Tour de Wavre

This one is still from last weekend. Finally Peter and myself managed to go for the famous Tour de Wavre again. A nice 85k tour around Wavre area, avoiding the heavily populated La Hulpe, Genval and Rixensart neighbourhoods.


Leaving the city via Bois de la Cambre and Foret des Soignes is ok on weekends, when it is closed to traffic. The cyclingpath along Lorrainedreef and Duboislaan to Groenendaal is ok but not great. From Hoeilaart to Maleizen and further to Rosieres is easy. And quiet. Then just after passing under the E411 the fun part with some hills start.

After the climb, the industrial zone of Wavre is some flat riding along newly built cycling pathes. However, thre built the Belgian way: ridiculosly high curbstones and other road bike nightmares. From Ottenburg we could have taken the shortcut via Florivalstraat but decided to do an additional loop via Nethen. The street to Grez-Doiceau is badly paved but roadworks started on some parts and in the future it might be much improved.

Unable to keep pace with Peter on the chemin de l'Herbe in Bonlez

From Grez-Doiceau we took the way through quiet Bonlez and uphill on the chemin de'l Herbe. It is a quiet little road until then. From there to Wavre we followed the N243, Chausse de Huy which has apart from lots of traffic also one of the typical horrible bike path. But I haven't found any better way to Wavre so far.

On top chemin de'l Herbe

Finally Rue Saint Anne, quite steep, brought us out of Wavre and back, downhill into Rosiere. We took the same way back through Hoeilaart and Foret de Soignes. Nice Satruday morning ride.