just the one so I'll be looking to make it count.
Our usual routine is to rock up at the campsite on Saturday morning, start drinking, and watch old blokes thrash even older bikes around some wiggly little country roads faster than you'd think even vaguely wise on dodgy old iron with frames made of pipecleaners and brakes you wouldn't trust on a moped. But mostly drinking, if I'm honest. And then we pass out drunk, wake up on Sunday morning, and do it all again. Monday is a bank holiday in the UK, so we have a leisurely trip back to Calais and ride home.
It's a cheapish way to see a weekend of racing on the continent, all you need is a return tunnel or ferry crossing (if you're not already on that side of the water), some cash for fuel and beer, and fifteen euros or so for entry and camping. And a tent, obviously. All gatecrashers more than welcome - I took a mate of a mate along last year, marking his first foreign bike trip, and he absolutely loved it.
Details about the event proper are here: http://crmb.be/en/
Anyone tempted?
There aren't many things the Belgians do well (cue that gag from In Bruges) but one thing they do is classic bike racing on public roads. I usually go to a couple of meets each year, at Chimay and Gedinne, but this year it's just the one so I'll be looking to make it count.
Our usual routine is to rock up at the campsite on Saturday morning, start drinking, and watch old blokes thrash even older bikes around some wiggly little country roads faster than you'd think even vaguely wise on dodgy old iron with frames made of pipecleaners and brakes you wouldn't trust on a moped. But mostly drinking, if I'm honest. And then we pass out drunk, wake up on Sunday morning, and do it all again. Monday is a bank holiday in the UK, so we have a leisurely trip back to Calais and ride home.
It's a cheapish way to see a weekend of racing on the continent, all you need is a return tunnel or ferry crossing (if you're not already on that side of the water), some cash for fuel and beer, and fifteen euros or so for entry and camping. And a tent, obviously. All gatecrashers more than welcome - I took a mate of a mate along last year, marking his first foreign bike trip, and he absolutely loved it.
Details about the event proper are here: http://crmb.be/en/
Anyone tempted?