It's not that far away

Took a bit of a circular route toward shooting the cross races in Belgium. Down towards Lille and on to Wallers to find the fabled Arenberg Trench. I've never shot the Paris Roubaix but have watched it many times on TV and I always love it when the pack comes hurtling into this section at 60 odd kph. The entry is across a railway line and then there is a subtle descent. Scary shit! Skittling would be a better word than hurtling. From there I went onto Kwaremont to find the climb of the Old Kwaremont. It all looks easy on a sunny autumn day but it is narrow and slippery. I realised when I got into the tiny town square that I had been there before with Robert Millar and Robbie McEwen when we shot Robbie's Rabobank Colnago for Pro Cycling magazine. Roger Hammond was also living in Belgium at that time and popped up too in his Riley Elf. True! From the Kwaremont to one of the most famous - the Koppenberg via the Patersberg (which actually seemed steeper). I didn't have time to get to the Muur at Geraardsbergen. Perhaps during the Tour of Flanders itself , although there may be more people there then.....

Sign of the Times.....

To most people just a sign somewhere foreign. To those in the know it signals the beginning of one of the most well known cobbled climbs in cycling folklore. Not long by any stretch but it comes near the end of the 203km Gent Wevelgem cycling classic, when the wind and riding has already taken it's toll. I was at this year's event and spent an hour or so looking and taking pictures of the mount (the Kemmelberg is indeed famous for much more important reasons than cycling; it was the scene of bitter fighting and heroics in the Great War and is well worth reading about) and then the day of the race I found myself in the midst of The Throng. I posted a couple more images and a few words over on my news pages here. Take a look if you fancy it. Why not. Nice one. And look at the conditions : proper!