Flanders Challenge - May 2026

Phase 1 – “planning “

About a year ago an idea was born. Two long standing Wheelers had a big birthday coming up and to celebrate this significant milestone they suggested a cycling holiday would be in order. Great idea but as always, the hard part is the logistics and where to go? After several discussions they felt like a challenge-based ride would set the right tone and with Neil and Derek (the birthday boys) loving the European lifestyle, the decision was made to tackle some cobbles and to try and become a Belgian for a week.

Excitement built and a team was quickly put together discussing equipment, clothing, routes and the best beer the region had to offer. Neil Winter found a brilliant hotel to accommodate us all in Oudenaarde, which was not only ideally located, but even cycling themed. The wheels were in motion, and with accommodation and ferries booked the plan was coming together.

Phase 2 – “the challenge”

As the team were giddy at the prospect of a great week away cycling, we almost forgot about what we had signed up for! The Flanders region in Belgium is cycling royalty, with several high-profile professional races being held there every year, including some of the biggest one-day races on the calendar such as the Tour of Flanders, Gent-Wevelgem and Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. The area is famous for short, sharp cobbled climbs that once strung together into a continuous route, make for a very tough day out on the bike -even for the pros. A true test of ability and strength!

 A couple of years ago the local tourist board came up with an idea of riders trying to complete all these climbs and cobbled sections in 72 hours. The idea took off and the Flanders Challenge was born.

To complete the challenge riders must complete all 59 sectors in under 72 hours. This is recorded on individual Strava accounts and can be done in any order but equates to approximately 235 miles of riding and 16,000 feet of climbing.

On paper this seemed doable but further research suggested it was much harder than we anticipated with only 2,700 people ever having completed it previously. Never mind eight months to go and plenty of time for training we thought.

Phase 3 – “a tricky start”

With a week to go before we boarded the ferry our plans were sent a curve ball with one of our group having to pull out for personal reasons and another having vehicle issues due to a car accident in the previous week. As both of these personnel were drivers (and carrying riders and other team members) we went from plan A to plan E very quickly, trying to re-arrange travel plans and switch cars over with the various authorities. Derek was battling with his insurers to get a suitable hire car for the trip and at one stage had tried to register four different vehicles in an attempt to keep the trip alive. Thankfully his son came to the rescue and lent him his car but even this broke down on the morning of our trip and had to take a little visit to the garage. With this solved and Richard stepping up as a backup driver, all 11 of us managed to get to Hull on time and we boarded the ferry at 6pm. It was a relief to finally set sail and after a nice meal and a couple of drinks onboard, we all got settled into our rooms for the night.

Phase 4 – Day 1 Flanders Challenge (Friday 29th May) “scary opening”

We woke to a lovely morning and as we tucked into our breakfast onboard ship, we pulled into Rotterdam Port at around 8am. Lycra clad and leaving the ship about an hour later, spirits were high with everyone keen to start riding. However, this was short lived as a very slow and lengthy queue formed at passport control. Over an hour passed as we tried to remain patient and the one thing we all noticed was that the temperature was climbing. Being this warm at 10:30 am meant only one thing it was going to be a hot start!

The challenge incorporates 9 sectors in a small area towards the southwest of Belgium close to the French boarder. As this was 45 miles from our hotel the plan was to drive there straight from the ferry and get these climbs done before heading back to the hotel. Tackling these mid-afternoon also gave us the luxury of a small window on Monday morning to complete the challenge and still be within the 72 hour cut off. “It’s all in the planning” which we have Neil to thank.

About 4 hours and 150 miles later we all met in a small car park in the town of Kemmel. As we stepped out of the cars it was like walking off a plane. Having been in a nice, air-conditioned car for the last 4 hours the heat was stifling. A quick check on various temperature gauges showed 33 degrees Celsius. Wow sun cream a plenty!

Bikes built and a quick team photo was the order of the day before we all set off through the village with smiles on our faces. These were soon wiped off however, as we approached our first big climb of the day. The only word to describe the Kemmelberg is brutal. It is as if the cobbles are growing out of the ground and facing towards you rather than in the ground. Having had no warmup to speak of it genuinely took a few of us by surprise with a couple of people having to put a foot down before reaching the very top. With my bike bouncing around (despite being on 32 mm tyres with lower pressures) I had to strain every sinew to get over the 20% climb and having regrouped I turned to Paul and said, “if they are all like that, I’m not going to make it”. I genuinely felt this and to be honest it frightened me to death before I managed to get my heart rate back to normal. The rest of the ride was a little more sedate and thankfully the remaining 8 sectors were not as bad as the opening one despite having to ride back up the Kemmelberg from the other side.

With 30 miles and 9 sectors of the challenge complete we put the bikes into the cars and headed for out hotel in Oudenaarde. The hotel was excellent and we quickly established that this was going to be a great base for the week ahead. A meal in the hotel restaurant and a couple of drinks later we headed for bed as we had a big day looming tomorrow.

Phase 5 – Day 2 Flanders Challenge (Saturday 30th May) “hot changes”

Today was planned as the “big day” of the entire ride. Our route would incorporate 29 sectors and 94 miles, so an early start was sought by all. Thankfully the weather was glorious again, maybe a bit too good, but I’ll get to that a bit later. During the planning stage of the trip, it was decided that we would like a “team jersey” so these were made up in the Belgian colours with accompanying Flanders badges. I must admit they looked very smart and we even got several positive comments from locals on our attire which was nice. Anyway, today was the day for the team Flanders jersey so we all donned the red, black and yellow as we set off from the hotel.

The first 25 miles were a dream - we all kept together, ticked off a few sectors, climbed well and genuinely had a great time. We took team photos at windmills and spirits were high as the sun climbed in the Belgian sky. At our first café stop we had drinks and pancakes which went down a treat and at the same time it allowed us to top up our water supplies as it was getting hot again. The Belgian countryside was a treat, so we were all enjoying our day despite the heat.

50 miles in we all stopped at the Hotond Windmill Café with 15 sectors complete. The sun was blazing by this time, and the temperature had risen to over 30 degrees again, so more liquid refreshments were sought rather than food. A quick stop was followed by a very tough little climb up the Schapenberg which was not cobbled, but did hit 20% on the way up, so took a lot out of you given the heat. A bit of tricky route navigation followed, and during a mix up we lost a couple of riders out front.

Back together again we all got to the 65 mile mark just before the Kwaremont climb. From here on we knew the climbs coming up were the hardest of the whole trip so with a couple of riders struggling in the heat we held a quick roadside meeting. Following these discussions, it was decided that the strongest riders and A team of Glenn, Andy, John Noone, Paul and Sean would carry on with the route as normal and the remaining 6 riders would head back to the hotel to rest up, cool down and think of plan b. The climbs that followed for the A team were so savage that I genuinely do not know how they got up them in that heat, so chapeau lads on an amazing feat.

B team of Neil, Derek, Jo, Richard, Ian and me had a quick drink and a 10-mile ride home along the flat cycle routes. During this ride home Neil had already thought of a new plan for us all to complete the challenge.

Having finished our evening meal, the A team arrived back at the hotel and were knackered. They had completed a mammoth ride and were ready for a beer and their Belgian Stew being served. A little later we all got round the table to discuss plan b.

42 hours remaining

A Team – 38 sectors complete – 130 miles down

B team – 24 sectors complete – 103 miles down

Phase 6 – Day 3 Flanders Challenge (Sunday 31st May) “cooler plan b”

The new plan was for the A team to have an easier day after their exertions yesterday and set off late morning to do the ride planned for day four. This they did completing 40 miles and a few more sectors. B team would then set off earlier at 8 am to complete the “missed sectors” from yesterday before also completing “day 4’s” route. This way we thought it would bring everyone back together again and we could all ride the same route on the last day. Great planning again Neil.

As the 6 of us in B team left the hotel at 8am the air temperature was much cooler today and I even considered arm warmers for the first hour as it has dropped that much.  However, I decided against this as I knew we were in for a climbing day from the off so I would warm up quickly. After a leg warming 6 miles along cycle paths, we arrived at the foot of the Oude Kwaremont. This was as good a warmup climb as we were going to get. Yes, it was cobbled and yes, it did hit gradients of 9% over its 2km length but somehow it felt ok. Maybe we rested well, maybe we were getting used to the climbs, maybe we were getting a bit fitter. Whatever the reason we were off to a good start.

A few climbs and miles later we “hit” the big two sectors and climbs of the tour. The Paterberg and the Koppenberg. The Paterberg was tough, averaging 12.5% over the whole climb and a maximum of 18% but somehow, we all got up it unscathed. The Koppenberg however was pure evil. Its changing rough cobbles in the wooded part together with a gradient of 22% felt like you would never make it. To put this in context the climb up Michaelgate in Lincoln has a maximum gradient of 17% and the cobbles are much smoother than our Belgian counterpart, so I was super proud to have got up this one as were the rest of our group!

More climbs and cobbles followed and after 37 miles we were back at the hotel. We stopped for a quick bite to eat and drink and got a message that the A team had successfully set off around 10:45 for their shorter day. The B team then set off around 12:30 to complete the final 40 miles.

The afternoon passed really well with temperatures around the early twenties and both groups having further café stops along the way. With about 10 miles left B team hit the Boigneberg which was a 1km long climb with a maximum gradient of 15%. It was not cobbled and I was not particularly pushing things but halfway up I felt like I had hit a brick wall. The dreaded “bonk” had started and I felt rough. Thinking back, I had not had no where near enough to eat with only a small sandwich, a couple of gels and an ice cream since 8 am. I managed to get to the top with my team waiting for me where I got offered help of various food items to try and get me going again. It worked for a while, and I felt a bit better until we hit the dreaded Kerkgate.

This was a 2.5km section of cobbles that were ever so slightly uphill but absolutely savage. The bike was going sideways at times and every bone in my body was shaking. What a horrible section of road to end with. Stories were later told that the A team were trying to race each other on this section. Madness!

A really tough day for me personally and I had a new admiration for the A team having done some of those climbs in the heat yesterday. Groups however were now caught up for the final push.

14 hours remaining

A Team – 47 sectors complete – 182 miles down

B team – 47 sectors complete – 182 miles down

Phase 7 – Day 4 Flanders Challenge (Monday 1st June) “we’ve only gone and bloody done it”

Today’s ride started over 10 miles away from the hotel and with us only having until 14:30 to complete the challenge we had some decisions to make. Was it a super early start and an added 20 odd miles in the legs or should we take the cars to the start? In the end we wanted to play it safe being as we had come so far, so we decided to drive to the start in Brakel. We had 42 miles to do complete the challenge and a further 12 miles back to the cars, so we agreed to have wheels on the ground for 9 am at the latest. In the end we were super organised and left the car park as one big group around 8:40.

With some nice roads and climbing completed we arrived at the city of Geraardsbergen which is famous for two things amongst others, the home of Remco Evenepoel’s fan club and a climb called Kapelmuur. The former is situated within a bar called Bar Gidon which we obviously had to frequent in the name of research and photography, and the latter is a tough steep climb to a chapel at the summit. The climb was a tough one on a rough, cobbled and winding road which must be very difficult in the wet. However, to put things into perspective we were followed up it by a group of schoolchildren and their teacher on their bikes. Cycling is like a religion out here it really is.

Two more miles and the Bosberg was the last sector! Cobbled it may have been, 10% it may have been, but we had all done it with 2 hours to spare and it and felt GREAT!

Now back to the city for a drink and something to eat.

235 miles

15,971 feet of climbing

59 sectors

no punctures

11 riders completed meaning 2,997 people have now done the challenge worldwide.

We rounded off the day with a celebratory meal in a lovely restaurant in the town square back in Oudenaarde, and everyone on the team concluded that it had been a wonderful trip.

Phase 8 - Day 5 “a morning at the museum”

Completing the challenge entitles the rider to a memorial cobble, printed with their name and country, which they can attach to the wall in the local museum. This seems a fitting reward for the effort you need to give, and for another five euros you can take one home too. The museum and shop was only a few hundred metres from our hotel so we all arrived there after breakfast to claim our “trophy” and buy a few souvenirs.

We had originally planned to travel up to Holland later and maybe get a short ride in around the Polders, but the rain had started to come in and in all honesty, we were pretty much worn out so we gave it a miss. A nice leisurely morning was followed by a steady drive to the port and before we knew it, we were back on the ship ready for our evening meal and to set sail. It had been a wonderful experience, enjoyed by some great friends.

It is a tough challenge but a fair one. I suspect the weather will make a big difference if it rains but we got lucky with that too. We had a great bunch of people who all came together when needed. I am proud to say we all achieved it and proud to have completed the experience with them.

John Fielding ( LWCC Secretary)

Individual Special Moments From the Trip Include:

Glenn Porter – wins the Michelin star award for the most food consumed in one sitting whilst travelling onboard ship from Hull.

Derek Bell – wins the foreign diplomacy award for asking passport control what happens if you only have three fingers to insert into the biometrics machine.

Sean Hunt – wins the Pogacar award for looking as fresh as a daisy having completed the most brutal 100 miles in 33 degree heat.

Andy Newham – wins the Tigger award for the most bouncing around whilst trying to race on the Kerkgate cobbled section.

Neil Winter – wins the Churchill award for the best planning since WW2.

John Fielding – wins the strength award for having better legs than Tom Boonen (if you know you know) and being one of the heaviest riders to complete the Flanders Challenge.

Derek Bell – wins the magnification award for spotting the yellow M of a MacDonalds 15 miles away while out riding.

Richard Wallace – wins the wingman award for stepping in with his car and helping drive at the last minute.

Jo Johnson – wins the Persil award for washing her Flanders jersey every night and wearing the same one each day.

John Noone – wins the rugby player award for being able to take his ale and looking like a million dollars the next morning.

Paul Seddon – wins the Leffe award for getting a taste for real beer again.

Ian Trueman – wins the tomorrows world technology award for learning how to reset his DI2 at the side of the road when it has gone into crash mode.