Gent-Wevelgem

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200 km, 1150m, 27.8kms/h.
4 BIGs;
Cassel, Mont Noir, Roseberg and Kemmelberg.

The track (with some mistakes in the GPS).

http://es.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=4167367

We started by taking the train at 7.00 (Daniel and me), although the ticket agent kindly made ​​us take a wrong train, and lose 1 hour to get the right train combination.

Here Daniel was dancing the “cold dance”.

Finally we started at 9.15 in Kortrik, where we were received by the Saxo-Bank team! hehe.

We rode alone, only Carlos Antunes (a Brazilian guy).

The first few miles are narrow, winding roads. Almost flat, small hills and many changes of direction.

Downwind side or rolling fast and the cold sensation was  not too bad.

It was really cold, though (0-1 ° C).

The first 70 kms were boring.

Then we crossed the border to France, and caught up with a couple of cyclists…

…and did with them the first climb.
Cassel climbed by two diferents sides.

This is the second climb to Cassel, for the south side.

The last side has more than 17%.

Here was the second break.

We continued to the next climb. Mont Noir.

The next climb, Roseberg! With the really hard final part.

http://www.climbbybike.com/profile.asp?Climbprofile=Bosberg&MountainID=146

And the next, the famous Kemmelberg.

http://www.climbbybike.com/profile.asp?Climbprofile=Kemmelberg-Oost&MountainID=707

with the last km on pave, on video (with Carlos).

And the monument to the dead in the first Word War.

After then other short climb, and with the headwind to Ieper.
Really beautiful town.

This is also known for being the first site where chemical weapons were used in WWI.

Chlorine sprayed…

Then there were still 30 kms with a headwind, and small hills. It would be very hard even going behind a small group.

I was numb from the cold, and pretty exhausted.

Hard day of cycling, good workout for the rest of classics! 1/5

Finally bought some things at a supermarket and came back on the train, regaining strength and warming up.

It isn’t a really nice photo, but we did a good job.

Game over!
Insert coin.