Continue reading »]]> So you’ve  just arrived in Belgium and are eager to try out some of the famous Flemish Bergs. The only problem though, is that it’s your first day in Flanders and you’ve spent many hours in a plane or in a car. To say the least your legs are not in the ideal condition to go powering up those mighty beasts. But riding the cobbles is what you’re here to do right? Well this weeks climb the Kattenberg is just the one to get your feet wet while you recover from your travels.

The Kattenberg is one of the easiest cobbled climbs of the Flemish Ardennes, as it’s cobblestones are small, even, and laid out in a mosaic pattern, known as klinker kassien. The climb is 600m in length with 40m of elevation gain, it averages an easy 6% gradient and maxes out at an 8% gradient. So you can see that it’s definitely a good introduction to the cobbled climbs of Belgium for those who have never ridden a cobbled road before or for anyone suffering from jet lag.

As it is a fairly easy cobbled climb, with other more challenging climbs and cobbled sections nearby, the Kattenberg rarely sees much racing action. It has been included three times in the Ronde van Vlaanderen, Gent-Wevelgem once, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, and Dwars door Vlaanderen. For anyone interested, the Kattenberg will be raced as the second climb of this years edition of Dwars door Vlaanderen on March 21st.

Enough Said, Take Me There!
The Kattenberg is located in the Ename/Mater districts of Oudenaarde, only 4km’s from the city center. Check it out on Google Street view here. It’s not part of any large bike routes, but you’ve just arrived remember so it’s best you take it easy anyways. Though if you’ve not just arrived, this climb can be paired with the Wolvenberg, Edelareberg, Eikenberg, and the Ruiterstraat or Holleweg cobbled sections to make for a more challenging ride.

Hope everyone had a great weekend! We wrapped up the cross season here with a double weekend, and are anxiously awaiting the opening races of the Belgian road season with Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne. Next week we’ll be moving a bit further from our doorstep for the next climb, check back Monday to see which climb it is. As always Happy Monday!

Continue reading »]]> Up till now our Monumental Bergs have all been 800m or shorter, so we decided to increase the distance just a bit for you. This week we’d like to introduce you to the Eikenberg; a steady climb, mainly cobbled, longer than some, shorter than others, and neither too steep nor too gradual. The Eikenberg, an all around pretty average guy… ‘eik’ is Flemish for oak which we see as masculine so just go with it.

The Eikenberg isn’t a shocker on any accounts but it certainly isn’t a dull climb. There is 68 meters of vertical gain covered over 1200 meters – maxing out at just under 10% and averaging a 5% gradient. So unlike the powerhouse climbs of the Koppenberg and Paterberg this climb doesn’t kick up quite as much, instead slow and stead is it’s motto.

It is definitely a popular climb as it has been included in many of the major Flemish Classics races such as the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, E3 Harelbeke, Dwars door Vlaanderen, Driedaagse van DePanne, and the Tour of Flanders. The Eikenberg has been featured in the RVV course since as early as 1956, but more frequently on and off since 1974. The 2012 edition of the RVV features the Eikenberg as the third climb of the day following the Taaienberg. It is also included in this years editions of the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, E3 Harelbeke, and Dwars door Vlaanderen.

Enough Said, Take Me There!
The Eikenberg can be found in the small village of Maarke-Kerkem in the municipality of Maarkedal, approximately 6km from the city center of Oudenaarde. You can check it out here for a little bit of Google Street View reconnaissance, or ride it via the Tour of Flanders Orange Loop.

But before you go here’s a few pointers to help make the best of it.

• This is a very ride able climb, experienced riders typically use the big ring for this climb.
• If fatigue sets in, don’t panic. Half way up you will hit a section where you can get some reprieve from the cobbles on an asphalt section to the left of the climb, following that section there are a few options both to the left and right to avoid as many cobbles as possible.
• If you’re here to ride the cobbles… then ride them. The cobbles on the Eikenberg are fairly smooth and tightly packed, so no major sections need to be avoided. Of course road conditions do change, so keep your eyes open!

So that’s it for this weeks climbs, hope you enjoyed it! Many opportunities to check out some action along the Eikenberg this Spring… actually starting in less than two weeks time. Who’s looking forward to the Belgian Opening Weekend with Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne? We are super excited for the return of the road season, no doubt you’ll find us somewhere along the course(s) in two weeks!

Continue reading »]]> We are heading into our third season of working with Tim Redus of Vertex Cycling. For those of you who haven’t heard of him, Tim has dedicated the majority of his life to bike racing. First as a racer himself, and later to help develop promising young riders from all over the United States.

Recently Tim has been organizing trips to Belgium for all those junior and u23′s who have ever dreamed of experiencing the racing culture of the motherland of cycling. His trips are full service which include housing (here at The ChainStay!), food, transportation to the races, transport to and from the Brussels airport, all race entries, sight seeing trips, racing & training guidance, and much more!

His trips are the perfect balance between experiencing the kermesse racing culture, training rides over some of the most iconic roads of Flanders, and visiting some of the historic sites around the country. He strives to help every rider make the best of their time here, so they can all return home better riders. And take it from us, if you’ve ever dreamed of racing in Belgium the younger you start the more you’ll benefit. You can check out all the racing experiences over on the Vertex Cycling website. There are still a very limited number of places left in his upcoming Spring Break trip too… so hurry before all spaces are gone!

Continue reading »]]> This week we’d like to introduce you to the often overlooked climb, The Wolvenberg. Thought it’s at par distance wise with some of the other climbs of the Flemish Ardennes, and ranks highly for it’s maximum gradient; the Wolvenberg’s asphalt surface means it won’t become a decisive climb anytime soon.

The Wolvenberg covers 800m of distance with an elevation change of 50m. The climbs starts off with a fairly gradual slope before kicking up to a maximum gradient of 19% towards the top, it’s average gradient is pretty average at 6%.

The Wolvenberg has only been included in the Tour of Flanders route since 1999 and featured until 2009, it will however not be included in the 2012 edition. Historically the climb was typically featured as one of the earlier climbs in the race, so it was never of much significance to the overall outcome. The climb has also been included in the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (formerly Omloop Het Volk or Gent-Gent) course on and off since 1982, and will be included in this years race as the 3rd from last climb.

Now, so far we have left out one of our favorite parts about the Wolvenberg. It’s kind of like a choose your own adventure book in the way that shortly after you’ve hit the top of the climb you’ll reach an intersection that gives you the option between not one but TWO cobbled sections; an 800m section on the Ruiterstraat (straight) or the very difficult 1500m section of the Holleweg (right) more on those to come. You can also turn to the left and ride towards the summit of an easier cobbled climb; the Katteberg. So the ride possibilities are endless!

Enough Said, Take Me There!

The Wolvenberg is located in the small village of Volkegem in the municipality of Oudenaarde; less than 3km from the center of the city.  Need a visual? Check it out on Google Street View and don’t forget ALLES IS GOED (everything is good)! Gotta love the things you can find on Google street view! You can also ride this climb as part of the Tour of Flanders 80km Blue Loop.

We won’t bore you with tips on how to ride The Wolvenberg, afterall it is asphalt. Just enjoy the climb and see where your choice of cobbled section takes you! Happy Monday and happy climbing!

pssst: We still have a few places left in our Tour of Flanders day trip, so if you’re planning on coming over in April make sure to book your place before it fills up!

Continue reading »]]> Hi there!

Just a quick update on whats new over here at The ChainStay.

First off we’ve got a month long promotion on from the 8th of this month through to the 8th of March.
After all there’s still some great late season ‘cross racing to be had until the 19th!  If you’re looking to get a head start on your road season there’s road racing starting up here on the 25th of the month, with the Belgian Opening Weekend (plus the Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne sportive) followed by lots of racing options the weekend of March 3rd and 4th (there’s even a couple of mid week races on the 7th if you’re keen).
Not going on a sunny training camp to Spain, we’ll Belgium is the hardman’s (woman’s) training camp – helps to build character!
Even for spectating it’s a great time to be here… we’ve got the Super Prestige Middelkerke, Cauberg Cyclocross, GVA Oostmalle, Cyclocross Masters in Hasselt, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Kuurne-Brussel-Kuuuren, Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen, and De Vlaamse Pijl! How’s that for excitement?
Rates for this late/early season period are just €325p.p for the month or €215 for two weeks! So contact us now if you’re interested in joining us!

Also new is the Belgium Directory, where you will find all of the links included in the Belgium Racing Guide plus some racing blogs we love, bike shop links, racing trips, and tourist information.
We’ve also started adding questions to our House FAQs and the Belgium Racing Guide FAQs, so check those out; maybe it will help answer a few questions for you, and if you still have a burning question let us know!

That’s it for this week. Hope you all have a great weekend! As for us… we’re off to Krawatencross in Lille tomorrow.

Continue reading »]]> Following yesterday’s stage win by Tom Boonen at the Tour de San Luis in Argentina it’s only fitting that we feature one of his favorite climbs of the Flemish Ardennes. Casually known as the “Boonenberg” the Taaienberg is a climb where Tom Boonen has been known to test the legs of his competition.

The Taaienberg is a cobbled climb with a concrete section at the base, and a very slight downwards slope towards the end of the section. From top to bottom it covers 800m of distance, has an elevation chance of 57meters, with a maximum gradient of 18% and an average gradient of 7%. Though officially the Taaienberg is considered much shorter with a distance of only 475m, which does not include the initial concrete section, or the slight downgrade at the summit.

The Taaienberg has been included in the Tour of Flanders route since 1974 (except for the 1993 edition) and will be the first climb of this years edition of the race. The climb has also been featured in other professional races such as the E3 Harelbeke, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, and Driedaagse De Panne.

Enough Said, Take Me There!
The Taaienberg is located in the quiet village of Etikhove in the municipality of Maarkedal, about 8km from the center of Oudenaarde. Check it out here on Google Street View and via the Ronde Van Vlaanderen Orange Loop.

But before you go here’s a few pointers to help make the best of it.

• This is a very ride able climb though you will find it easiest to start in a relatively small gear
• If you intend to ride the cobbles all the way to the top, don’t worry about which side to ride on as no one line is better than another. The gutter on the right side tends to be where most choose to ride the climb.

So now that you’ve been introduced you to the Taaienberg, why not get to know it better? Hope everyone had a great weekend, we’ll be back next Monday with the next feature climb.

Psst Check out past Monumental Bergs here. 

Continue reading »]]> So we’ve been busy transferring over the Cyclists Guide to Belgium to it’s new home here, all of that information can now be found under “Belgium Racing Guide“.

There are still plenty of details that need to be worked out in order to make it as informative and useful as possible. On the list still to add will be a FAQ Page We would love it if you would leave us a comment there with any Belgium racing/living related questions that you might have, and we’ll do our best to include it.
Also in the works is a directory page, so you can find all the links mentioned in the guide in one place, plus links to popular bike shops, attractions, races, and other great resources and blogs.

New to the Guide so far is a Amazon Packing List of items you may not have considered, but may help you plan for your trip or help your travels go as smoothly as possible. An outline of every racing category recognized by the Wielerbond Vlaanderen, and an improved breakdown of how to find races suitable to you with screen shots.

Hope you find the new additions useful, and keep those suggestions coming!

]]> http://www.thechainstay.com/blog/2012/01/belgium-racing-guide/feed/ 0 http://www.thechainstay.com/blog/2012/01/monumental-bergs-the-paterberg/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=monumental-bergs-the-paterberg http://www.thechainstay.com/blog/2012/01/monumental-bergs-the-paterberg/#comments Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:34:17 +0000 Holly http://www.thechainstay.com/?p=367

Continue reading »]]> Less than 6 kilometers down the road from last week’s feature climb the Koppenberg, lies another famous cobbled climb of the Flemish Ardennes; The Paterberg.

It’s another extremely tough climb with 46 meters of elevation change over 360 meters; relatively short yes, but its 12% average gradient and 20% maximum gradient over cobblestones means this is a true power climb.

The Paterberg was first included in the Ronde Van Vlaanderen in 1986 after cobblestones were laid in the previous year.
The Paterberg has always been a challenging climb as it typically follows only 3 kilometers after the Oude Kwaremont, and precedes other climbs such as the Kortekeer, Kruisberg, Hotond, and the Koppenberg.
In the upcoming 2012 edition of the Tour of Flanders the Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg pair will be raced three times; the first time at the beginning of a 37km circuit, followed by a 20km circuit, and finally 17 kilometers before the finish which means the Paterberg will be the crowning climb of the day!
The Paterberg is also raced in other Flemish classics races including the E3 Harelbeke and Dwars door Vlaanderen.

Enough Said, Take Me There!
The Paterberg is located in the municipality of Kluisbergen just outside the villages of Berchem and Kwaremont in East Flanders. You can see it here on Google Streetview, and if you’re up for it you can ride it via the Organge RVV loop.

But before you go here’s a few pointers to help make the best of it.

• Take the corner (from the left or right) at the base of the climb hard, as you’ll lose momentum quickly if you take the turn too slowly.
• Start in a relatively small gear, stay seated, and keep as much weight on your rear wheel.
• There’s no best side to ride up if you intend to ride strictly on the cobbles, but if you need to there is a decent sized gutter on the left side of the road.
• This is a short and hard climb, so the more power you can give the better.
• The cobbles here are smoother and closer together than the Koppenberg so you should have less trouble getting to the top.
• We also do not recommend riding down the Paterberg as it can be very tricky to maintain
  control of your bike riding downhill over cobblestones.

So that’s this weeks feature climb, hope it gives you the itch to get out here and ride it. You can join us in April if you like!
Check back next Monday to see what we’re climbing next!

Continue reading »]]> Without the famous bergs, the Flemish Ardennes would hardly register as an epicenter of cycling, but as it so happens there are over 50 climbs in East Flanders alone with nearly 90% of them within 20km of Oudenaarde and a whopping 70% within 15km of Oudenaarde!
This is why we thought we’d introduce you to some of the famous (and some infamous) bergs, and what better way to start off this series than with the mighty Koppenberg!

This cobbled beast is feared by many, and rightly so, because its maximum gradient ranks it at the top of the list at 22%! Though relatively short at only 550m it’s 78m of elevation change ranks it 2nd in the Flemish Ardennes for it’s average gradient of 11%.

The Koppenberg first came under the radar in the 1976 edition of the Tour of Flanders, where it was first included in the race and remained on the route for 12 straight years. It was excluded from the race for sometime after an incident in 1987 in which the race leader Danish rider Jesper Skibby was bumped from behind by the commissaire vehicle only to have his bike ridden over – not the commissaire’s proudest of moments. The climb made it’s return to the race in 2002, and has featured in subsequent races since; with the exception of 2007 when it underwent reconstruction to resolve it’s deteriorating conditions.  Interestingly enough, in the past the Koppenberg has never been a deciding factor to the race winner as it is typically featured 70+ km’s before the finish, however it could be more significant in the 2012 edition as it is ever so slightly closer to the end (64km to go) and follows the first passing of the Oude Kwaremont/Paterberg climbs. We will have to wait and see how important this climb becomes, though one thing that is certain is that the Koppenberg is one awesome place to watch the race pass!
The Koppenberg is also a highlight on the annual cyclocross calendar with the GVA series Koppenbergcross held every November since 1988 (excluding 1993-1995).

Enough Said, Take Me There!
Known by the locals as the “Bult van Melden” or the “Bump of Melden” the Koppenberg is listed as a protected monument.
You can find it in the village of Melden in the municipality of Oudenaarde; 6km from the center of town. Here it is in all it’s Google Street View glory, though I don’t think it will help you much with reconnaissance… but more so you know you’re there if the giant cobbled berg doesn’t give it away. And if you’re up for 70km of bergs and cobbles you can ride the Koppenberg via the Orange Tour of Flanders loop.

But before you go here’s a few pointers to help make the best of it. For starters, if at all possible, wait for a dry day; and if you can, wait until the morning dew has evaporated. Now the best suggestions that we can give you to help get you to the top are…

• Don’t go too hard at the start of the climb, it’s longer than you think.
• Start in a relatively small gear, stay seated, and keep as much weight on your rear wheel.
• You’ll have the best odds riding the left hand side for the first 3rd, after that it’s all about survival.
• The steepest section is in the middle, if you can make it up that section you’re golden!
• The more power you can give it the better.
• We also do not recommend riding down the Koppenberg as it can be very tricky to maintain
  control of your bike riding downhill over cobblestones.

Anyone planning on conquering this mighty beast any time soon? If you’re here in April why don’t you join us on one of our guided rides? Don’t forget to check back here soon to find out which other climbs of Flanders we’ll be featuring.

Continue reading »]]> Though Christmas is right around the corner we’ve already got January on our minds. How come?
Well it’s only 12 days away, and 20 days until most National CX Championships.

After that we’ve got TWO World Cup races; Lievin France on January 15th, and Hoogerheide Netherlands on January 22nd, with Kasteelcross in Zonnebeke Belgium on the 21st. Then it’s time for the main event of the World Cyclocross Championships on one of our most favourite courses in Koksijde Belgium on January 29th! Who’s excited? We definitely are!
The other cool thing is that there are still 7 elite level ‘cross races in our neck of the woods through the month of February. So although this upcoming jam packed week is a huge highlight on the cross calender, there is still plenty more action to get in on.

Really what we’re trying to say is that here at The ChainStay we have a bit of space available during this time, and we’re letting you know now so that you don’t miss out on all the excitement. Cause really where else in the world are you going to find more cross racing at this time of year?…. simple answer nowhere.
So if you are on a quest to gain some late season UCI points or try to learn from the best, you better get on over here!

World Cups are a little out of your depth? You can still gain a lot of late season knowledge from some of the smaller B level ‘cross races here in Belgium, so you can come on stronger next season. Plus you’re always welcome to tag along to some of the bigger races as a spectator!
Not a racer you say? Fans and recreational riders are always welcome to come hang out at The ChainStay too. We love getting to meet all sorts of people, racing license not required!

More info just contact us.
Hope to see you in January!