欧州自転車レース追っかけ日記

Gent-Wevelgem 2022 Women's and Men's edition

There seems to be a big change in the race course. The name seems to suggest that the start city is Gent and the finish city is Wevelgem but in reality as far back as I know (almost 16 years?) the start took place in Deinze.

I don't understand the reason why they want to keep the name Gent when the race had almost nothing to do with it.

When the women's edition appeared several years ago, the start city was Ieper.

Now this year the men's edition also starts in Ieper. Why Gent-Wevelgem still?


According to the material that I obtained, men's race depart from Ieper at 10:50 and women's race at 13:50. Men will finish around one hour ahead of women.

I will try to get there (Ieper) before the men's start and then drive to the feed zone near Scherpenberg.

I found a very odd but interesting coincidence while looking at the start lists (both men and women). Eri Yonamine (JPN) (Human Powered Health) and Yukiya Arashiro (JPN) (Bahrain Victorious) have the same starting number "64". Is it just a coincidence or the organizer or the respective teams intention?

Anyway, I have to wake up early.

In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [Gent-Wevelgem race watch car trip 2022]の続きを読む

1. 2022/03/27(日) 01:10:13|
2. Bike Races in Belgium
3. | トラックバック：0
4. | コメント：0

Paris-Roubaix 2022

I guess that ASO (Amaury Sport Organisation) will publish the roadbook for this event in April. They (this organisation and specifically its cycling sport department) are known to make the roadbooks for various events public only one week or so many days before the events.

I am very frustrated as I don't have enough time to consider the routes to circumvent the actual race course to move ahead of the peleton.

I have already secured a room near Denain (Female version of race starts there, I suppose as I am not 100 % sure). Première Class Valennciennes-Denain is the hotel that I could find.

Basically Première Class hotels are a very inexpensive hotel chain found in France and in other countries. The name translates "First Class" but they are actually of very "Economy" class quality. I am sure I won't find a bathroom or shower in my room. They will be located separately and shared by other guests on the same floor. I don't mind it as the price is almost unbeatable.

What should I do on Friday, 15 April. I will be near Denain in the afternoon. I will visit one of the cobble stone sections. Arenberg maybe?

I should stock some easily cookable food for this occasion. I will be bringing Trangia 25 coooker with me as I am going to spend 3 nights at a camping site near Aywaille / Remouchamps.

What am I eating during my trip?

I can cook in a hotel room. I have to be careful not to start a fire or not to kill myself by suffocating myself with carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide.

I have been using a cheap China-made butane gas burner with my trusty Trangia 25 for years. This Trangia 25 has served me since around 2006 or so. I got this compatible gas burner around 2012 or 2013 and liked it very much.

I have cooked mostly some kind of pasta with it. This time I will stock up Penne and Spaghetti. I will be stocking up some binned pasta sauce, either.

In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [Paris-Roubaix a.k.a. Compiegne-Roubaix 2022]の続きを読む

1. 2022/03/22(火) 02:19:49|
2. Bike Races in France
3. | トラックバック：0
4. | コメント：0

No masks anymore (almost)

Since last week in Luxembourg, we (people in Luxembourg) are almost mask-free. Wearing masks is only required in the public transport, hospitals and maybe some other places that I am not aware of.

I can shop freely at any stores without wearing masks. I think I can eat and have a drink in any cafes and restaurants now.

All the busses are opening all the doors. Until recently the doors closest to the driver were closed. A couple of rows near the driver were also closed but now they are open to the public.

I don't know the situations in neighboring countries but I have to guess that they are also doing the same.

What was the fuss about this COVID19?

What is happening in Ukraine now?

Libya, Iraq and Russia. What do they have in common?

They are all oil producing countries.

They are (were) all seemingly enemies of so-called Western democratic countries.

They all have (had) seemingly a dictator.

Were President Kaddafi and President Hussein really a dictator who oppressed their respective people?

Did the so-called Western allied forces have a rightous cause to destroy them?

in Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [No masks anymore (almost) and the conflict in Ukraine]の続きを読む

テーマ:日記 - ジャンル:日記

1. 2022/03/21(月) 23:20:19|
2. Things European
3. | トラックバック：0
4. | コメント：0

Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne 2022

I was there (in Kuurne). This was the first race I watched LIVE for this season.

The race was held in Kuurne and the surrounding Flanders area including some well-known places often used in many other Belgian cycling races.

I took my beloved Hannah with me and started driving around 08:00, I guess. After a break near Spy, Belgium, I think I arrived at Kuurne around 11:30.

I was surprised and at the same time very delighted to see people waring no masks coming to the race. I was sick and tired to see the spectators suffering from the unnecessary restrictions and burdens imposed from the local government.

There people were free to be enjoying the racing events without masks.

Anyway, after the start I drove to the feed zone and talked to the staff of Uno-X team. I knew one of the soigneurs for a long time since the days he worked for Skill-Shimano.

I enjoyed the racing events.

B&B, Camping or Hotels: Looking for places to stay for FW and LBL

I have successfully booked a hotel room for 2 nights. I will be there on Friday nights and Saturday nights leading to the Paris-Roubaix Sunday morning (men's race). I will be enjoying the Saturday race (women's race), either.

After the Sunday race, I could (if I had enough energy left) drive home and sleep but that is very unlikely. I will be exhausted by the end of the day. The following Monday, Tuesday will be a perfect time to at the climb of Huy, so-called Muur de Huy (Wall of Huy) as many teams visit there as part of the training ride.

And driving all the way home from Roubaix and then driving back to Huy will cost me both time and money. I can practically save both of them by staying near Huy on Sunday nights until Wednesday morning if, yes, if I can find nice inexpensive places to stay.

Naturally I tried to use the same Airbnb stay that I used last year but the host was not available. I guess the host (and her partner) decided to have some privacy, had a baby (or twin?) or not to offer her place for some reasons.

Huy area does not offer many Airbnb hosts and if there are, they are not inexpensive nor pet-friendly. I think I have chances finding inexpensive hosts either in Narmur or Liège, both of which are around 40 kilometers away (driving distance). I have some concerns. Liège is not known for its security.

In 2010 my Ford Ka was robbed. The window of the passenger side was smashed in and some property of mine (laptop computer and others) was stolen. In 2016 or 2017? the same car was robbed and a bag inside was stolen (I lost some clothes, cycling shoes and others).

Namur could be a better choice to stay but still I have some concerns.


In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ
[Looking for places to stay for FW and LBL]の続きを読む

テーマ:自転車ロードレース - ジャンル:スポーツ

1. 2022/03/14(月) 21:51:46|
2. Bike Races in Belgium
3. | トラックバック：0
4. | コメント：0

Lodging arrangment for my spring vacation done!


For my spring vacation, I was looking for the places to stay at night during the road bike race events in France and Belgium.

Using booking.com, airbnb and Google search I finally finalized the lodging arrangement for the first half of the vacation.

As I travel with Hannah, the cat, my hunt for inexpensive places to stay at night was not as straightforward as I wished it could have been.

For some reasons unknown to me, airbnb dropped the search option of including "pets allowed", so I had to click and scroll so many occasions just to find that the hosts didn't allow pets on their properties. So many heartbreaks! Well not so many as I had expected that not so many hosts welcomed pets.

Now the search is over at least for now.

For three nights I will be sleeping in my tent despite the fact that the temperature in Belgian April mornings can be as low as below freezing point but I have already purchased a new sleeping bag supposed to be warm enough to keep me from freezing.

Other nights I will be sleeping under the roof.

For about eleven days I will be out of town. Hannah will be with me all the time.
date : racing evnets : lodging
15 / April (Friday) : : Booking.com - 2 nights at a cheap hotel near Denain (Valenciennes)
16 / April (Saturday) : Paris-Roubaix Women's edition : above
17 / April (Sunday) : Paris-Roubaix Men's edition : airbnb - 4 nights near Huy

18 / April (Monday) : : above
19 / April (Tuesday) : : above
20 / April (Wednesdsay) : la Flèche Wallonne : above
21 / April (Thursday) : : 3 nights at a camping ground near Aywaille / Remouchamps

22 / April (Friday) : : above
23 / April (Saturday) : : above
24 / April (Sunday) : Liège-Bastogne-Liège

2 + 4 + 3 = 9 nights of lodging arrangement has been in order now.


in Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [Lodging arrangement done!]の続きを読む

テーマ:自転車ロードレース - ジャンル:スポーツ

1. 2022/03/14(月) 21:26:02|
2. Bike Races
3. | トラックバック：0
4. | コメント：0

Fleche Wallone in Huy, where to stay with my cat?

I was looking for a place to stay around or near Huy, Belgium after Paris-Roubaix. I have secured a place to stay near Denain.

Airbnb has changed its search algorithm and I could not search for hosts who welcome pets. I would to filter out the hosts who don't want house animals on their properties.

Now I have to search hosts and look into the details (the house rules they set) to see if they allow pets. A tedious but laborious process for me to find the host that I like.

I now found one near Huy and asked if I could stay with my Hannah, the cat. This host lives around 27 km from Huy and welcomes pets. I sent a request and I am now waiting for the answer. The price was not bad at all. I requested a stay starting from Sunday, 17th of April (after Paris-Roubaix) until the morning of Thursday, 21 so that I can sleep well after la Fleche Wallonne before heading to Aywaille for the LBL.

I hope the host accepts my wish. I guess the hosts also keeps some animals, too. I guess or am sure the hosts who allow pets on their premises keep dogs and/or cats.

If my request is NOT turned down, I will be staying for four nights.

Now I will be looking for a place to stay near Aywaille, Belgium for the LBL.

In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [My Spring vacation plans update]の続きを読む

テーマ:自転車ロードレース - ジャンル:スポーツ

1. 2022/03/13(日) 13:29:15|
2. Bike Races
3. | トラックバック：0
4. | コメント：0