Join Velominati (And a Certain Johan Museeuw) In Flanders!

Passed along by a neighbor, the publisher of Velominati. Another Seattle-based cobble-centric website. Portland may ride bikes, but when it comes to blogging about them, Seattle owns the place. Anyway, since they're like-minded folks, and since the cobbles are much loved around here, I thought I'd pass on this bit of enticement.

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The Hardmen. They inspire us; we aspire to be one among them. They are the solitary voice among the thousands in our heads that tell us to keep pushing when all the others tell us to stop. Their long shadows look on in approval as we pull on our cold and wet weather gear and head out into the elements to ride.

Every serious Cyclist is a hard man or woman; it comes with the territory. But to be given the title of Hardman, one must be more than just tough. The Hardmen stand out among the rest as the ones who ride over the savage, jagged cobblestones of Northern Europe with a souplesse that is possessed only by those riders who thrive in the most torturous of road cycling’s domains: The Cobbled Classics of Northern Europe.

Velominati has partnered up with Pavé Cycling Classics, based in Northern France, to offer the chance to walk where Giants tread and pedal through the trench of Arenberg and up the devastating cobbled steeps of the Kopenberg and Kapelmuur. To pedal with the Pros during their reconnaissance of the Paris-Roubaix route.

As if that isn't good enough, we offer the opportunity to do all this with Johan Museeuw, the last Lion of Flanders. [Ed.: !?!!]

Velominati's Keepers Tour: Cobbled Classics 2013 will be hosted and guided by the Velominati Keepers in partnership with Pavé Cycling Classics andover nine days in April during the most sacred time of the season, the week when de Ronde van Vlaanderen and Paris Roubaix are held. The trip is all-inclusive and covers lodging, meals, energy drink, energy bars, sag support. Bikes are available and included in the price should you wish not to bring your own.

Provisional Itinerary:

• Friday : Pick up midday, travel to gite and get bikes setup
• Saturday : Paris Roubaix with Johan Museeuw (last 150km)
• Sunday : Watch de Ronde van Vlaanderen at the Oude Kwaremont
• Monday: Visit the Roeselare National Bicycle Museum & go for an easy ride around Kemmel
• Tuesday: Liège-Bastogne-Liège with Johan Museeuw
• Wednesday: Track riding at the Gent vélodrome & watch the GP Escault (E3 Prijs Vlaanderen) pro race
• Thursday: Paris Roubaix reconaissance ride with the Pros
• Friday: Brunehaut brewery visit & visit with Pro Team (Omega-Pharma Quickstep or AG2R)
• Saturday: Ronde Van Vlaanderen with Johan Museeuw (150km)
• Sunday: Watch Paris Roubaix at three secteurs; optional stay at gite on Sunday

The rate for the all-inclusive trip of a lifetime is 3990€. For more information and to register, visit our site.

And tell 'em Podium Cafe sent ya.