Cyclist
Limburg, home of the 2024 European Championships and cycling in Flanders
Limburg in the Dutch corner of Flanders will host the 2024 UEC Road European Championships from 11th to 15th September, packing 14 events into five action-packed days, from the junior mixed time-trial to the women’s and men’s elite road race.
Among the stars heading to Limburg are Netherlands’ Mischa Bredewold and France’s Christophe Laporte, both champing at the bit to defend their 2023 European title jerseys. But many have their eyes on thwarting this.
The course isn’t designed to suit just one type of rider, with countries bringing stacked fields of riders to give them multiple cards to play. As the host nation it’s no surprise to see a star-studded Netherlands roster including Dylan Groenewegen, Mathieu van der Poel, Lorena Wiebes and Shirin van Anrooij. But neighbours Belgium are set to derail the train with Jasper Philipsen and Tim Merlier, while France take Clara Copponi and Marie Le Net. Then there’s Italy, packing power in Jonathan Milan and Elisa Balsamo.
Riders will endure the pain of repeated ascents of Limburg’s cobbled climbs from Heusden-Zolder to Hasselt, undertaking circuits within the race that will no doubt drain the energy from the legs of competitors. The women’s road race (9am on 14th September) is 162km and features 905m of elevation, while the men’s road race (12.30pm on 15th September) will take in 1,273m of climbing over 223km.
Both races follow the same course, an A-to-B route that links circuits in Hasselt and Limburg. First it’s one and a half laps of the Hasselt circuit for the women and three and a half laps for the men. The races then head south to the Limburg circuit, which includes the punishing Zammelenberg and Kolmontberg. The women will have to make two ascents of each, the men three, before their respective pelotons head back to the Hasselt circuit for the races’ climax, an all-out lap-and-a-half finishing dash in front of thousands of spectators.
Decisive moments look set to include the cobbles of Manshoven and Op de Kriezel on the Limburg circuit, which both come before the punchy bergs, and have the potential to fracture the races and create reduced sprint finishes.
It looks set to be a stellar week, but the Limburg locale holds much more than just a single cycling event. Over the years it has evolved from a gritty mining town into a cycling destination rich in cobbled climbs, gravel trails and more than the odd hidden gem. Visitors should keep an eye out for the art installations that pop up across the region, as well as the many beautiful, tree-lined cycling routes such as Bekestraat in the nearby village of Eizer.
Below we’ve compiled a list five of our favourite rides in Flanders, which along with dozens of other incredible routes, are all available with free GPX downloads from cyclinginflanders.cc.
Ronde van Vlaanderen (Red loop)
Scale the Muur and feel like one of the professionals with this popular Tour of Flanders-inspired route
The jewel in the crown of the 115km Ronde van Vlaanderen’s red loop is getting the chance to take on the mythical Muur van Geraardsbergen. Nicknamed ‘The Wall’, you don’t so much ride the Muur as scale it. Johan Museeuw, Peter van Petegem and Fabian Cancellara are just three who have used the 20% gradients up to the famed chapel as a gruelling springboard to glory in the Tour of Flanders.
This route features 1,618m of elevation and takes you over the classic bergs of Greg van Avermaet’s beloved Berendries and Bosberg. The latter is the final climb of Omloop het Nieuwsblad, and often described as ‘Edwig Van Hooydonck Hill’ due to the Belgian attacking alongside the same lamppost to ride to glory in 1989 and 1991. Perhaps use this as inspiration on the 12% gradient near the Flemish Ardennes.
- Download the ‘Ronde van Vlaanderen (Red loop)‘ route.
Gent Wevelgem – In Flanders Fields
This route is steeped in history, taking cyclists back in time by traversing First World War battlefields and finishing with the Kemmelberg
Gent-Wevelgem – In Flanders Fields plays a slight trick: the start isn’t in Gent and the finish isn’t in Wevelgem. Nonetheless, it is rich in its own DNA and regarded as ‘more than’ a race. Reflecting this is the recent addition of ‘In Flanders Fields’ to its name, in homage to its connections with multiple Great War battlefields, which are navigated both in the professional race and along this 84km route.
There is history everywhere you look, with the route taking riders to the famous ‘plugstreets’ where, on the second of three gravel sections here, the 1914 Christmas Truce took place, the guns falling silent and soldiers from both sides coming together to exchange gifts and famously play a game of football.
After 73km of riding comes the iconic Kemmelberg. The longest and steepest of the three ways up this climb features a maximum gradient over 20%, or a ‘kick in the teeth’ as many riders describe it, especially after already climbing 883m by that point over the course of the ride. Gravel might not be the first cycling-related thing you think of when ‘Flanders’ is mentioned, but gravel deviations for this route are also available for a new spin on an old Classic.
- Download the ‘Gent-Wevelgem – In Flanders Fields‘ route.
Floubaix
This two-for-one experience combines both the legendary Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix races for a Monument extraordinaire
What’s better than riding one Monument? Riding two of them. Meet Floubaix. Starting in Oudenaarde, Belgium, this 120km route takes on the Koppenberg – a short and sharp cobbled climb described as ‘the most difficult’ in the region with its soap-bar cobbles and 20% gradient.
But it’s Flanders’ longest cobbled climb in the famous Oude Kwaremont that captures our attention. This 2.1km stretch has a slight respite in the middle before rising once more, lulling the unwary into a false sense of security before a final sting in its tail. It might not possess the most severe gradients, but it’s the irregularity of the cobbles that makes the Kwaremont such a hard-earned inclusion on your palmarès. Just count yourself lucky you’re not riding over it three times like the pros do in the Tour of Flanders.
From here the route segues fiendishly into the famed cobbles of Paris-Roubaix, and it’s time to embrace the chaos. This route includes the five-star Carrefour de l’Arbre secteur and a finish on the hallowed banks of the Roubaix velodrome. Open to the public all year round, this is the perfect – and only – place such an absurd route could finish.
- Download the ‘Floubaix‘ route.
Low Hanging Fruit in Limburg by gritgravel.cc
Where the charm of cycling meets the beauty of blossoms over European Championship cobbles
Haspengouw is somewhat of a hidden gem, the area producing a striking number of fruit orchids that blossom in the April and May months yet still provide a utopia all year round. This is truly a route for the nature lovers to embrace the serenity of Limburg, over a course that provides 949m of elevation over 103km.
After beginning in Borgloon and embracing the gravel to view the luscious apple, pear and cherry trees, riders then come across the intersection where cycling meets art – a floating chapel in Helshoven that will prove a truly unique experience. The 1.4km Op de Kriezel and 1.3km Manshoven cobbled stretches that feature in this year’s UEC Road European Championships arrive in the final half of the route, before a finish at cycling hotspot Café Coureur, where you can sit down, grab a coffee and start planning your next ride.
- Download the ‘Low Hanging Fruit in Limburg‘ route.
Relive the 2021 World Championships in Leuven
The rainbow bands might not be up for grabs, but follow in the footsteps of Julian Alaphilippe and his swashbuckling flair
When organising any World Championships, legacy is an important consideration for course designers, which is why the 2021 Worlds course in Leuven, Belgium, is so easy to ride yourself. Hailed as the World Championships where ‘cycling came home’ (the not-at-all-biased organisers’ words), the event saw fan favourite Julian Alaphilippe take his second consecutive set of rainbow bands on these roads.
This route combines 1,131m of elevation with many cycling-friendly spots, such as the Poledor cafe with its collections of bikes, and the World Championships mural in Overijse. Killer bergs include the 510m Moskesstraat and 950m S-bend and Taymansstraat in Overijse, which winds around the Sint-Martinus church.
Exploring the unexplored is always fun, and the 430m ‘unknown’ Bekestraat in the final 24km peaks at 15% while boasting some irregular cobbles for a tough but rewarding day out. You might just feel like a world champion after this 128km ride.
- Download the ‘Relive the 2021 World Championships in Leuven‘ route.
Things to do…
…in Limburg:
- There are some unique cycling experiences to discover in Limburg. ‘Cycling through Water’ takes place in Bokrijk, where cyclists ride on a dry path that splits the water for a fascinating day out. ‘Cycling through the Trees’ is in Bosland features a ride on a 10m-high circle in the trees. ‘Cycling Through the Heathland’ in the Hoge Kempen National Park takes you across a 300m-high, 4km long wooden bridge in Belgium’s national park.
- There are plenty of art installations found tucked away in the most unlikely places throughout Limburg.
- Explore Limburg’s mining history by visiting its eight collieries.
- For history lovers, Tongeren is considered Belgium’s oldest town and just over half an hour away from Limburg. It’s home to the Gallo-Roman museum and the largest antiques market in Benelux every Sunday morning.
- Limburg has multiple vineyards, including the Cuvelier Winery in Jesseren and Kerniel.
- The former Formula 1 circuit of Zolder in Heusden-Zolder can be driven with your own car or motorbike. There’s also a BMX track.
…in Flanders:
- Bruges is a UNESCO World Heritage City with cobbled, romantic streets. They have a seasonal market (called The Markt) and house the Basilica of the Holy Blood.
- Brussels: Visit the Grand-Palace, Atomium or Train World. The Institute of Natural Sciences is also here and displays the largest Dinosaur Gallery in Europe.
- Ghent: Explore the Castle of the Counts, see the Ghent Altarpiece in St Bavo’s Cathedral by Hubert and Jan van Eyck.
- The world’s biggest brewery of AB InBev can be found in Leuven (as well as the 2021 World Championships route).
- Head to one of the many beaches for some sea and sand.
- Enjoy the Belgian food! No trip to Flanders is complete without moules-frites (or just the frites), waffles and of course beer
How to get there
Limburg:
- By train: There are eight railway stations in Limburg: Alken, Bokrijk, Diepenbeek, Genk, Hasselt, Kiewit, Sint-Truiden and Tongeren. Limburg is easily accessible by train from most major cities. Train tickets and times are available on the NMBS website. Tickets for international train connections for those outside Belgium can be ordered on b-europe. Catch the Eurostar to Brussels, then it’s roughly a one-hour train ride from Brussels-Nord to Hasselt – the latter costs approximately £16.
- By car: Travelling by car between the UK to France and beyond (to Limburg) is easy via the Eurotunnel. There are no luggage restrictions, the ticket is for your vehicle, and up to nine people can travel on one ticket. The journey is under 35 minutes and prices vary, with a standard fare costing around £112 and a flexiplus ticket (no set crossing time) around £247. Buy tickets on the Eurotunnel website. It then takes 45 minutes to drive to Belgium from the Calais terminal, and three hours to Limburg.
- By bike: Limburg has 200km of paved and mostly car-free cycle paths. Online cycle route planners are available. You can take bikes on every train by buying an additional €4 ticket, no reservation needed.
- By bus: Bus routes can be found at delijn.be.
Flanders:
- By train: If travelling to Oudenaarde, the easiest option is to get a Eurostar train from a corresponding location such as London (tickets range from around £86 to £206 for standard class) to Brussels Midi. Bikes can be taken on specific services (so be sure to check with Eurostar). If travelling from London to Brussels, these bike-friendly trains depart at 09:01 (train 9116), 13:01 (train 9132) and 15:04 (train 9142) daily. Bikes cost £45 each way if booked more than 48 hours before departure or £60 each way if booked less than 48 hours before. You must email travelservices@eurostar.com to book a space for your bike, which must be fully assembled on trains travelling between London and Brussels. Passengers can also bring a folding bike, folding electric bike or children’s bike on board as long as it’s no longer than 85cm in length and carried in a protective bag that covers the whole bike. There are different rules for travelling between Belgium, France, the Netherlands and Germany, which can be found here. Trains run by SNCB are then available for onwards travel from Brussels-Midi to Oudenaarde, which take 50 minutes and cost approximately £12.
- By car: Travelling via the Eurotunnel costs approximately £112 for a standard fare and £247 for a flexiplus fare (no set crossing time). Buy tickets on the Eurotunnel website. It then takes just under two hours to travel to Oudenaarde. Be aware that each Thursday from 6pm to 2pm there is a weekly market in the city centre (Grote Markt, Hoogstraat, Nederstraat) and this area isn’t accessible by car or bus. For information on travelling from Brussels, Ghent and Kortrijk, more can be found here. Elsewhere, low emission zones have been introduced in Antwerp, Ghent and Brussels to improve air quality. Read the specifications here to see if this affects your vehicle, and how to pay.
- By bike: Flanders is very bike-friendly, with bikes able to travel on every train. The BikeOnTrain travel planner can tell you which trains are best equipped. For bikes on the Eurotunnel, it costs £50 per bicycle via a shuttle service and a minimum of 10 working days advanced booking is required. You can find more information on the Le Shuttle website.
- By bus: More information on buses can be found at De Lijn.
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