Transalp 2013

For a change this is not about cycling in Belgium. It's about the 2013 north-south Alpine Crossing (Transalp) on Mountainbikes: 6 days, 12.000m altitude difference, 400 km. All luggage and tools in a tiny backpack with us. It went well in 2012 when we cycled through the Dolomites. But this time the challenge was to cross the Alps North to South in one week. I cycled with four other fellow-Austrians.

Day 1

Starting off in Garmisch-Partenkirchen (or GaPa for the cool kids) the first day was just to warm up. Barely 1000m in altitude difference, arriving in Nassereith. Good weather and lots of beer but no difficulties. What a warm up.

Day 2

OK, it got more tricky from now on. Although the next town was just some 22km away on the road we took two major "detours", one via the Alpleskopf and the other one to the Imsterberg. While Alpleskopf was a easy 800m climb and a great (mainly trail) downhill ride Imsterberg was not that easy. 1,300 m climbing on a steady 13-14% dirt road without any less steep parts to recover and burning August sun. Man, that beer on Venetalm mountain hut tasted like heaven! And the worst: the downhill was boring as hell: no trails, just gravel road all the way down.

Downhill trail from Alpleskopf to Imst

Day 3

Now the real fun part starts. After crossing from Pitztal into the Inn valley via the Pillerhöhe (600m climb on normal road) and a long ride on the valley floor upstream the Inn river into Switzerland we reached Sur En. Time to climb 1,200m through the breathtaking Val d'Uina. We managed to ride 900m uphill to nearly 2,000m but then it was impossible to continue on the bike. This part was carved directly out of the solid rock. So we had to carry and push the bike for 200m or so but this was definitely worth it:

At the top end of the Val d'Uina

 

Just after the "exit" of the Val d'Uina and after crossing into Italy a superb plateau with a great flowing trail led us to the Sesvenna mountain hut for the end of day 3 and just in time before the rain started.

Sesvenna was one of the best huts I have ever been. Great atmosphere and well run. Even though we just got 5 beds in the 30-or-so dorm it still was a great experience.

Day 4

Almost on top at the Umbrailpass

After a long, very long downhill from Sesvenna, back into Switzerland, the next day had the longest climb on the menu: first climbing 1,100m up to the top of the Umbrailpass (2,500m). Most of it was on the normal road with quite some traffic which made it not too pleasant. Lots of people come here for only one day, just to ride the Umbrailpass on the racing bike. We had already done some little hills before on that day and still would continue uphill after Umbrailpass. And we had these backpacks that started to feel uncomfortable and
heavy.

reaching the Punta di Rims at 2,850 m

For the first time this year I was thinking "why am I doing this"? Would it not be enough to take your bike to a normal holiday and ride some hills from time to time?

Like the Stelvio for example. Umbrail is very close to the Stelvio. In fact it is the not so well known side to climb up to Stelvio. Probably because it is the less spectacular side where the road is not as narrowly winding up the hill as on the famous other side of Stelvio.  

Just on top we were in Italy again and we continued another 350m up to the Punta di Rims - at 2,850m the highest point during our Transalp. Time for a break and the great panorama:

Great single trail, great view

Downhill we had one of the best single trails, flowing gently downhill the plateau towards the Lake of Cancano. We had a breathtaking view towards the 3,900 m high Ortler and it's Glacier.

The start of the single trail was technically nothing special but fun to ride. The last few hundred meters, this radically changed:

It is not easy to capture how steep this cliff was where the path was winding down. Fall of the bike and you'll find yourself down in the valley floor. Probably more dead than alive. These serpentines went on forever it seemed. But when we finally arrived at Lago di Cancano, we were all happy to be there. For me this was the best day when it comes to mountain biking. Day 3 might have been more spectacular but this one was just fun to ride.



Day 5

Starting off from Lago di Cancano the plan is to go to Lago di Livigno and then end at Lago Bianco on top of the Bernina Pass.

Sounds like a lot of water. And it was, just from the wrong direction. The day started off well. Although I was feeling tired on the first climb (just some 500m altitude) from Cancano to Livigno.



As soon as we were at the Lago di Livigno the rain started and did not stop for most of the afternoon. Still we had to make it up to the Ospizio Bernina where we would stay for the night.

Not fun.



Day 6

Single trail down to Alp Grüm

What looked like a fun last day turned out to be a nightmare - at least for me. The day started well. Although it was freezing cold we had some great vistas and single trails down to Alp Grüm. Always following the Palü Glacier and the Bernina Railway line, an engineering masterpiece.

Still smiling on the trail

Almost all the way from the Bernina pass to Poschiavo, around 1,250m in altitude, was a  technically very difficult single trail. It was fun to ride in the beginning. Towards the end I was either too tired or just not concentrated enough but I crashed, flying over my front wheel and landing hard on my back. Luckily the backpack had taken most of the damage. But my knee hit a rock and got swollen immediately. I was not able to bend it anymore, so no more cycling.

Slowly I made it downhill to Poschiavo where we had lunch. I hoped to be able to bend the knee afterwards, but still not possible. So even though being just a few kilometres away, I would not reach the end point (Tirano) by bike. Sad ending.

At least I got a ride on the UNESCO world heritage railway, the Bernina Railway which luckily stops at Poschiavo.

After pausing in 2014, the 2015 will see the return of the Austrians crossing the Alps. Route still to be determined. Looking forward.

Asse and Pajottenland

Finally I found time to post about recent rides again. Initially I wanted to post about cycling in the Austrian alps in Summer. Still to come. There were too many bike rides and too many pictures to post. I'll have to do that when I have more time soon. So here we are, back in Belgium. This time the hilly Land van Asse and the Pajottenland. 

The way out of Brussels is not the best one I have to admit but it's the fastest to get to the hilly Land van Asse. Especially the part between Rogier (will they ever finish road works there?) and Simonis is challenging - to put it mildly. Just use the road, the bike path is "pas praticable". 

Once past the Koekelberg Basilique everything gets much quieter and smoother. It takes some time though to get really out into the countryside but once you are past Zellik and into Kobbegem and Mollem villages you won't regret taking the long way out of Brussels: some quiet country roads, some hills, perfect road biking:

uphill towards Asse    http://bit.ly/1unnhqU

From Asse I decided not to go back straight through Molenbeek again but take the scenic detour through North Pajottenland. Good decision, the roads and landscape are even better and it's still hilly -  a good change from the Kanal and Waterways in the North-East:

towards Lennik    http://bit.ly/11GagCd

Ok, the way back from Sint Martens Lennik is a bit boring but I could not bother to find another route than the main road into Anderlecht.

Afterwork ride to Leuven

It might not be the Alps but there are at least some little hills in the area between Brussels and Leuven. In this ride I tried to go for as many of those up and down streets as possible in an afterwork ride. Taking the route out via the Deutsche Schule in Kraainem I quickly arrived at the old Hippodrome of Sterreebeek. Now transformed into a golf course it used to be a top place for horse races in Belgium, together with the one in Boitsfort and Groenendael. But three horse racing courses all withing 10 km or so? No wonder they all went bankrupt towards the end of the 20th century. Probably a very Belgian solution to have three courses so close to each other: one for each region? I wouldn't be surprised.

Oudergemseweg (source: https://ssl.panoramio.com/photo/26023097)

Anyway, as of the old Hippodrome, the countryside starts. The "Oudergemseweg" (picture) is one of the best ways to get out towards the east. Although it has now - for whatever reason - been opened to cars (Belgium!) it is still quiet enough to enjoy. And from there it's relatively easy to go down (and up, and down, etc.) to Leefdaal.

Up in the hills above Leefdaal another car free road, the "Langestraat" leads all the way to the western part of Leuven. cycling past the Arenberg Campus and the Hospital, yet another car free road (or rather a path, see the picture below) leads towards the Highspeedline cyclepath. But only after a great, winding downhill road into Winksele.

Lazy Sunday

Despite the great weather this Sunday I could not motivate myself to go for another 4 hours ride. Lazy me. 2 hours something should be enough. I decided to go direction Pajottenland, but not directly there, rather a bit to the north. However, the area around Ternat and Asse is similarly good for road biking than the Pajottenland. Good roads, little traffic and some hills.
I bascially followed the "Fietsnet" Knoppunten around that area (62-53-54-92-1-2-3-9-12-4). The way out is a bit long, but the Itterbeeksebaan as of Dilbeek is ok to easily get out into the green. The streets are really narrow country roads but most of them paved well. There is some up and down and especially between Sint-Ulriks-Kapelle and Asse the road climbs a bit:

Vrijthout hill: http://bit.ly/1jINOed

Shortly before Asse, there is one short, steep cobblestone hill, a bit like in the Ronde. Terrible cobblestones, but luckily not 20% like on the Muur or Koppenberg. And a bit further down the road, just after Asse, I found this red paved road, climbing through an apple tree garden. Bizarre.

The way back via the Koekelberg Basilica and Molenbeek/Yser area is definitely not the best. I normally try to avoid it and I knew immediatly why. Most stupid littered bikepath, idiotic car drivers and the area at Rogier which seems to be a construction site since at least 10 years (and probably also for the next 10 years).

Ronde van Vlaanderen 2014

Finally I find some time to write about this year's Ronde van Vlaanderen. For the first time I did the full 250 km, starting in Bruges. What a bad idea (I thought after 150 km or so) but what a great experience (never again I though right after crossing the finish line). But I'm already looking forward to the 2015 edition. And the 250 km again. It was just too good to cross this damned line after the full tour.

The first 100-120 km or so are easy and lead more or less straight from Bruges to the "flemish Ardennes". And if for once Belgian Rail SNCB could be punctual we would not have missed the start at 7:00 am at Bruges main square. But the first train to leave Brussels for Bruges in the the morning was already heavily delayed (how is that possible?! the god damned first train!!) so we started around 7:45am in Bruges. Which means that the vast majority of the 4,000 odd starters of the full tour were already way ahead. No benefiting from large groups and all the effort against the wind more or less alone. Stupid Belgian railways!

Nevertheless easy first 120 km with average quite above 30 km/h. I guess that's the new wheels. The first challenge was the Molenberg, not because of the 30 meters climbing but of the worst cobblestones in the whole tour. Speaking cobblestones, what followed the Molenberg was the worst part of the tour for me: the flat cobblestone passages of several kilometre length. I really hate them and in the end it was there where I lost most of my motivation.

Stupid "Kerkgate" cobblestones

What followed then was all the classic "hellingen", nicely lined up and with little time to recover in between. Already No. 7 was the Koppenberg, the steepest one of all with a max. of 22 % gradient - and cobblestones. In the end I managed to make it uphill - unlike most of the other riders. Slowly but steadily climbing without getting off the bike. Not easy at 22 % cobblestone hills. Most other "hellingen" are also paved with cobblestones but the slow uphill speed doesn't make it too difficult - at least that's how I feel them. I don't remember much between km 160 and km 220 or so apart from the Koppenberg and that there were enough moments I thought "why not sit on the Cafe Belga terrace with a beer on such a lovely day?".

But with Paterberg and Oude Kwaremont done (again slowly but steadily climbing up) it was practically achieved and the last 20 km of flat terrain back to Oudenaarde was a piece of cake.
Overall the limit to 16,000 participants made it much easier on the "hellingen". No "traffic jams", no annoying riders getting off their bike just in front of you and couldn't bother to move to the side. The obligation to use the bloody cycling paths that ruin the wheels is ridiculous in a road biking country like Belgium. And police should have better things to do than following cyclists not riding on those terrible "fietspad".

Needless to say that on our way back from Oudenaarde to Brussels the SNCB train was late again and we missed our connection in Ghent. But, hey, I had all the time in the world after those 9 hours of "Vlaanderens Mooiste".

Ename Classic debrief

The Ename Classic is part of the Bank van de Post Cycling Tour. I also wrote about it here. It took place 23 March this year. Start is in Zottegem and the course winds through the "Flemish Ardennes", to a great extend in the region of the Ronde, but without going up the classics like Paterberg, Kwaremont or Kopenberg.

Bernd and myself decided to ride this "short" 150k tour in preparation for the 250k of the Ronde van Vlaanderen this year. The weather was not too bad and so we left Brussels around 8h30, in order to start around 10h00 in Zottegem. As always it was excellently organised and a real bargain for 15€ as compared to the Ronde. Even tough we started a bit late, there was still a good number of people on the course. It was easy to get into a larger group and do a 33 average with a strong headwind to the first feeding zone after 40k.

excellent organisation - as always on the Bank van de Post Cycling tour

After the first feeding zone the course split into 144 and 118 km with most of the riders going the shorter distance (sissies!) which left us more or less alone against the strong headwind. At least there was some reward: a nearly empty feeding zone in a beautiful setting in one of the small Flemish villages:

 

When joining the 118 km course again, things got easier as we headed back towards Zottegem but now with a good tailwind. However, there were some difficulties like 15min hail and rain, losing the course briefly after taking a wrong turn and 20% gradients - but without cobblestones at least.

Altogether a good warmup for the Ronde. Lesson learnt: take it easy in the beginning. The high pace in the first 50-60 km took their toll and my legs were overly acidified. But it was just a short 150k ride ;-) nothing to worry about.

Hallerbos

With this great spring weather I couldn't resist but go cycling again. For a change not along the Canal, Dijle or any other waterway in the north, but rather to the south of Brussels, around Alsemberg and Halle:(link)
The way out is a bit long, via Sint-Job, Linkebeek and Beersel - and hilly. But as of Beersel the nice cycling starts, with gentle hills and not so traveled roads - especially Dikkemeerweg towards Alsemberg/Dworp. I once attended the Brabantse Pijl there which was excellent to watch from the church in Alsemberg.

Crossing Alsembergsesteenweg into Dworp finding the way up to the "Hallerbos"  is not too easy. And the roads are not that good. Especially Chemin Bois du Vicaire is hardly suitable for road bikes but it's the only way I found so far uphill to the Hallerbos. However, once up there, the view from Dreve de Colipain is amaying:

Dreve de Colipain, south of the Hallerbos

However, things get a bit worse again through the forest itsself. Again, the road is not the best for road bikes but it is managable. And the forest itsself is worth riding through:

Rollercoaster ride through the Hallerbos

Once out of the Forest it is a relatively long downhill ride to the Brussel-Charleroi canal. And from there straight back home to Brussels. This time with a strong tailwind. Great.

Land van Asse

Profiting from this Sunday's spring weather, I decided to do a little variation of the "Land van Asse Route". There are some unpaved parts of this route that are not suitable for road bikes. So I made some adaptations.


Bernd joined me on this one. We left Brussel via Meise. On the Heirbaan the first short "Kasseienstrok" gives some Ronde van Vlaanderen feeling. And a really nasty one. The cobblestones are in bad shape. Even if it is just some 200m this one is quite tough.

For the rest this first part of the tour is good for rolling on relatively flat, well paved and hardly-any-traffic country roads. With the northern Brussels "skyline" (Atomium and Jette apartment blocks) will visible in the distance the feeling is already all countryside. For a good reason, Brussegem, Kobbegem and the following  kilometres are really rural, despite the fact that the ring is just a few kilometres away.

Panoramic view on Heirbaan in Meise

A bit further down the road, the Weyenberg in Merchtem

So with  Brussegem reached, the "Land van Asse Route" signposts will guide us trough back country roads and lots of up-and-down the small "Hellingen" - again a bit like on the Ronde but with less cobblestones. Fortunately. The only thing to pay attentioin to is not to always follow the signposts. E.g. in Kobbegem. The "official" route leads to an unpaved road, not suitable for roadbikes.

Anyway, the only not so great part to follow is a short part along the N9, the Gentsesteenweg into Asse. For the rest, I really enjoy this tour for the small roads, short but steep hills and even the short cobblestone parts. It's Flanders after all, so there has to be some "Kasseien", no?

relatively good "Kasseienstrok", the Strijdlandstraat in Merchtem

Spring cycling on Eeckhoutweg in Merchtem - while real Austrians should be skiing

Back in Brussegem, I decided to take another way back to Brussels and see if the new cycling path along Brusselsesteenweg is any good. Well, it is. Narrow but excelent new asphalt. But just until Wemmel where it's the usual concrete blocks again. Awful. But at least the way back into Brussels from Wemmel is a good new discoery. Looking forward to leave wintercycling behind.

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.

Some hills - for a change

After the flat north east it's time to go for some up-and-down cycling around Overijse.The track is available here.


.
I decided to try a new way to go to Overijse, along the Knooppunten in Jezus-Eik. I thougth this was a good idea. Instead of cycling along horrible Brusselsesteenweg I followed from knooppunt 44 in Jezus-Eik towards knooppunt 44. There is a small 100m non-paved section but for the rest its fine - unless you go there in winter after some rainfall. So I had to carry the bike for some meters but for the rest this is a good way to not cycle along Brusselsesteenweg.

Groeneweg in Overijse

There is nice little connection road between this part of Overijse and Huldbenberg, the Ballingstraat:

Ballingstraat

Arriving in quiet Huldenberg, I decided to go for an additional hill instead of the main road towards Neerijse: The Smeysberg. This 15% or so hill is really a good training for the Tour of Flanders hellingen, although without cobblestones. Arriving on top, however, there are some nice roads along the plateau, before a relatively bad downhillsection to Neerijse.

Nijvelsebaan, on the Smeysbergplateau

At Neerijse, it's uphill again towards Leefdaal. Back to Brussels via Moorsel and Kraainem.