Belgium / Netherlands Spring Classics 2012

Amstel Gold
Flèche Wallonne
Liège Bastogne Liège

Arrive and Depart: Liege

Friday 13th April

Arrival in Liege where you will transported in our mini van to Maastrict for the next four nights. A delightful town in the Southern Most corner of the Netherlands. We will assemble our bikes and if time permits, have a ride around the area.

Saturday 14th

The Netherlands is designed for bike riding with over 15,000 kms of bike paths and a relatively flat landscape, however, this small pocket of the country is anything but flat. Today we will ride sections of the Amstel Gold race the day before the pro race commences. There will be hundreds if not thousands of enthusiasts riding on narrow country roads, up and over numerous hills through forests and open country side. There are 31 climbs in the Amstel Gold race and their frequent repetition carries a heavy toll on the pro riders.

Sunday 15th

The biggest international bike race in The netherlands is on our doorstep and finishes in the nearby town of Valkenburg. We will ride for a few hours through the delightful countryside before we arrive at Valkenburg to see the finish on the famous Cauberg. The few local riders will be pushed on by the incredibly vociferous and passionate Dutch crowds numbering in the hundreds of thousands. Any race named after a beer is bound to be a big party and the Dutch know how to celebrate.

Monday 16th

After the crowds have dissipated its time to retrace some of the roads of yesterdays route to see the beautiful countryside of southern Netherlands called “Limburg”. Rolling hills, forests and quiet country roads is all that you will see. It is a very rural area and the people of this region are very hospital which makes this place so special.

Tuesday 17th

We will venture west and visit the ancient city of Brugges which is traditionally the start of the tour of Flanders. The beautiful old city is a delight and you could easily lose your self in its magic with the old water ways, cathedrals, castles and of course chocolate. An afternoon ride will be in order and retrace some of the tour of Flanders tour route. Then its back to the old town of Brugges for an afternoon beer or two along with some fries and muscles which is so Belg !!

Wednesday 18th

Another beautiful day in the rich cycling country of Belgium and no more so than Brugges. Today we will venture out and ride the famous Koppenburg and Mur de Grammont which are the Mont Ventoux and L’Alpe d’Huez of Flanders. The tour of Flanders or “Ronde van Vlanderen” is utterly unique and to the Belgians, it’s their own Tour De France. Today is the day of the Fleche Wallonne so we will try and find a spot in a pub some where and watch the race with the enthusiastic and vocal locals late in the afternoon.

Thursday 19th

Today we will travel south west to the Ardennes massiff region to witness another classic, the  Liege Bastogne Liege race. We will base ourselves in the village of Houffalize for the next four nights and ride some of the Ardennes hills  which are numerous .

Friday 20th

Liege Bastogne Liege is the Doyenne of classics, the first to have been invented in 1892 and its sawtooth profile represents the ideal course for a road race. This classic crisscrosses the Ardennes massif, far to the east of the Belgian lowlands, over the verdant heights of the Hautes Fagnes which include the country’s highest point, the Signal de Botrange at  694 m above sea level. The dark forest that surrounds this plateau is cut by the deep valleys of the Ourthe and Ambleve rivers. Throughout history, the region has been a theatre of great battles and that tradition continues in this venerable cycling classic which will start and conclude on Sunday, our final day together.

It will be our first opportunity to ride some of the route before Sunday along with thousands of other cyclists.

Saturday 21st

There are ten categorized climbs in the liege Bastogne Liege race , 8 of which are in the last 100kms of the race. Some of these climbs include, Col de Rosier, Col du Maquisard, and the Cote de la Redoute. This will be the place to watch the peloton as the quiet countryside will be transferred into a mass of people waving their famous Lion of Flanderen flags.

Sunday 22nd

Liege Bastogne Liege day is here and we will have our final ride through the majestic and tranquil are of the Ardennes hills and forests. Possibly on top of the Col de la Redoute is the place to see all the action as the atmosphere up there will be electric. A farewell dinner to celebrate our 10 days together in true Belgium style..more beer, fries and muscles !!

Monday 23rd

Time to pack up and say good bye as we transfer you back to the city of Liege for connecting flights or trains.

Au Revoir or Tot Ziens !

Includes:

• 10 Nights Accommodation twin share – 3 and 4 star
• All breakfasts and five dinners
• Transfers, maps and guides
• Montcyclingtours kit – vest, knicks, jersey and cap
• 10 – 12 people

Cost : AUD $5,350 ( Click here to download booking form )
Deposit – AUD $1000

* This cost does not include airfares or insurance
* Bike hire and single supplement accommodation is available upon request which incurs an additional cost