Tour of Flanders 2014 Sportive

The Ronde van Vlaanderen (or Tour of Flanders for English speakers) is one of the most famous Spring Classics and the day before the pro riders contest it the organisers let the amateurs ride the route. Read our report on riding the 2014 event here. If you are thinking of riding the Vlaanderens mooiste ("Flanders finest") then you better be prepared for some serious cobblestone riding. For those doing the same route as the pros, it is 259km (161 miles) of extremely hard riding with some brutal climbs. The 2014 route will see riders tackling some of these famous sections:

• Molenberg: Molenberg, Zwalm. Climbs 32m from 24m to 56m. Maximum 17 per cent.
• Oude Kwaremont: Broekstraat, Kwaremontplein, Schilderstraat, Kluisbergen. Climbs 93m from 18m to 111m. Maximum 11 per cent.
• Koppenberg: Steengat, Koppenberg, Oudenaarde-Melden. Climbs 64m from 13m to 77m; Maximum 25 per cent at inside of bend, otherwise 22 per cent.
• Taaienberg: Taaienberg, Maarkedal-Etikhove. Climbs 45m from 37m to 82m. Maximum 18 per cent.
• Berg ter Stene: Stene, Horebeke. Climbs 68m from 32m to 100m. Maximum 9 per cent.
• Leberg: Leberg, Brakel-Zegelsem. Climbs 39m from 60m to 9m. Maximum 15 per cent.
• Berendries: Berendries, Brakel-Sint-Maria-Oudenhove. Climbs 65m from 33m to 98m. Maximum 14 per cent.
• Valkenberg: Valkenbergstraat, Brakel-Nederbrakel. Climbs 53m from 45m to 98m. Maximum 15 per cent.
• Muur-Kapelmuur: Abdijstraat, Ouderbergstraat, Oudeberg, Gerardsbergen. Climbs 77m from 33m to 110m. Maximum 20 per cent.
• Bosberg: Kapellestraat, Geraardsbergen-Moerbeke. Climbs 40m from 65m to 105m. Maximum 11 per cent.
• Tenbosse: Olifantstraat, Brakel. Climbs 28m from 45m to 73m. Maximum 14 per cent.

There are rumours that the total capacity for the 2014 Tour of Flanders will be 11,000 riders, five thousand fewer than in 2013. So it looks likely it will sell out very quickly. There were 6,500 riders from overseas last year, showing that this event has now become massively popular with an international audience.