While killing time at work today I was looking at some Tour of Flanders websites and preparing my picks for Sunday's race. Along the way I found info about the "cyclotouring" event that is held the day before the race. I've know for a few years they have this event but never investigated any of the details.

Unlike L'Etape du Tour, this doesn't appear to be a "race" where you are timed. Without going back and looking I think there is a 75k ride that does a number of the bergs. Then there is a 140k ride that does all the climbs and there is also the option of doing the whole 260ish km's.

I've had the bug to ride Italy sometime soon, but now I want to do this event too. Roubaix has a similar ride so you could conceivably do both events in a week. Seems like a kick-ass time to me. What does it cost to do this ride??? Fifteen euros! Eighteen or nineteen bucks. Less than a 40 minute crit. The only downside I see is trying to climb those hills with the 15,000 others that do the ride but darn I would like to try it.

I guess the roads are tough as these poor saps show us. Or these guys. Just stay on the bike guys.

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