The Tour of Flanders in early April ranks as one of the best one-day Classics on the WorldTour circuit. The day before the pro race, however, amateurs and enthusiasts alike take to the same roads in Flanders for the Tour of Flanders Sportive, one of the world’s must-ride cycling experiences.
It offers the opportunity to ride over classic cobbled climbs such as the Koppenberg, Paterberg and Oude Kwaremont, just like the pros will be doing the following day.
What could be better? Well, that’s where the hugely experienced folk at Sportive Breaks come in. They are offering the incredible opportunity for one lucky cyclist to win a trip to the Tour of Flanders Sportive, with entry and accommodation for three nights included. You’d be a fool to be anywhere other than Belgium on 1st April this year.
Trust the professionals
The highly experienced professionals at Sportive Breaks have been organising cycling trips for more than 25 years, and you’ll benefit from their breadth of knowledge over the course of the weekend. They know the routes, they know the roads and they lay on the best hotels from start to finish.
On top of that, they’ll organise everything for you, including mechanical support and transfers to and from Brussels airport, ensuring all you’ll need to think about is riding on those cobbles.
The Sportive Breaks team also cover the biggest selection of European gran fondo and cyclo-sportive events. From the five Monuments (Milan-San Remo, Il Lombardia, Paris-Roubaix, Li?ge-Bastogne-Li?ge and Flanders) to the Big Six sportives (Marmotte, UCI Gran Fondo World Championships, Gran Fondo Stelvio, Etape du Tour, Nove Colli and Mallorca 312), the team has travelled the world looking after more happy customers than you can count.
Experiences with Sportive Breaks are ABTA and ATOL protected.
All bases covered
For your trip to Flanders, you’ll be staying in the Square Hotel in Kortrijk for three nights, which is within easy reach of Oudenaarde where the sportive starts and finishes (and where the pro race ends). Don’t worry, though – you won’t have to ride to the start as transfers are also laid on as part of the package.
On the Friday afternoon you’ll be treated to a guided 50km ride so you can get to grips with the climbs, and the cobbles, before the real challenge the following day.
For that extra bit of VIP treatment and to make sure things run smoothly, Sportive Breaks’ expert mechanics will be on hand all weekend to tend to your mechanical needs. You can choose to either bring your own bike, which can be safely stored at the hotel, or rent one for the weekend.
Test yourself
While Paris-Roubaix is all about cobbles and the Ardennes Classics are all about sharp climbs, Flanders is a mix, throwing in both brutal cobbled sectors and steep cobbled climbs. In terms of the latter, the most famous names to contend with are the Koppenberg, Muur van Geraardsbergen and Paterberg, which feature gradients pushing 20% – enough to test even the strongest legs.
The Tour of Flanders Sportive offers a variety of routes, ranging from 75km to the full-blown 235km epic – and all of these include the classic finish of the Oude Kwaremont and the Paterberg.
Once those final climbing tests are out of the way, the sportive finishes with a long flat sprint to Oudenaarde, where you will be greeted at the race village by – you’ll be overjoyed to learn – a large beer tent and some classic Belgian food vendors. What better way to refuel than with a plate of waffles and a sizeable glass of Leffe?
See how it’s done
The day after your ride, it’s time to relax and enjoy the pro race, which finishes in the heart of Oudenaarde. Whoever comes out on top in the sprint for the finish line, you’ll have a front row seat for the action – both live and on the big screen.
The top spectator spots of the Donkmeer and the Markt are the places to be, and you’ll see the race come past four times, witnessing the finishes of both the men’s and women’s contests.
And fear not, you won’t have to get involved with making your own way to Oudenaarde the morning after a mammoth day out on your bike – transport is provided by Sportive Breaks. See? Absolutely everything, apart from your flights, is taken care of.
Enter now!
Want to be in with a chance of winning this incredible opportunity to take on the famous cobbled climbs on Tour of Flanders weekend? Head to the Sportive Breaks website to read the full competition terms and conditions and to enter.