I’ve written before that tensions between French and Dutch speaking political parties has been on the rise. Now this has reached the point where the coalition government has collapsed, following mutual suspicion amongst several parties. Nothing to do with cycling, this is just following up previous “out of competition” reports. For more on this, see … Read more
Wednesday’s Flèche Wallonne race is always good to watch thanks to the fearsome Muur de Huy, a leg busting climb that ‘only’ averages 9.3% but has sections well above 20%, meaning any rhythm is near-impossible. The riders climb this three times. There’s even a quasi-religious symbolism as the riders pass seven chapels on the road. … Read more
Not so rampant now As I’ve written on here before, Belgium has two regions and some are keen to see a wedge driven into the country so it splits in half. Only a separatist cycling fan might want to rethink their plans for a moment. I’m being flippant but note that the only Belgian classic … Read more
Today’s stage finish Whilst many cycling fans will be focussed on the Flemish Classics and the upcoming Paris-Roubaix, don’t forget the stage racing in Spain. The Tour of Catalonia is done and today sees the Queen Stage of the Tour of the Basque Country, finishing at the San Antonio sanctuary above the small town of … Read more
Imagine everyone shouting your name Today sees the Scheldepriijs race, aka GP de l’Escaut, take place in Tom Boonen’s backyard, near Antwerp. He got a huge welcome and needed a police escort to get from his home to the start. Now not everyone in Belgium cares, but a lot do. Tom Boonen is already a … Read more
This blog covers pro cycling, but so do many websites. One aspect of this is going beyond the sport. Races travel across farm tracks, through towns. I want to help place the sport into the context of political, geographical and social forces that surround it. It might seem like it at times but bike races … Read more
This blog covers pro cycling, but so do many websites. I started the blog to give a different insight into races, whether it’s personal opinions or picking up on small things that get overlooked, whether it’s Amaël Moinard’s SRM or analysing sponsorship deals. In short, the aim is to give a bit more detail. One … Read more
There’s a fourth grand tour out there, the Tour of Belgium. You might not see it immediately but look at the calendar of racing throughout March and early April. You’ve got so many Belgian races that they almost form one non-stop event. Ok, there’s no yellow jersey so what do I mean? Well if you … Read more
From Oman to France, many bike races are about promoting the area to tourists and business alike. Belgian races give images of muddy farm tracks, ugly brick buildings and foul weather. It’s hardly an advert for the county. For what it’s worth, Belgium is a wealthy country, not without its political problems but on average … Read more