Greetings from the Flemish Ardennes (Belgium) – I have a question for cycling fans

[Cobbled Legends]

Hi everyone,

My name is Niels and I'm from the Flemish Ardennes in Belgium, home to many of the legendary roads and climbs featured in the Tour of Flanders.

Cycling has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I raced competitively for many years and the sport has shaped a big part of who I am today. Growing up surrounded by roads like the Oude Kwaremont, Paterberg and Koppenberg, I sometimes forget how unique this region is for cycling fans abroad.

Over the past few months, I've been working on a small project called Cobbled Legends, built around sharing the experience of the Flemish Classics with international cycling enthusiasts. As part of that journey, I'm trying to better understand how the Flemish Classics are experienced and perceived in other parts of the world, and forums like this seem like the perfect place to ask.

How much do races like E3 Saxo Classic, Gent-Wevelgem In Flanders Fields Race, Dwars door Vlaanderen and especially the Tour of Flanders mean to cycling fans in the United States?

Do cycling fans dream about visiting Flanders during Classics season? Is riding the famous cobbled climbs something that sits on your cycling bucket list?

I'm genuinely curious to hear your thoughts and experiences.

Thanks,

Niels

 

[Webbo2]

Hi everyone,

My name is Niels and I'm from the Flemish Ardennes in Belgium, home to many of the legendary roads and climbs featured in the Tour of Flanders.

Cycling has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I raced competitively for many years and the sport has shaped a big part of who I am today. Growing up surrounded by roads like the Oude Kwaremont, Paterberg and Koppenberg, I sometimes forget how unique this region is for cycling fans abroad.

Over the past few months, I've been working on a small project called Cobbled Legends, built around sharing the experience of the Flemish Classics with international cycling enthusiasts. As part of that journey, I'm trying to better understand how the Flemish Classics are experienced and perceived in other parts of the world, and forums like this seem like the perfect place to ask.

How much do races like E3 Saxo Classic, Gent-Wevelgem In Flanders Fields Race, Dwars door Vlaanderen and especially the Tour of Flanders mean to cycling fans in the United States?

Do cycling fans dream about visiting Flanders during Classics season? Is riding the famous cobbled climbs something that sits on your cycling bucket list?

I'm genuinely curious to hear your thoughts and experiences.

Thanks,

Niels

I think you will find most people on here are UK based.

 

[Paulus]

Hi everyone,

My name is Niels and I'm from the Flemish Ardennes in Belgium, home to many of the legendary roads and climbs featured in the Tour of Flanders.

Cycling has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I raced competitively for many years and the sport has shaped a big part of who I am today. Growing up surrounded by roads like the Oude Kwaremont, Paterberg and Koppenberg, I sometimes forget how unique this region is for cycling fans abroad.

Over the past few months, I've been working on a small project called Cobbled Legends, built around sharing the experience of the Flemish Classics with international cycling enthusiasts. As part of that journey, I'm trying to better understand how the Flemish Classics are experienced and perceived in other parts of the world, and forums like this seem like the perfect place to ask.

How much do races like E3 Saxo Classic, Gent-Wevelgem In Flanders Fields Race, Dwars door Vlaanderen and especially the Tour of Flanders mean to cycling fans in the United States?

Do cycling fans dream about visiting Flanders during Classics season? Is riding the famous cobbled climbs something that sits on your cycling bucket list?

I'm genuinely curious to hear your thoughts and experiences.

Thanks,

Niels

I have always liked the cobbled classics and in 2012 took part in the amateur Tour of Flanders on the Saturday and stayed to watch the Pros on the sunday.
I find the one day classics more interesting than multi stage races as the racing is more or less full on from the start.

 

[Drago]

Do cycling fans dream about visiting Flanders during Classics season? Is riding the famous cobbled climbs something that sits on your cycling bucket list?

No and no.

That's not to say that id turn down the opportunity should it arise, but other than that it's not on my cycling bucket list, shopping list, or even schindler's list.

 

[DRM]

I used to enjoy watching the cobbled classics, till greedy streaming services got the T.V rights for the U.K

 

[glasgowcyclist]

I think you will find most people on here are UK based.

I’d say he’s aware of that. He wrote that he is “trying to better understand how the Flemish Classics are experienced and perceived in other parts of the world”.

 

[Webbo2]

I’d say he’s aware of that. He wrote that he is “trying to better understand how the Flemish Classics are experienced and perceived in other parts of the world”.

However his forth paragraph asks what do the Belgian classics mean to cycling fans in the United States.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

However his forth paragraph asks what do the Belgian classics mean to cycling fans in the United States.

True. I took that to be an example though, rather than a unique audience.

 

[Webbo2]

True. I took that to be an example though, rather than a unique audience.

Possibly, where as I presumed he was more specifically targeting the US.