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Climbs of Flanders: Rating De Hellingen!

Update [2008-4-2 14:32:18 by chris]: Pez does their rating today. Verdict? Less data, more pictures.

I love the Tour of Flanders website. What other race has a separate page for each climb on the course? Clearly the HNB folks know who the stars are. Anyway, I've never ridden the course, and the following ratings come from distilling information on the site. If you have been lucky enough to actually recon these hills, please feel free to help adjust what I've written. This is, after all, a community-edited site. Oh, and we're going to use the Wong-Baker Pain Scale to rate them.

Here goes:

All asphalt, 1.2km at 5%... really, this is about as easy as it gets at De Ronde. But there are stretches of 13%, so we'll call this a 1: hurts a little bit.

Short (375m), 5.9%. Even with cobbles, this can't be a problem. From its position in the race, the peloton isn't likely to be tearing it up at this stage. 0: no hurt

Under a half-kilometer, but ramps of 14% on the cobbles, which make up most of the slope. 1: hurts a little bit

645meters on asphalt... but up to 17%, and 8%v average. Plus, the profile shows some other rises and cobbles around. 2: hurts a little more

Ah, now things start heating up. This climb, included every year since 1974, comes at about the 182km (of 260) mark, and after a mellow stretch. It's business time. The climb itself is the day's longest, 2.2km, with cobbled ramps topping 11%. 2: hurts a little more

All of 360 meters... but averaging 13%, all on cobbles, maxing out over 20%. Right after the Oude Kwaremont. 3: hurts even more

Needs little introduction. One of the hardest climbs in the world of Cycling. As for numbers, 600 meters, 11.6% average, maxing at 22%. Some of the ugliest cobbles in Flanders, only recently deemed safe enough to ride. Guys will be walking. 5: hurts worst!

By itself, this could rate a zero: 700 meters at a steady 6.7%. But so close on the heels of the Koppenberg? 2: hurts a little more

Really only about 200 meters or so of serious (15%, cobbled) climbing, but bunched closely with the last two entries here, that's enough.4: hurts a whole lot!

All asphalt, and comes after a little breather. The peloton will be crackling with urgency, but with a gauntlet of hills ahead, this will be uneventful. 1: hurts a little bit

Hm, gotta wonder when the collective nerve of the pack will break. The short ramp here of 14% ain't nuthin, but it's paved, and the rest of this climb is mellow enough to produce a mere 4% grade. 2: hurts a little more

The pressure will surely be on by now. Just under 1km at a steady 7%, on pavement. 3: hurts even more

Steeper but shorter than the Berendries, with ramps up to 12.8%. But race-winning attacks have been seen here often enough, which means this hill will be climbed at a ridiculous speed. More than any other hill, the race factor changes how the hill would score on its own. 4: hurts a whole lot.

A cut below the Valkenberg: 455m at 6.4%, paved. The race will be going so fast, the leaders might barely notice it. 3: hurts even more

First time in de Ronde! 610 meters at 6% doesn't sound like much, but it starts easy and keeps getting worse (12.5%). This will be a huge strategic moment, and the racing will be immense. 4: hurts a whole lot!

Needs little introduction. 453 meters, over 9% avg and 19.8% max. There will be blood. 5: hurts worst

At this late in the game, everything freaking kills. Plus, urgency will be off the charts, and there's 3-400 meters of 11%. 4: hurts a whole lot

Sounds like fun, eh?

0 recs | Comment 14 comments

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Well done Chris.
I can't wait!
America is all about speed. Hot, nasty, badass speed. -Eleanor Roosevelt

by ELVISGOAT on Apr 2, 2008 7:18 AM EDT   0 recs

Fantastic review pal
I've been lucky enough to ride the Paterberg (twice, first time during a brief sleet storm), Tenbosse, the Muur (twice) and Bosberg.

If it's raining the Paterberg will be ridiculous because it's only about as wide as my cubical, though there is a smooth gutter on either side that one could jump into (I proudly did not). I was lucky enough to only have my friend Paul to contend with for space, not 60 other rabid riders.

Tenbosse is a grunt but it's paved and mostly smooth so they should just fly up it. Of note, about halfway up on the left (it goes through a small neighborhood) some guy has a mural on the back wall of his garage of Eddy Merckx. I know because he left his door open when we rode past :-) It's just so Belgian and cool.

The Muur is the Muur. The rise actually starts as you cross over the railroad bridge in Geraardsbergen and enter the town square, then continues to rise and flatten as you work your way through the square to the main climb itself. It's narrow, the pave is not packed neatly together, and there is the 20% part. Still managed to get up it clean, but that wasn't after 245K and wasn't at race speed. Watching Boonen come through in his big ring was pretty amazing. By all laws of physics his chain or cassette or both should have exploded like the Death Star from the strain he was putting on them.

Bosberg has a paved section leading into it that makes it seem much longer than it is, but the cobbles are smooth and slippery (even dry). It's got a super high ridge in the middle that is tough to stay on and you're always mindful of your front wheel washing out if you try and fight it. Descending it was one of the more scary things I've done because your speed increases seemingly geometrically in a very short distance.

"Only those who are in top condition can say that the Ronde is not hard. For everyone else, it's the Way of the Cross." -Andrea Tafi

by Drew on Apr 2, 2008 9:06 AM EDT   0 recs

Cool
I was thinking you'd have some thoughts on this. Should I change any of the ratings? Taking the race into account, that is?

by Chris... on Apr 2, 2008 10:47 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Nah
If I had to do that race I'd rate them all a 3 or higher since they're basically greater or lesser versions of getting kicked in the nuts. Does that ever not hurt? No, it's just a matter of degrees.

I think the real thing about hills of any kind (short and steep or longer and shallower) is where they come in a race and how hard are they ridden. Watching the last 20 guys in the 2006 Ronde start up the Muur you'd have thought they were on a club recovery ride based on intensity (at this point they were 15' behind the leaders), until you realized they were shattered from 250ks already and were still riding it faster than we would when fresh.

It's just a whole other world at that level.

"Only those who are in top condition can say that the Ronde is not hard. For everyone else, it's the Way of the Cross." -Andrea Tafi

by Drew on Apr 2, 2008 11:35 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

From the videos and Flanders DVD
that I have, the Paterberg is my favorite of the bunch.  It just looks really neat the way it connects two paved roads across a very hilly farm.  If you can call 20% over cobbles "neat".
Vlaenderen die Leu

by Mr Van P on Apr 3, 2008 7:07 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Back to bed!
I was about to leave for work, but after reading that, I'm back to bed and under the covers.  Make it stop!!!!

by ursula on Apr 2, 2008 10:55 AM EDT   0 recs

So funny :-)
Can't wait...

by gavia on Apr 2, 2008 12:54 PM EDT   0 recs

And though it's a touch early to call,
weather for Sunday in Gent (a mere 40K from the heart of the Ronde) calls for light rain with temps in the low 40s.

That's cold and wet enough to be energy sapping over a 6 1/4 hour race, but not wet enough to become Legend (see Hinault, 1980, Liege Bastogne Liege).

At least not yet ;-)

"Only those who are in top condition can say that the Ronde is not hard. For everyone else, it's the Way of the Cross." -Andrea Tafi

by Drew on Apr 2, 2008 2:44 PM EDT   0 recs

Didn't say but
since they are not riding due west to the coast first before turning around and heading back inland, winds shouldn't be too much of a factor unless they are super strong. Once you get into the thick of the climbing you're not exposed to them like you are in PR.
"Only those who are in top condition can say that the Ronde is not hard. For everyone else, it's the Way of the Cross." -Andrea Tafi

by Drew on Apr 2, 2008 3:00 PM EDT   0 recs

Did you get over
to the Koppenberg?  That seems almost unrideable to a normal cyclist.
Vlaenderen die Leu

by Mr Van P on Apr 3, 2008 7:03 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Nope
We were too busy enjoying everything else and only had two days to ride in the area. Idiot that I am I didn't even know the Ronde museum was there - d'oh. That will be remedied in the future.

The Koppenberg doesn't strike me as any harder than any of the others with pitches at 20%+. I found the Paterberg toughest because you have to get out of your saddle at the steepest pitch (at least I did) to keep your momentum going and if you don't keep some weight over the back wheel it will spin out. So, technique as much as brute strength, is a must.

"Only those who are in top condition can say that the Ronde is not hard. For everyone else, it's the Way of the Cross." -Andrea Tafi

by Drew on Apr 3, 2008 8:27 AM EDT   0 recs

But!
What we can't glean from the pages (including this one) is quality of cobbles. That's a huge difference, right? Where are the worst? That picture Lyne sent around looked like it had pretty large spaces between the cobbles. I think that was the Koppenberg.

by Chris... on Apr 3, 2008 10:51 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Yes and
each climb will also have it's own path's of greater or lesser resistance. The Paterberg does have a nice concrete gutter to ride in but everyone will be fighting for it and so there's limited space. I don't know what the Kberg has to offer so I can't entirely comment. The Muur has good surface but spots with large gaps between stones.

So, from the bergs I personally rode I would rank the Paterberg as hardest. Your results may vary :-)

"Only those who are in top condition can say that the Ronde is not hard. For everyone else, it's the Way of the Cross." -Andrea Tafi

by Drew on Apr 3, 2008 12:16 PM EDT   0 recs

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