Rated Event: 88.889%
ranger2705 wrote:
Having been fortunate enough to ride in other sportives across the Alps and Pyrenees, this event posed a very different challenge. The prospect of cobbles deterred many of my usual riding buddies and caused me to think twice, but for those of us who persevered we thoroughly enjoyed the experience despite the difficulty of riding on pave for the first time.
The entry process was simple although many of the follow up e mails were only in French. On arrival the night before, registration could not be simple enough. The course was challenging and the cobbled climbs of the Koppenberg and Paterberg will stay with me for some time and gives me more appreciation of just how strong pro riders are and who we watched go up the same sections the following day.
Feed stops were huge, marshalling was both friendly and efficient in stopping traffic for us. Amazingly, the weather was distinctly un-Flandrian which added to the party like atmosphere in the central square of pretty Oudenaarde where, it seemed, virtually all of the 16,000 riders of many nationalities headed after completing the course. Yes, it gets congested on some of the cobbled climbs, but one can ride them, but you need a bit of luck that no one around you stops. Great event.
