Cycling in Flanders

More Than Just a Sport

Cycling is a culture in Flanders - from a casual cycle to pack some groceries in your panniers to a sporty Sunday tour, which almost always ends with a beer. Flemish enthusiasm for two-wheeled transport runs so high that a regional network of signposted paths lets riders easily navigate around all of Flanders. There are beers named after cycling, bars dedicated to bikes, and a series of races that kick off as soon as the ground thaws. Flanders' steep, cobbled hills,known as ‘bergs,’ are alternatively spiritual and demonic, unique places where racing champions are revealed and leisure cyclists try to sample history without falling over. As common as beer and fries, bikes are part of life in Flanders.Learn all about cycling in Flanders here.

Flanders Takes On American Cycling

Two of America's premier professional/amateur races are being fueled by Flanders this year. The Tour of the Battenkill, which covers 65 miles of rolling terrain the first weekend in April, and the Tour of the Catskills, held over the course of three days in August. Eddy Merckx Cycles, the company of the Flemish cycling legend known as 'The Cannibal,' is getting in on the cycling action with Visit Flanders for what are sure to be two of the toughest, funnest, and most scenic races this season.

Crown Jewel of the Flemish Races Shines in April

The 98th Ronde Van Vlaanderen (Tour of Flanders) takes place on April 6th, starting in Bruges and winding its way over 260 km through the Flemish Ardennes to Oudenaarde. This cobblestone classic that began as a small race in 1913 is now an international event that attracts top cyclists and thousands of spectators. You too can tackle the steep, stony hills and see what it takes to be a Flandrien! 

Tour de France Honors WWI

This year, the world's best-known cycling race will pay tribute to the millions killed in one of history's bloodiest conflicts. World War I began in 1914, and the Tour will mark the centenary by traversing some of the major battlegrounds. Stage five begins in Flanders in the town of Ypres, which witnessed such sustained and brutal fighting that the city was nearly leveled by the end of it. The citizens bravely restored their home to its beautiful pre-war state, and now a museum, memorial cemeteries, and a nightly Last Post (sounded since 1928) maintain the memory of lives lost.