Cyling Belgium & Northern France (Day 4)
Halluin to Roubaix: Riding in the Wheeltracks of Legends
Gareth was out early on croissant duty, so the least I could do was have his coffee ready when he returned. Our plan was a day ride into Roubaix, following peaceful canal side paths where we barely saw a soul.
Although this journey has remembrance at its heart, Roubaix was all about cycling history. Our target: the legendary André-Pétrieux Velodrome. Polite as ever, we asked if we might ride a few laps on the old outdoor 500m track, and to our delight, we were waved through.
Grass tufts may have crept through the concrete, but it didn’t matter: we were circling the same tracks as Merckx, Boonen, Hinault and Van Petegem. I managed a few laps above the red line, grinning ear to ear, imagining the cheers of Paris Roubaix crowds.
The André-Pétrieux Velodrome in Roubaix, France, opened in 1936 and is renowned for hosting the finish of the Paris-Roubaix cycling classic since 1943, except for a few years in the 1980s. Known for its distinctive showers with plaques commemorating winners, the iconic outdoor venue has also been the finish for the Paris-Roubaix Femmes since 2021. It is built on the site of a previous municipal sports center and velodrome, becoming a historically significant landmark for cycling.
Lunch was at Paul’s in the centre of town, pizza, pastry, and drink for Gareth and I, while Andrea and Shelley went for a baguette that would have fed us all. No small portions in France. As we were heading back we came across La Piscine, Roubaix’s stunning art gallery housed in a former swimming pool. Now we on't confess to being art lovers but we throughly enjoyed looking at the work on show.
Andrea took a minor tumble on a cycle path (thankfully only her pride bruised), Shelley’s creaky bottom bracket thankfully didn't get any worse.
An Uber to La Madeleine restuarant, proved a great choice seeing as the local bar wasn't serving any food. Shelley had her second Mulles of the trip, Andrea went for a salad, Gareth a steam and I and couple of tacos washed down with an Aerpero spirtz. When one of the waiters relaised we were English he decided he kept us entertained us with his best Only Fools and Horses
impressions: “Lovely jubbly, Cushty, Rodney, you plonker!” He certainly kept us entertained.
Day One | Day Two | Day Three | Day Four | Day Five | Day Six | Day Seven | Day Eight | Reflection
