Eroica's coming to the UK
- Thread starter vivelesalpes
- Start date
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Deleted member 24574
I find the clip pedals the worst bit of old bikes. So much so that I have defered to modern pedals.
I am sure if you break the pedal rule no one will complain.
I am sure if you break the pedal rule no one will complain.
orbeas":1wlokc83 said:
There are those who use modern pedals and shoes but they are in a very, very tiny minority and are definitely missing something as mastering toe clips (again or for the first time) is really part of the whole experience, like wearing an itchy wool jersey in warm sunshine (I draw the line at wool shorts and their magical exfoliating qualities).
ugo.santalucia
Retro Guru
orbeas":124grux4 said:
Let's be clear... you don't have to do the Eroica if you don't want to
I think the Retro Ronde probably manages to keep its price down because there is almost certainly financial and other support available from the local and/or regional government for this type of event. They have realised that the Tour of Flanders is the biggest tourist draw to the area and are willing to invest in making the most of it.
The Belgians are generally quite good at supporting enlightened government investment to kick start tourism. The recent La Savoureuse seemed to follow a similar model, and in Limburg there is a subsidised scheme for tandem hire which attracts people to the region. They then spend money in the restaurants, hotels...
In the UK, since such an enlightened approach doesn't fit with our political culture (slash and burn!), there seem to be two alternatives. Either start out as a 'pirate' event, doing things in a cheap, informal way, and hope that local government people are wise enough to recognise the potential benefits (i.e. what l'Eroica did), or organise a shamelessly commercial event and try to turn a profit.
The Belgians are generally quite good at supporting enlightened government investment to kick start tourism. The recent La Savoureuse seemed to follow a similar model, and in Limburg there is a subsidised scheme for tandem hire which attracts people to the region. They then spend money in the restaurants, hotels...
In the UK, since such an enlightened approach doesn't fit with our political culture (slash and burn!), there seem to be two alternatives. Either start out as a 'pirate' event, doing things in a cheap, informal way, and hope that local government people are wise enough to recognise the potential benefits (i.e. what l'Eroica did), or organise a shamelessly commercial event and try to turn a profit.
ugo.santalucia
Retro Guru
Johnsqual":3s2z7lq5 said:
That is exactly my thought.
Have you been to the Savoureuse?
ugo.santalucia":1kdoqzrh said:
I went to La Savoureuse and I thought it was fantastic. Having missed out on the early days of L'Eroica and RRVV, it was great to be able to take part in the first edition of an event. It was very small, only 150 people according to the organisers, but the atmosphere was great.
They had some really nice locations for the food stops, particularly the first one in a castle with champagne and foie gras
There was also plenty of Belgian beer flowing. One guy even offered to fill my bidon with Malteni beer!
Like the RRVV, they put a bit of effort into making the food stops interesting, e.g. with live musicians or stops in weird museums.
The parcours was also really good, barely any flat sections, lots of climbing and descending. No real monster climbs, but enough to feel you'd had a decent days ride. Also, the location in Luxembourg province is quite underpopulated, so you really feel you're out in the country.
If you want to do this ride, I'd suggest coming over and doing some of the climbs from Liege-Bastogne-Liege and the Fleche Wallonne on Saturday and then doing La Savoureuse on Sunday.
