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xoxo
also these are short and steep climbs right? 34x32 ok? I survived granon on 34x28 and Sierra Nevada on 34x25.
amey-
All are short, most are steep, some are cobbled. Climbing them is more about short bursts of high power, rather than the long, steady power required for long climbs. You'll be fine with those gears. The biggest challenge, especially on the sportive, is getting a clean run at the climbs, someone stopping and blocking the road will cause you to stop and it's really hard to get going again.
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They're very similar to the steep Kent climbs, just with cobbles. No compacts required.
andyp
Currid
Eurostar to Brussels, then choose the starting point of your tour and get the train there (you get free onward travel to your destination in Belgium as part of the Eurostar ticket). Oudenaarde is the obvious destination but it gets very busy around the RVV weekend. Gent is probably a better option (and fuck Bruges, that is Disneyland Flanders for old people). There’s a canal side bike route out to Oudenaarde from Gent. The climbs made famous by the race are all a short distance from Oudenaarde. It’s easily rideable back to Brussels. So you could always overnight in Gent, ride out to see the race on Sunday, then ride back to Brussels to get Eurostar home again.