Going to the Hell of the North: I need advice!

by Albertina on Mar 27, 2009 9:00 AM EDT

Following on from CycleGirl's classics trip related post, I thought I'd ask the seasoned classics watchers among you for some guidance. My friend and I are going to Paris Roubaix (unfortunately the pesky thing called work means I can't go for the whole cobbles week...). We are Eurotunnelling from the UK and then staying the Saturday night on the Arenberg side of Valenciennes (after some riding in the afternoon of course :-) We will watch in Arenberg initially but then hope to rush off and see the race in at least one other location too, or as many as we can manage without too much stress. We have a car and bikes. So, my question is this: after hot footing it from Arenberg, which other sectors is it feasible to get to in good time before the riders get there? Could one make it to the Carrefour de l'Arbre? And how many times is it possible to see the race? Presumably many other people are trying the same thing so is the traffic a big issue? Any words of wisdom gratefully received!

There will of course be photographic evidence of myself and CycleGirl hitting Ghent in style ;-)

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I don't know

but I am planning on going in 2011 and I was thinking of trying exactly that (first Arenberg, then Carrefour de l’Arbre). Looking at the time schedule for 2008 (I don’t know that the course is exactly the same this year but haven’t seen anything saying it’s changed), and assuming they travel at the fastest time (ie, 42 kph), they would finish the Trouee d’Arenberg at 14:58, then get to the beginnining of the Carrefour de l’Arbre at 16:46. So, that would give you about and hour and three-quarters to get from one to the other. If they go the “slowest” speed, 38 kph, you would have 2 hours.

Now, if you have bikes and a car (and, I’m assuming a bike rack on the car), I would think that’s not such a problem. Depending on whether you’re parked near the beginning or the end of the Trouee, it appears you can either walk or bike back to the car, load up, then get on A23 at either entrance #6 or #4 (I was thinking of going to the end, but if you’re staying in or near Arenberg itself, I’m assuming you’ll be posted near the beginning of the pave). From there, according to viamichelin.com, it should take you about 30 minutes to drive up somewhere in the vicinity of Camphin-en-Pevele or Gruson, though traffic may cause that to be longer. But, if you have bikes, you can park farther away and ride to the Carrefour and not be as constrained for time.

So, I would think you can do both. I’ll be interested to hear from others as to whether the above assumptions are correct and whether it’s actually feasible. I have to confess I had planned on walking between where I parked and the race course, but I think having a bike would make things easier. Perhaps I’ll have to rent one (and a rack).

Yeah, I’ve been thinking things through ;-)

by Le Comte on Mar 27, 2009 10:20 AM EDT reply actions

Thanks for doing the sums Le Comte, most useful :-)

1.45 hrs to get the carrefour should be do-able; I reckon it’s only about a 30 min drive but I’m not as yet 100% sure where the carrefour actually is, only that it’s about 20km south of Roubaix. I think we’ll probably go to the end of Arenberg where the field is likely to be more split up and then make a quick get away to the A23, but how does one get to the A23 from the north end of Arenberg? Would you have to go all the way back down the cobbles to the town and out that way? Such an organisational nightmare…. But we do have bikes, and a bike rack, so we are pretty flexible.

by Albertina on Mar 27, 2009 12:49 PM EDT up reply actions

Check it

http://wikimapia.org/5795548/fr/Paris-Roubaix-secteur-4-pavC3A9-du-carrefour-de-l-arbre

That’ll show you the beginning of the carrefour on a map, which you can expand and move around to show the entire thing and get a sense of what’s where.

Now, if you’re going to go to the north end of the Trouee d’Arenberg, here’s what I’m planning on doing (in 2011): there’s a little town just north of the north exit of the Trouee called Grand Bray. It appears to be a few hundred meters on viamichelin. I’m hoping to park there and walk to the Trouee or, if not, to park at a town just NW of Grand Bray called Hasnon. Assuming I can park somewhere within a km of the Trouee, I should be fine (I figure it shouldn’t take more than 15’ to walk a km even at a fairly slow pace). Now, Grand Bray is just off D40, which has an entrance to A23. To show you what I’m talking about, check out http://tinyurl.com/dgmahx, which is a viamichelin map which centers on Grand Bray. You’ll see the entrance to the motorway is not far at all. If you move the map around a bit, you can also look at options for watching at the beginning of the Trouee (which I originally was thinking of doing but changed my mind).

Once on A23, I would go north and transfer to A27 (which looks to be kind of a complicated transfer according to driving directions on viamichelin), and then get off the exit (#3) near Camphin-en-Pevele. I haven’t completely made up my mind on it, by I’m thinking of swinging up and around to D90 to watch at or near the end of the Carrefour de l’Arbre. Here’s a map centered on Camphin which could help: http://tinyurl.com/ddllax

And, of course, since you have bikes, you’d be able to park farther away than I would, so you’d have more options. Also, beware: I have not been there myself: all the above is based on internet research, so the above may not actually be feasible, though it seems like it should be.

by Le Comte on Mar 27, 2009 2:02 PM EDT up reply actions

Map

I hope I can find it before you leave…but there exists a map that shows you how to get from various points to various other points on the parcours to see the race more than once. If memory serves you can actually see it three times if you clever. Good luck

by bradBordeaux on Mar 27, 2009 12:02 PM EDT reply actions

That would be extremely useful!

Do let me know if you can find it!

by Albertina on Mar 27, 2009 12:40 PM EDT up reply actions

+1

by Le Comte on Mar 27, 2009 3:01 PM EDT up reply actions

Here’s some good info.

This looks good too…although perhaps you’re the one who posted the thread? ;)

by plinytheelder on Mar 27, 2009 1:58 PM EDT reply actions

This and this are also interesting (grammar alert), man I love reading this stuff. Also if you’re looking for a hotel here’s a place that all the Americans seemed to love and the French seemed to hate. ;)

by plinytheelder on Mar 27, 2009 2:15 PM EDT up reply actions

Wow!

Getting into the Velodrome is free? I hadn’t known that. I wonder how early you have to get there to get a seat. I won’t do it should I be able to go in 2011 (I figure I’ll see the Trouee & Carrefour, then set myself up in a bar somewhere; isn’t there one at the end of Carrefour de l’Arbre? Though I imagine that’ll be really, really packed), but for future years that may be worth considering.

Thanks!

by Le Comte on Mar 27, 2009 3:07 PM EDT up reply actions