The Classics
Cobblers
For any events with cobbles in make sure you do the following :
Fit Elite Patao bottle cages
Fit a steel stem - dump magnesium & carbon ones
Always carry a stem sized allen key
Wear the best gloves you can afford
Double, triple handlebar tape
Fit 28mm Schwalbe Stelvio Rain Tyres
Keep tyre pressures around 80 - 100 psi
Secure computers and seat bags with velcro & ti-wraps
Tyres
You can usually fit up to 28mm tires to most 'racing' type 700c rims - after all that is exactly what they do in mountain biking fitting very wide tires to narrow rims.
The limiting factor is almost always what you can actually fit within your forks/frame and brake calipers. Conventional racing frames won't allow anything much more than 25mm or sometimes 28mm wide tires so this is what you need to check first.
28mm tires should substantially improve the comfort as there is a much bigger air cushion to absorb road imperfections.
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18/03/2008,
For the better trained ones, there is a tour of 120 km, basically a prolongation of the 85 km tour. It takes them for some extra km into the hills and over the cobblestones of the idyllic "Zwalmstreek" and in the "Flemish Ardennes". This tours meets the basic route in Mater, afterwards we continue with some difficult kilometers in the "Zwalmstreek".
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06/04/2008, Flanders, Belgium
The Tour of Flanders (De Ronde van Vlaanderen ) is without a doubt one of the biggest sporting events in Belgium. On the day before, all biking lovers will have the chance to get a sneak preview of the atmosphere at this biking event. The ultimate challenge is to cover the 260 kilometers that the professionals will have completed one day later. But you can also get to know the 140- and 75-kilometer loops together with some pretty tough hills.
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19/04/2008,
There a 6 routes of 250km, 200km, 150km, 125km, 100km and 60km to suit all abilities. The Netherlands’ most beautiful and most intense tour classic.
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11/05/2008, Tilf, Belgium
Tilff is a small and pretty village approx 12km south of Liege in the Belgian Ardennes. This event traces the route of the Spring Classic Liege-Bastogne-Liege, whilst avoiding the busy centre of Liege (at the expense of coming in 24km+ short of the full Classic distance, which few finishers will regret!). The route takes in most, but not all, of the famous Cotes in the 2nd half of the route that make LBL one of the hardest one day races in the professional calendar, as the list of past winners will testify.
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18/05/2008,
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01/06/2008, Milan, Italy
If you dont mind distance but dont like climbing, this is the Granfondo for you. An opportunity to take in the full route (just short of 300Km!) of the season opening Classic race. On a clear day you can see the Alps from the Duomo in Milan and Sanremo is on the Med, but dont let the downhill profile of the route fool you! There are several undulations in the final 50km (Cipressa, Capo Berta, Poggio) that will feel more severe than their bare statistics suggest after 250Km in the saddle!.
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08/06/2008, France
Ride of mass, on the professional course of the race, this "traditional" one of the basic excursions, which already took along more than 70,000 touring cyclists on the roads of the hell of northern France. This legend ride following the professionals mythical course up to the ring in Roubaix, had to adapt to the most current uses.
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15/06/2008,
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10/08/2008,
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