June 8, 2023
Day 113: Montbrehain to Le Mont des Bruyeres
Wicked Winds Again
“This area is where the race Paris-Roubaix goes and is known as the “hell of the north” because of the wind and either dust or mud,” Patrick says as our goal today is to see one of the cobblestone roads that make this race special.
We get another early start to try and get down the road before the wind picks up. Catherine fixes us coffee and we are on our way. The first twenty kilometers or so are much like yesterday; we ride from small village to small village, up and down the ridges and valleys. We continue to see lots of wheat fields and windmills around us. The sky is hazy this morning.
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Most villages we pass through are pretty quiet with no stores or anything. At one point we stop to have some pastries we are still carrying, then not 5km further we see some plastic chairs outside a shop. They have coffee and crock-messieurs. In another town we see a grocery store where we get some lunch stuff for later.
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The wind is against us today. Per the forecast it should have turned more from the east today, but it is blowing northeast and making the going tough. After a while the hills seem to get smaller, but somehow the road keeps dipping down in a valley and back to the next ridge. Every five kilometers or so is a village with a church steeple. This is where the road aims to go, steeple to steeple.
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We are angling towards the famous stretch of cobblestones in the Paris-Roubaix bike race through the Arenberg forest. Just before it we pass the large Arenberg mine. We stop for a lunch break and Patrick explains, “there are three strategies for riding the cobblestones. First, ride in the middle, the road generally is high in the middle and then angles off the sides. Second, ride on the sides, but only if it is not wet for the cobblestones become slick. The third is to ride on the very side of the cobblestones on a little path.”
The rough cobblestone road through the forest was used to transport ore. It is incredible how rough the cobblestone road is, just to imagine the riders racing across these uneven cobbles would make your rim crack. We ride on the cobblestones just long enough for a picture and to identify with the racers. Right next to it is a fairly smooth path that we can ride on today. On race day the spectators pretty much block this.
At large supermarket, we have picked up some groceries for a snack-dinner tonight. The campground at the Le Mont Des Bruyeres camping is nicely situated in the forest. The reception is closed until three, but we find a shady spot with a picnic table where we can work on this journal, and the showers are open. Later we have to relocate to another site since the one we parked at is reserved for tonight. The new site misses the picnic table, but the Wi-Fi is strong and Rachel has been carrying a camp chair for Patrick that can now be used a third time. Another plus at this campground is the bar. We plan on getting some cold beers later.
Today's ride: 70 km (43 miles)
Total: 4,796 km (2,978 miles)
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