Ciclismo su strada – Raccolta by Perrine
5 Tour
25:34 h
468 km
8.280 m
Aaaah Belgium, falsely known as ‘The Flat Country’. Despite its nickname popularised by Jacques Brel's song, Belgium is far from being flat when you cycle through it. With this slightly extreme itinerary, I want to introduce you to Wallonia and its beautiful Ardennes area. This region has a nice, hilly terrain and some tough climbs, made famous by cycle races such as the Flèche Wallonne, Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the Tour de France.
The Conquest is an ultra-ordinary cycling adventure, a demanding route, which follows one hill after another over more than 450 kilometres (280 mi) to flirt with 8,000 metres (26, 250 ft) of altitude gain – almost as much as Mount Everest! The route takes you through the heart of the Belgian Ardennes, the Famenne and the Condroz. You will have the opportunity to test yourself on all types of climbs, from hills and small passes in the Liege region to the Mosan walls.
The conquest of the Ardennes is part of a climbing triptych called the "D+ challenge". Three very demanding courses, which share the same values of challenging yourself and humility. The first is ‘The 7 Majors’, an epic climb that brings you to the seven legendary passes of the French-Italian Alps. The second is called ‘L'Omomarto’. Starting in Annecy, this challenge covers little-known roads in the Bornes-Aravis massif. And the third one is not in the Pyrenees, nor in another mountain range, but in Belgium, in the heart of the Ardennes.
Even if this challenge is aimed at those who love extreme challenges, I wanted to make it accessible and enjoyable for all cyclists with minimum training. I have therefore divided it into five stages. The best place to begin is in Namur, the capital of Wallonia, which is easily accessible by train. Each stage ends in a small town where you will find accommodation for the night (hotels, gites, campsites, etc.) and food for the next stage. The Tours follow the official route of the Ardennes Conquest with some additional variations. You’ll find epic climbs, peaceful lanes, magnificent viewpoints, historic castles and plenty more quintessential Ardennes highlights.
You’ll notice that each stage name is a reference to a singular element of the route. Thus stage 1, the ‘mise en Jambes’, starts in the commune of Jambes.
As far as practical information is concerned, you’ll find a lot of useful information to prepare your journey, especially concerning accommodation, on this site: walloniabelgiumtourism.co.uk.
Namur is easily accessible by train or car. The Conquest route starts five minutes from the city centre and the train station. To consult the train timetable or book your ticket, here is the official website of the SNCB: belgiantrain.be/en (in English). Please note that in Belgium, you need to buy a ‘bicycle supplement’ ticket in addition to your train ticket. This is a single price per bicycle, whatever your destination.
Cosa aspetti a partire? Dai forma alla tua avventura e pianifica il percorso a tuo piacere basandoti sul Tour qui sotto.
Ultimo aggiornamento: 18 aprile 2024
Questa prima fase inizia ai piedi della cittadella di Namur e della sua monumentale scultura a forma di tartaruga chiamata Alla ricerca dell'utopia. Il tuo percorso inizia sulla Route Merveilleuse (è il suo vero nome!) che corre lungo i bastioni tortuosi e offre splendide viste su Namur, alla confluenza…
by Perrine
Per questa seconda tappa, il percorso si dirige verso est. La giornata inizia con il Thier de Huy, con una pendenza media del 10,3%. Poco dopo si imbocca un breve tratto di Ravel, una vecchia linea ferroviaria riabilitata a pista ciclabile, nella magica valle di Hoyoux.
Sugli altipiani del Condroz, queste…
by Perrine
Ricevi consigli su singletrack, vette e tante altre avventure imperdibili!
“La Doyenne”, così la chiamiamo Liegi-Bastogne-Liegi, perché è la più antica delle gare ciclistiche tuttora disputate. Insieme alla Vallone Flèche, sono i classici delle Ardenne belghe.
Questa terza tappa si ispira ad essa e collega quasi senza tregua salite, salite ripide, loro e passi. In ogni caso…
by Perrine
Con un dislivello di 16 metri per chilometro, la Grande Traversée funge da tappa di recupero in questa conquista delle Ardenne. Questa deviazione a sud verso La Roche-en-Ardenne e il suo castello feudale non sarà però facile. Le pendenze a volte sono certamente più dolci, ma le pendenze lo stesso. Tanto…
by Perrine
C'è ancora una battaglia da vincere: quella delle Mura. Tagliata a dente di sega, quest'ultima tappa si snoda lungo le sponde della Mosa con salite più brevi ma più ripide, alternando al contempo piaceri anche ad alcune salite più graduali. Senza entrare nei dettagli: Montagne de La Croix, Gayolle, 7…
by Perrine
Ciclismo su strada – Raccolta by Jesko
Ciclismo su strada – Raccolta by guido gazzaniga
Mountain bike – Raccolta by MontañasVacías
Cicloturismo – Raccolta by Yulman