PanEuropean Bike Tour 2011

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• published: 27 Jun 2012
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Paris - Amsterdam June, 23rd – July 2nd 2011 DAY 1 June 24: Paris-St Quentin. 1100 meter height, 170 theoretical, practical 185-214 km It was a shock to the system to start with the longest stage on the first day of the tour. In theory it should have been a 170km stage rolling through the crowded streets of Paris, then along the tree- lined canals of north of the city and then onto the rolling grain field of northern France. That was the theory. In practice riders went missing or split into groups and some covered up to 214km on the stage. An amazing effort. The day was picture-perfect in terms of weather and conditions. Former professional rider Andrea Ferragato lead the Allianz and Mondial riders, representing six different countries, five Mondial BUs and five Allianz OEs, along one of the classic routes of the tour de France. Rolling wheatfields, quaint French villages and cheering school children dominated the scenery as the group of riders cycled through the countryside. This is a cycling mad country and maybe some of the schoolchildren thought this was a group of professionals warming up for the Tour de France, which is scheduled to begin next weekend. Maybe ... but unlikely. On this first day of the tour, the riders’ thanks goes out to Didier Lebret and all the staff at Allianz Global Assistance Head Offices for their support and understanding. Special thanks to friendly Sabah for her heartfelt greetings. Thanks to everyone for the breakfast and the warm send off that sent us into the Paris morning traffic. Day 2 June 25: St Quentin-Roubaix. 600 meter height, 125km There is a legendary 270 km stretch of road running north from Paris to Robaix that makes hardened cyclists blanche. Running approximately 270km over spine-shaking cobblestones, the stretch is enough to make strong men quake. Small men (under 75 kilo) aren’t even allowed to compete for fear they will be thrown from the saddle. On hot days, the sun beats down mercilessly and dust clouds obscure the view, on raining days the plains are turned into a sea of mud. Amongst cyclists, it is simply known as the “Hell of the North.” Naturally, counting many cycling “tragics” and could-of-been-champions, we wanted to stay as far away from the stretch as possible. We might be keen, but we aren’t insane. Still, it was worth a look, so tour-guide Andrea obliged by taking the group on a 200 metre stretch – just for a taste. Those who survived and actually enjoyed it, were then invited to take part in a three kilometre stretch through the famed Aremberg Forest, the making and breaking point of many a reputation. Arriving at the end of the stretch, the group of riders were well shaken – not stirred – and full of admiration for the people who make their living of this tough sport. Compared to yesterday , the Allianz and Mondial riders halved the height climbed but dramatically increased the speed, despite the inclement conditions (light rain & wind). Whipping through small towns of red-bricked houses, they drove the pace hard to remain warm in the cold conditions. Unfortunately, it was also a day of delays as the bad weather made conditions slippery. While we were lucky not to have any falls (unlike yesterday) there was an unusually high number of punctures. One thing about the Italian style of mending punctures. They swear a lot. Perhaps it helps the blood flow? The similarity to the Paris-Roubaix was the end point. The cyclists had the honour to roll into the famous Velodrome to the finish point of this classic. Carlo, the main organizer of the tour, led the riders as they raced around the steep-banked track to the cheers of the friendly crowd gathered to watch a junior cycling competition. Tomorrow it is onto and into Belgium and the Geertruidenberg stretch, 500 metres of cobblestones running up the side of a hill, 200 metres of which have an incline of 20 percent – sounds like fun! Day 3 June 26: Roubaix-Brussels.1050 meter height, 125km CORRECTION: In yesterday’s diary, we mentioned that we had one hard climb on cobblestones facing us today. For this misinformation, we wish to apologize. It was actually five vicious cobblestone-lined climbs of up to 27 percent on small country lanes with nowhere to move. These included Kluisberg (11%), Bosberg (11%), Patenberg (20%), Koppenberg (22%) and the Wall of Geraardsbergen (20%). The first people to make the Wall of Geraardsbergen on bikes in the 1950s were considered Begian national heroes and received washing machines and house furniture as prizes. The Muur were a shock to all the foreign riders who have never had to traverse something as demanding as this. Now we know what Andrea, the former professional cyclist, was referring to in his halting English when he spoke of “five roads.” It was not a general course description! Known locally as “Muurs,” these challenges are included in the annual Tour of Flanders, one of the most ancient classic cycling races in the world. Fo