Spring is in the air - routes and guide for The Classics

One-Day Classics Schedule for 2016

When I am asked what or where my favorite bike races are held, I smile with great sentiment and excitement and always respond, "Oh, the Classics, the cobbles!". Without a doubt the classics are the most grueling test of man and his bike against the elements. Sure cycling is a team sport, but the classics are the hardest races to predict because most often they come down one day, and the will of one man on that one day.

Like many cycling fans I have large gaps in my interest. For me the real cycling season is the spring, then a gap before the Tour of California and Giro, and another before the Tour de France, and finally a long wait until cyclocross season and watching Worlds. In between, I believe it is best to get and and do it yourself.

For now, even with the fresh layer of snowfall in Denver, Colorado today, Spring is in the air. Read more about the races, where to watch the spring classics livestream, route maps and distances. Enjoy this extensive guide to the Spring Classics. More can be found here: Pedal Dancer® Guide Page to the Spring Classics.

ABOUT THE BIGGEST RACES OF THEM ALL

The Monuments:

• Milano-Sanremo (Italy)
• Tour of Flanders (Belgium)
• Paris-Roubaix (France)
• Liège–Bastogne–Liège (Belgium)
• Il Lombardia (Italy)

Nicknames for the Classics:

• Paris-Roubaix = Queen of the Classics (La Reine), The Hell of the North, La Pascale
• Amstel Gold = [no nickname]
• La Fleche-Wallonne = The Walloon Arrow
• Liege-Bastogne-Liege = La Doyenne (the oldest/old lady)
• Milan-San Remo = La Primavera (the spring), Sprinters' Classic, La Classicissima
• Ronde van Vlaanderen = Flanders' most beautiful (Vlaanderens mooiste)
• Paris-Nice = Race to the Sun
• Tirreno-Adriatico = Race of the two Seas
• Il Lombardia = Race of the Falling Leaves

You are on pavé. ©Photo by Karen Rakestraw of Pedal Dancer®

THE SPRING CLASSICS

Spring Classics = Milan-San Remo + Cobbled Classics + Ardennes Classics

La Primavera

• Milano-Sanremo (Italy)

Cobbled Classics:

• Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (Belgium)
• Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne (Belgium)
• Dwars door Vlaanderen (Belgium)
• E3 Harelbeke  (Belgium)
• Ghent-Wevelgem  (Belgium)
• Tour of Flanders  (Belgium)
• Scheldeprijs (Belgium)
• Paris-Roubaix  (France)

*The most prestigious cobbled classics races are Paris-Roubaix and Tour of Flanders. E3 Harelbeke and Ghent-Wevelgem are also revered, with E3 Harelbeke now being the tougher of the later two.

Ardennes Classics:

• Amstel Gold  (The Netherlands)
• La Flèche Wallonne (Belgium)
• Liège–Bastogne–Liège (Belgium)

Sculpture and Pond at t'Zand square Bruges on Tour of Flanders race day. ©Photo by Karen Rakestraw of Pedal Dancer®

SEEING THE CLASSICS AS A FAN

For an American, the cobbled climbs of the Spring Classics can be hard to understand or appreciate, I certainly didn't understand them until I went and saw them for myself. The climbs aren't that long and don't appear that steep on TV, but trying to acheive and maintain momentum up these climbs is super hard. The cobbles are big, the ruts wide, the camber uneven, the pace unnervingly slow, the conditions often slick and the outcome somewhat unknown.

The approach onto these short cobbled sections often transition around a corner from pavement onto the harsh cobbles, and then suddenly after an excruciating effort, back onto fast smooth tarmac. The passage is narrow and you never know if there will be a crash or pile up ahead; being at the front is crucial. The top of any cobbled climb feels like a tremendous accomplishment. As a spectator, being anywhere near these climbs on race day is exhilarating.

If you are a first time visitor, you might consider joining a tour company. I planned and made the trip solo and had one of the best cyclist tourist trips I have completed. I loved the blend of culture, food, beer, getting lost, exploring the climbs, war memorials, meeting new friends and happily discovering why Belgium is the heartland of cycling. 

The start (bottom) of the Paterberg looks pleasant enough, but wait, it get's steep fast. ©Photo by Karen Rakestraw of Pedal Dancer®

And don't forget about the beer!

The endless choice of delicious beers in Belgium. ©Photo by Karen Rakestraw of Pedal Dancer®

And the food!

Yum, pies and torts in Belgium. ©Photo by Karen Rakestraw of Pedal Dancer®

And the frites! A must - walking the streets of Bruges with frites en (Andalouse) mayo. ©Photo by Karen Rakestraw of Pedal Dancer®

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2016

The classics demonstrate the true beauty of bike racing - they are hard, unknown glory at its best. Here is a list of the classics by date.

One-Day Classics Schedule for 2016 - race dates and links to official race websites.

February 2016
27 February 2016: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, BELGIUM, UCI European Tour 1.HC
28 February 2016: Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne, BELGIUM UCI European Tour 1.HC

March 2016
5 March 2016: Strade Bianche, ITALY, UCI European Tour 1.HC
19 March 2016: Milano - Sanremo, ITALY, UCI WorldTour 1.UWT
23 March 2016: Dwars door Vlaanderen BELGIUM, UCI European Tour 1.HC
25 March 2016: E3 Harelbeke, BELGIUM, UCI WorldTour 1.UWT
27 March 2016: Ghent - Wevelgem in Flanders Fields, BELGIUM, UCI WorldTour 1.UWT

April 2016
3 April 2016: Ronde van Vlaanderen / Tour des Flandres, BELGIUM, UCI WorldTour 1.UWT
6 April 2016: Scheldeprijs, BELGIUM UCI European Tour 1.HC
10 April 2016: Paris - Roubaix, FRANCE, UCI WorldTour 1.UWT
17 April 2016: Amstel Gold Race, NETHERLANDS, UCI WorldTour 1.UWT
20 April 2016: La Flèche Wallonne, BELGIUM, UCI WorldTour 1.UWT
24 April 2016: Liège - Bastogne - Liège, BELGIUM, UCI WorldTour 1.UWT

HOW TO WATCH THE SPRING CLASSICS FROM THE USA

My tip is to discover your best option before race day (or slightly before the finish!). Your access to each race will be a bit different and video is often geo-restricted. The options below will list the start and estimated race finish times, a definite help for early risers in the USA. Begin your search for coverage here:

• Steephill.TV: the top of the page lists current race news, the side column (desktop) has a neat and tidy box with the Classics links.
• Cycling Fans: most current race live coverage is listed at the top of the page
• ProCyclingLive: latest links in the center of page.
• Cycling TV: Live and on demand subscription required. 
• NBC Sports Live Extra cycling depending on your TV cable company.  
• NBC Sports Live Extra Mobile App, download in the App Store or the Google Play store. You’ll need a cable provider log-in to watch. 
• CyclingHub.TV: for some you might want to try this livestream site.
• Twitter: search for a link by race name offered by other fans.    

Tip: I purchased a 3-month subscription to Cycling.TV, but I also pull up a Sporza link from Belgium (via Steephill.TV). I like to also watch the local Belgian coverage and the interviews after the race.  In addition I follow along on the live text coverage on CyclingNews.com

You will see far more on TV, but being there is person is a thrill!

Chasing the cobbled climbs included in the classics is an easy place to get lost. The famed cobbled sections included in a number of the races are mere stretches of hard rock in the beautiful countryside of Belgium. 

Location of Kwaremont and Paterberg pave sections, near Kerkhove, Belgium. Map by Pedal Dancer®

Such beautiful countryside to pedal through. ©Photo by Karen Rakestraw of Pedal Dancer®

WHO WILL WIN THE CLASSICS?

Similar names appear each year depending on the terrain of the course and whether short punchy climbs are involved, or long powerful distances are to be raced. Members of team Etixx-Quick Step stands like gods in Belgium, but Team Sky is serious in their preparation, so too is team BMC. This year look for these names to be on the podiums:

Greg Van Avermaet, Ian Stannard, Tom Boonen, Fabian Canellara, Peter Sagan, Mark Cavendish, Marcel Kittel, Michal Kwiatkowski, Luke Rowe, Tony Martin, Alexander Kristoff, Nikki Terpstra. The Ardennes classics are typically won by strong climbers such as Alejandro Valverde, Simon Gerrans, Sylvain Chavenel or Philippe Gilbert. 

Leading into the 2016 spring races, John Degenkolb is injured; Andre Greipel is injured. Mark Cavendish's new team, Dimension Data, has not received a wild card invitation to defend his 2015 title at Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne 2016. Geraint Thomas is focusing on stage racing. But look out for the strong presence of Tony Martin, new to the cobbled classics. 

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Lion of Flanders. ©Photo by Karen Rakestraw of Pedal Dancer®

SPRING CLASSICS ROUTE MAPS FOR 2016


2016 Omloop Het Niewuwsblad route map
27 February 2016: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, BELGIUM, UCI European Tour 1.HC

Start city: Gent
Finish city: Gent
Distance:  200,8 km
Type of race: cobbled classic

Parcours: interactive road map
Road map: oomloop 2016 elite men roads
Timetable: oomloop 2016 elite men timetable

List of cobbles and bergs/helling: itinéraire

Who won is 2015?:  Ian Stannard (SKY)
Who won is 2016?:  Greg Van Avermaet (BMC)

Greg Van Avermaet in Kortrijk. Photo by Pedal Dancer®

Omloop Het Niewuwsblad 2016 route map

2016 Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne route map
28 February 2016: Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne, BELGIUM UCI European Tour 1.HC

Start city: Kuurne
Finish city: Kuurne
Distance: 200,7 km
Type of race: sprinter's classic

Parcours: interactive road map
Road map and timetable: elite men roads (on page)

List of cobbles and bergs/helling: itinéraire

Who won is 2015?:  Mark Cavendish (Etixx-Quick Step)
Who won is 2016?:

Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne route map

2016 Strade Bianca route map
5 March 2016: Strade Bianche, ITALY, UCI European Tour 1.HC

Start city: Siena
Finish city: Siena
Distance: 176 km
Type of race: white gravel

Route map: Parcours (on page)
Timetable: Altimetria (on page)

Who won is 2015?:  Zdenek Stybar (Etixx - Quick Step)
Who won is 2016?: 

Strade Bianca 2016 route map

2016 Milan San Remo route map
19 March 2016: Milano - Sanremo, ITALY, UCI WorldTour 1.UWT

Start city: Milano
Finish city: Sanremo
Distance: ~293 km
Type of race: sprinter's classic

Route mao: planimetria (details not yet published)
Profile map: altrimetria
Timetable: cronotabella

Who won is 2015?:  John Degenkolb (Giant - Alpecin)
Who won is 2016?: 

Milan San Remo route map 2016

2016 Dwars door Vlaanderen route map
23 March 2016: Dwars door Vlaanderen BELGIUM, UCI European Tour 1.HC

Start city: Meensesteenweg
Finish city: Verbindingsweg Waregem
Distance: 199,7 km
Type of race: cobbled classic

Parcours: interactive course map
Profile: Elite Men Profile
Road map: Elite Men Roads
Timetable: Elite Men Time table
Teams: pro teams

Who won is 2015?:  Jelle Wallays (Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise)
Who won is 2016?:

Dwars door Vlaanderen route map 2016

The final stretch of climb up the Kwaremont on a quiet day.  ©Photo by Karen Rakestraw of Pedal Dancer®

2016 E3 Harelbeke route map, (the bergs in E3)
25 March 2016: E3 Harelbeke, BELGIUM, UCI WorldTour 1.UWT

Start city: Harelbeke
Finish city: Aankomst
Distance: 206 km
Type of race: cobbled classic
@E3Harelbeke

Parcours: interactive course map and Record Bank E3 Harelbeke - World Tour Elite - Roads and Traffic
Road map: Record Bank E3 Harelbeke - World Tour Elite - Detail
Teams: pro teams
Highlighted bergs: climbs

Who won is 2015?:  Geraint Thomas (Sky)
Who won is 2016?: 

E3 Harelbeke route map 2016

This is Tour of Flanders country (Ronde van Vlaanderen). ©Photo by Karen Rakestraw of Pedal Dancer®

2016 Gent - Wevelgem route map
27 March 2016: Gent - Wevelgem in Flanders Fields, BELGIUM, UCI WorldTour 1.UWT

Start city: Gent
Finish city: Wevelgem
Distance: 242,8 km
Type of race: sprinter's classic

Parcours: interactive course map
Road map: gw2016-elite-men-roadmap-v2.pdf
Timetable: gw2016-elite-men-timetable (1).pdf
Teams: Pro teams
List of bergs/helling: on itinerary 
Trivia: 48 of the past 60 races have been won by a Belgian.

Who won is 2015?: Luca Paolini (Katusha)
Who won is 2016?:  

Gent - Wevelgem route map 2016

Strolling the streets of Ghent. ©Photo by Karen Rakestraw of Pedal Dancer®

2016 Tour of Flanders route map
3 April 2016: Ronde van Vlaanderen / Tour des Flandres, BELGIUM, UCI WorldTour 1.UWT

Start city: Bruges
Finish city: Oudenaarde
Distance: 255 km
Type of race: cobbled classic

Parcours: interactive course map
The bergs
Road Map: rvv2016-elite-men-roadmap.pdf
Timetable: rvv2016-elite-men-timetable.pdf 
Teams: Pro teams

Who won is 2015?:  Alexander Kristoff (Katusha)
Who won is 2016?: 

Tour of Flanders route map 2016

Practice day on the Kwaremont pre Tour of Flanders race day. ©Photo by Karen Rakestraw of Pedal Dancer®

2016 Schedldeprijs route map
6 April 2016: Scheldeprijs, BELGIUM UCI European Tour 1.HC

Start city: Antwerpen
Finish city: Schoten
Distance: 207,8 km
Type of race: sprinter's / cobbled classic

Parcours: interactive course map
Road Map: sp2016-elite-men-roadmapV20feb.pdf
Timetable: sp2016-elite-men-timetable V20feb.pdf
Teams: Pro teams

Who won is 2015?:  Alexander Kristoff (Katusha) 
Who won is 2016?: 

2016 Schedldeprijs route map

Antwerpen

2016 Paris-Roubaix route map
10 April 2016: Paris - Roubaix, FRANCE, UCI WorldTour 1.UWT

Start city: Compiègne
Finish city: Roubaix
Distance: ~ 253 km
Type of race: cobbled classic

Pro Teams for 2016: participants
Route map: the official 2016 Paris-Roubaix parcours map has not yet been released.

The route of the 2016 Paris-Roubaix, which will be held on Sunday April 10, will include 27 cobble sectors over 52.8kms (32.81 miles) of cobblestones. The “Trouée d'Arenberg”, the Mons-en-Pévèle sector and the “Carrefour de l'Arbre” will be included in the 2016 p parcours. The uphill climb of Hameau du Buat will be featured in 2016. One hundred metres has been added to the length of the race in 2016. The total distance will be a grueling 257.5kms (160 miles).

Who won is 2015?:  John Degenkolb (Giant - Alpecin)
Who won is 2016?: 

The velodrome on Roubaix where the Paris-Roubaix race finishes. ©Photo by Karen Rakestraw of Pedal Dancer®

2016 Amstel-Gold route map
17 April 2016: Amstel Gold Race, NETHERLANDS, UCI WorldTour 1.UWT

Start City: Maastricht
Finish City: Valkenburg
Distance:
Type of race: Ardennes classic

Who won is 2015?:  Michal Kwiatkowski (Etixx-Quick Step)
Who won is 2016?: 

The exact parcours of the 2016 Amstel Gold has not yet been released.

Maastricht

Ardennes Classics:

• Amstel Gold  (The Netherlands) 
• La Flèche Wallonne (Belgium)
• Liège–Bastogne–Liège (Belgium)

Winners of the Classics in 2015

2015 Trofeo-Laigueglia - Winner: Davide Cimolai (Lampre-Merida)
2015 Omloop Het Nieuw - Winner: Ian Stannard (SKY)
2015 Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne - Winner: Mark Cavendish (Etixx-Quick Step)
2015 Le Samyn - Winner: Kris Boeckmans (Lotto Soudal)
2015 Strade Bianche - Winner:  Zdenek Stybar (Etixx - Quick Step) 
2015 Milan-San Remo - Winner: John Degenkolb (Giant - Alpecin)
2015 Dwars d Vlaanderen - Winner: Jelle Wallays (Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise)
2015 E3 - Harelbeke - Winner: Geraint Thomas (Sky)
2015 Gent-Wevelgem - Winner: Luca Paolini (Katusha) 
2015 Tour of Flanders - Winner: Alexander Kristoff (Katusha)
2015 Scheldeprijs - Winner: Alexander Kristoff (Katusha) 
2015 Paris-Roubaix - Winner: John Degenkolb (Giant - Alpecin)
2015 De Brabantse Pijl - Winner: Ben Hermans (BMC) 
2015 Amstel Gold - Michal Kwiatkowski (Etixx-Quick Step)
2015 La Flèche Wallonne - Winner: Alejandro Valverde (Movistar)
2015 Liège-Bastogne-Liège - Winner: Alejandro Valverde (Movistar)
2015 San Sebastian - Winner: Adam Yates (Orica GreenEDGE)
2015 GP Cycliste Québec - Winner: Rigoberto Uran Uran (Etixx Quickstep)
2015 GP Cycliste Montreal - Winner: Tim Wellens (Lotto Soudal)
2015 Il Lombardia - Winner: Vincenzo Nibali (Astana)

A landmark at the entrance to the Koppenberg climb. ©Photo by Karen Rakestraw of Pedal Dancer®

Cobbles

You know exactly what I mean when I say  - "Cobbles"

I am speaking of the stone cobbles under the tires of the best Classics cyclists in the world. These cobbles reside in Belgium and France. They are big, even massive, and they hurt. They are the reason why we wake up early in spring on Sunday mornings in the United States to watch men rumble and agonize over their surface.

If you love the cobbles, you'll agree this is the best time of year to watch bike racing. This Sunday is Tour of Flanders, next Sunday is Paris-Roubaix. My guess is you've already booked out your next two Sundays to watch these two "must watch" races.

I scour the internet regularly for good information about cycling and cycling travel. This week I searched for websites featuring descriptions (and especially photographs!) of the cobbled climbs in Flanders. I found a few good ones. The sheer act of compiling such information, makes me highly appreciative of the time and effort it took these individuals to provide us with this easy to access information.

It is the perfect gift for the armchair cycling tourist.

Having ridden or walked upon these climbs makes revisiting them online even more engaging. Even if you haven't been to Belgium, you can imagine what these tough climbs are like by browsing these websites. When it comes to the cobbles - it's all about learning the names and knowing which ones are the toughest. Your knowledge makes the live race viewing that much more exciting.

Learn about the cobbles of Belgium:

• The Chain Stay Monumental Climbs (in my opinion the very best descriptions)
• Catena Cycling Famous climbs and cobblestones in Flanders
• The defining cobbles, bergs and climbs of the Belgian Classics by Cycling Weekly

99th Tour of Flanders - April 5, 2015 (Easter!)

Start: Brugge
Finish: Oudenaarde

Via Steephill.Tv: Earliest live video: 12:00 CET (4:00:00 AM MDT!!); Race Preview, Approximate finish: 16:47 CET (8:47:00 AM MDT); Weather for Oudenaarde, Belgium

• Watch it Live by Steephill.TV
• Route Map by cyclingstage.com
• Timetable by official race website
• Order of climbs by official race website
• Course Profile by Steephill.TV
• Startlist by procyclingstats.com
• The Favorites by velorooms.com/
• Race Preview by C-cycling.com

The 99th Tour of Flanders will feature 19 climbs over 264.2 kilometres. Two additional climbs have been added for 2015, they are the climbs of Tiegemberg and Berendries. The usual tough climbs are included: Koppenberg with a maximum grade of 22%; Oude Kwaremont (climbing it 3 times); and the final climb of Paterberg (climbing it 2 times) at a maximum grade of 20.3%!.

After the final climb up the Paterberg the riders have a flat 13.2 kilometres to the finish-line.

Climbs of the 2015 Tour of Flanders

1. Tiegemberg (km. 87,3): 5% avg., 9 % max.
2. Oude Kwaremont (km. 112,9 km, first passage): cobbled, 4% avg., 12% max.
3. Kortekeer (km. 123,2): 6% avg., 17% max.
4. Eikenberg (km. 130,7): cobbled, 5,5% avg., 11% max.
5. Wolvenberg (133,8): 7% avg., 17% max.
6. Molenberg (km. 146,5): cobbled, 7% avg., 14% max.
7. Leberg (km. 167,0): 6% avg., 14% max.
8. Berendries (km. 171,1): 7% avg., 14% max.
9. Valkenberg (km.): 8% avg., 13% max.
10. Kaperij (km. 187,0): cobbled, 5% avg., 8% max.
11. Kanarieberg (km. 197,4): 8% avg., 14% max.
12. Oude Kwaremont (km. 210,3 km, second passage): cobbled, 4% avg., 12% max.
13. Paterberg (km. 213,7 km, first passage): cobbled, 13% avg., 20.3% max.
14. Koppenberg (km. 220,3): cobbled, 10% avg., 22% max.
15. Steenbeekdries (km. 225,7): 5% avg., 6,5% max.
16. Taaienberg (km. 228,2): cobbled, 6% avg., 18% max.
17. Kruisberg-Hotond (km. 238,4 km, first passage): 5% avg., 9% max.
18. Oude Kwaremont (km. 248,2 km, third passage): cobbled, 4% avg., 12% max.
19. Paterberg (km. 251,7 km, second passage): cobbled, 13% avg., 20% max.

The Maps of the 2015 Tour of Flanders:

First climbs of Tour of Flanders 2015

Final climbs of Tour of Flanders 2015

Parcours of Ronde van Vlaanderen 2015

Set your alarm clocks for 4:00am if you live in the Rocky Mountains, 3:00am if you live in California! East Coasters get an easier 6:00am wake-up call.

Related Posts: Word of the Day: hellingen

The cobbles of the Koppenberg the day before the 2012 Tour of Flanders when I got to see the race in person!  Photo by Karen Rakestraw of Pedal Dancer®

Tour Travel - The Cobbles of Stage 5, 2014 TDF

It's like springtime in July

For those of us who have a soft spot for the hard cobbles of the spring classics, when sections of cobbles are included in the Tour de France in July, we get really excited. The cobbles represent the toughest of the tough in cycling and the thought of the 4% body fat climbers rattling atop of these massive rocks, brings a sense of amusement.

The real risk of the cobbles is loosing time in week one.

There will be ten-miles of cobbles in Stage 5 tomorrow. Equipment will be changed up a bit and team cars, domestiques and road side support staff will have to be on top of support through the narrow passages. Cobbles are on and off nerves, and jarring to the body, as riders struggle to get to the front of the group entering each cobbled section. Flats and falls can be costly. As much as a team dares to plan strategy for the day - you never know what will happen on a cobbled stage.

Location of Stage 5 north of Paris, west of Brussel

Secteur pavé / Cobble sections - short and powerful

The longest section of cobbles is within 20 km of the finish. The last cobbled section is 7km from the finish. They are not just thrown in for fun, the cobbles could make or break this stage, and race. The last time big cobbled secteurs were included in the Tour de France was in 2010, Thor Hushovd won the stage. Nobody knows what the outcome will be tomorrow.

THE cobbles 

• Wed, July 9,   Stage 5 -  156 km Ypres / Arenberg Porte du Hainaut
• 155.5 152.5 kilometers (97 miles total, 10 miles of cobbles)
• Stage 5 starts in Belgium and finishes in France

Stage 5 route map

Profile map of Stage 5 - 2014 Tour de France

The mini Paris-Roubaix: Nine of the twenty-seven pave sectors will be ridden in the Tour de France this year. Here are the 9 sections [now 7 sections] of cobbles to be included on Stage 5 of the 2014 Tour de France and at which kilometer they appear on the stage. Sectors are pave are numbered from the 9 (first encountered) to the 1 (last encountered).

Update 9 July 2014: Two cobbled sections have been removed from the parcours due to bad weather and road conditions, they are sector 7 and sector 5. As a result, the length of the stage has been lessened by 3km.

Sector 7: Mons-en-Pévèle , 1100m
Sector 5: Ochies à Beuvry-la-Forêt, 1400m

9 sections of cobbles in 2014 Tour de France.  click image to enlarge

Names of secteur pavé of Stage 5 (*2 secteurs have been removed from the race due to weather)

Name	After kilometer	Length
Gruson au Carrefour de l'Arbre	87 km	1100 m
Ennevelin à Pont - Thibault	103.5 km	1400 m
Mons-en-Pévèle	110 km	1100 m
Bersée	114.5 km	1400 m
Ochies à Beuvry-la-Forêt	125.5 km	1400 m
Sars-et-Rosières à Tilloy-lez-Marchiennes	131 km	2400 m
Brillon à Warlaing	135 km	1400 m
Wandignies-Hamage à Hornaing	140 km	3700 m
Hélesmes à Wallers	149 km	1600 m

Finish at Arenberg Porte Du Hainaut, at 155.5km (the famous Arrenberg pavé are not included)

Riders will ride the Carrefour de 'Arbre in the reverse direction of the Paris-Roubaix route.

Cobbles of Carrefour de l’Arbre. Photo by Karen Rakestraw at Pedal Dancer®

Try this on a road bike! The pave of Carrefour de l’Arbre. Photo by Karen Rakestraw at Pedal Dancer®

The landmark restaurant at L'Abre. Photo by Karen Rakestraw at Pedal Dancer®

Related post by Pedal Dancer®:  I went to Belgium and took pictures of cobbles photos from my trip to Le Carrefour de l'Arbre (ou Pavé de Luchin).

Video preview of Stage 5 by Global Cycling Network

More recommended videos to watch:
How Does Stage 5 Compare to Paris-Roubaix? By Bicycling
What Will Teams Ride for the Tour's Stage 5 Cobbles? By Bicycling
How to survive cobblestones, rain in Stage 5 Steephill/nbcsports


Why so many names for the same cities? 

Belgium has three official languages: Dutch (1st: ~56%, 2nd: 15%), French (1st: ~38%, 2nd: ~48%), and German (1st: ~1%, 2nd: 27%). This also explains why so many pro riders from Belgium, Luxembourg and Netherlands likely speak four to five languages each if you add in English, Italian, or Spanish.

Ypres  (/ˈiːprɛs/ or /ˈiːpreɪ/; French pronunciation: ​[ipʁ]; Dutch: Ieper, pronounced [ˈipər])

Bruges (/ˈbruːʒ/ in English; Dutch: Brugge, [ˈbrʏɣ̟ə], French: Bruges, [ˈbʁyːʒ], German: Brügge,[ˈbrʏɡə])

Ghent (/ˈɡɛnt/; Dutch: Gent, pronounced [ɣ̟ɛn̪t̪]; French: Gand, pronounced: [ɡɑ̃])

Brussels (French: Bruxelles, [bʁysɛl] ; Dutch: Brussel, [ˈbrʏsəɫ]

Roubaix (French pronunciation: ​[ʁu.bɛ]; Dutch Robaais, sometimes also called Robeke


Geography, History and Tourism of Le Tour

Flemish Region (Flanders) and the Walloon Region (Wallonia), two of the three regions of Belgium

Provinces of Belgium

World War I

World War I was fought between 1914-1918, one hundred years ago. Stage 5 begins in Ypres, the location of the Menin Gate and Menin Road and center of many battles of the war. You cannot drive under this gate or down this road and not think of the thousands of men who walked out to their death in the fields of Flanders. The museum in Passendale (Passchedaele) and the In Flanders Field Museum are nearby, so too is the meticulously maintained field of Tyne Cot War Cemetary with 11,400 mostly British gravestones. One-hundred forty war cemeteries lie nearby.

The long battle of Ypres Salient (The French term for "bulge") was the birth of modern warfare - machine guns ("the peacekeeper"), poison gas, and trenches ("dugouts"). If a battalion is equal to 1000 soldiers, and a division is equal to 10,000 soldiers, this one cemetery represents greater than one full division of men. Over 9 million lives were lost in WWI, 48 million in WWII. But over one million British soldiers were killed in WWI with 3 million casualties (76% of all forces). This is why to many commonwealth citizens, WWI was and will forever be "The Great War."

Germany lost a devastating 3 million men in the war and refer to this battle as Kindermord, "Massacre of the Innocents." The term "all quiet on the western front," came from the battles in this area, so did "over the top" when the soldiers came out of the trenches to fight. This was also the site of the famous "Christmas Truce."

My own Grandfather fought in five of the major wars in WWI. My Father's Father was a Command (Regimental) Sergeant Major in the 42nd rainbow division of the U.S. army and was later promoted by General Douglas MacArthur to First lieutenant (officer), the story is - because they played cards together.

History lays on the land of Belgium. Some of the grand cities were partially spared or restored, but most of the buildings in the countryside are modern, that is because what had been there, was wiped out. The land has been reformed from years of bombing and trenches dug deep into the ground. You feel the war in this area of Belgium, even one-hundred years later.

Tyne Cot Cemetery  ©Photo by Karen Rakestraw of PedalDancer.com

What is now the Menin Road   ©Photo by Karen Rakestraw of PedalDancer.com

Menin Gate in Ypres (Ieper)    ©Photo by Karen Rakestraw of PedalDancer.com

1914 Tour de France

The winner of the 1914 Tour de France was Belgian Philippe Thys. He went on to fight in and survive the war. He returned to win his third Tour in 1920 (having also won in 1913). WWI claimed the lives of former Tour de France winners: Lucien Petit-Breton, François Faber and Octave Lapize.

On the first day of the 1914 Tour de France, Franz Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria was assassinated in Sarajevo. Because of various alliances made between countries, world war was inevitable. A major war had not been fought for many years, but brutal means of fighting was invented quickly. Unfortunately the war to end all wars lead to, or is responsible for, most of our modern day wars since that one fateful day in 1914. The Tour de France would not return again until 1919.

Related post by Pedal Dancer®: The Missing Years About the impact the world wars had on the Tour de France.

Philippe Thys

Tourist Cities

I would highly recommend spending some time being a tourist in Belgium - for the history, art, architecture and beer. Nearby to Stage 5 are the popular tourist destinations of Brugge, Ghent and Brussels. Kortrijk is the city where many of the pro teams base themselves for the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix weeks. The famous Roubaix velodrome is also nearby across the border in northern France (visit and leave, and be safe, crime is high). As a tourist, I would definitely avoid the cities of Roubaix or Lille. Paris is a three-hour drive south from Ypres.

Beers in Belgium - the best in the world!  ©Photo by Karen Rakestraw of PedalDancer.com

Related posts by Pedal Dancer®:

• My photos of the Roubaix Velodrome here 2014 Paris-Roubaix. 
• Belgium beer in Brugge: Beers in Belgium. 
• A day in Ypres and Tyne Cot War Cemetery, and more about WWI: Day 5 in Flanders.
• A summary from my trip to Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix in 2012: Stories from Belgium

I am really looking forward to watching this stage tomorrow. Stage 5 is one of the key stages of the 2014 TDF. The other key stages are 10, 14, 17, 20, with must see also stages 13, 16, 18. Tomorrow's theme will be: Pain is temporary, time once spent, is gone forever. Don't mess this one up!

More on my guide page at TOUR DE FRANCE

I went to Belgium and took pictures of cobbles

Le Carrefour de l'Arbre (ou Pavé de Luchin)

What is it about a simple photo of cobbles that gets everyone so excited? A photograph of stones, that is all it is, and yet we all know it is so much more. The other day Team Garmin-Sharp shared a simple photo of an alpenglo version of cobbles, softly lite in the setting sun. The next thing you know, they announced they made it available as a wallpaper.

Wow, people must really like cobbles. Then I remembered I was out on a miniscule road in France searching for a famous section of cobbles in 2012 called Carrefour de l'Abre. I had spent the previous day visitng a war museum, walking the grounds of Tyne Cot War cemetery, driving down the Menin Road and under the Menin Gate, visiting the city of Leper /Ypres.

It was a beautiful morning in Belgium, I was looking forward to visiting the Roubaix Velodrome (photos) and then discovering a section of cobbles I had heard about for years - Le Carrefour de l'Abre is most notable for the ruckus crowds that gather along it's narrow flat path through an open farm field. The mood here on race day is more serious (more intimidating) than what we had experienced at the Arenberg Forest. But this section of cobbles is really really really rough. Huge stones, big gaps, wind and dust

This year the Correfour de l'Abre is only 17km from the finish line, so a flat on this section of cobble #4 (4th to the end) would be bad news for a leader.

Carrefour de l'Abre: difficulté classée *****
Longueur 2100 mètres
50°35'34"N   3°14'20"E

click maps to enlarge

Location of Carrefour de l'Abre in France

This is the infamous Le Carrefour de l’Arbre section of pave.

There are only three difficulté classée 5* cobblestone sectors in the 2014 Paris-Roubaix:

Section 18. Trouée d’Arenberg (km 161.5 — 2.4km) ★★★★★
Section 10. Mons-en-Pévèle (km 208 — 3km) ★★★★★
Section 4. Le Carrefour de l’Arbre (km 240 — 2.1km) ★★★★★
6 of the 28 cobblestone sectors are rated 4*

Read my piece on the Arenberg Forest from 2012 - I was a fan at the Paris-Roubaix.
My post on the 2014 Paris-Roubaix.
See photos of Tyne Cot Memorial and Ypres/Leper - Day 5 in Flanders

Photos of cobbles of Le Carrefour de l'Arbre: 

The French word carrefour translates to crossroads in English.

All Photos by Karen Rakestraw of Pedal Dancer®

It is not this Carrefour

I thought I was lost

But I kept following those yellow signs set up a few days before the actual race

Definitely do not want to miss this right hand turn (it was worth posting 3 signs)

I found Le Carrefour de l'Abre!

Now this is what I call a neighborhood bike path

backyard view of the Carrefour de l'Abre

Massive stones, laid by convicts who were understandably not perfectionists, during the time of Napoleon

How many riders out of 200 will be left still in the race at this point, I wonder?

Okay - who stole the pavé

This should make it clear why riders prefer to ride in the dirt gutter if possible.

One too many tractors have rolled over this pavé

A field of cobblestones, and the ditch where riders sometimes end up

Ouch!

Why take photos of perfect cobblestones in a row when in fact they look like this!

Now this is a corner!

After all that roughness, I laughed when I saw this innertube hanging from a sign

How wide is the Carrefour de l'Abre? Not very.

After 2100 meters L'Abre restaurant finally appears ahead, marking the end.

A landmark of the cobbles

After this journey onto the pavé of the Paris-Roubaix, I was so inspired, I returned to the town of Kerkhove in Belgium and rented a bike at a nearby bike shop. I rode up the Koppenberg and Kwaremont on that rental bike. It was a great day on the cobbles.

 Photos from race day: 

The flag of Le Nord-Pas-de-Calais, the most northern region of France

Le blason de l'ancien comté de Flandre est parfois utilisé pour représenter de manière officieuse le Nord-Pas-de-Calais (The coat of arms of the former County of Flanders is sometimes used informally to represent the Nord-Pas-de-Calais).

Getting in the mood to watch the race tomorrow with this photo -

Walking into the Arenberg Forest on race day. Photo by Karen Rakestraw of Pedal Dancer®

How to watch the Paris-Roubaix race? See my suggestions of the best resources: 2014 Paris-Roubaix