For the cycling geeks amongst you here are some facts about The Tour of Flanders (Ronde van Vlaanderen) which will be live on the big screen at the Gipsy Hill Tavern once everyone has braved London’s own cobbles and ‘bergs’. Some of these facts may even be true!

Back in the 40s the race was usually held on the same day as Milan–San Remo. Most of the top French and Italians went for that and so there was only a single non-Belgian winner before WWII.

The first edition of the Tour of Flanders in 1913 was 330 km and there were 27 riders. The race finished on a wooden track that circled a lake in Mariakerke. Ticket sales covered only half the prizes.

Prizes during the war years were whatever the organisers could get their hands on including boxes of razors, a stove, bottles of wine and cycling equipment. In 1938 there was a bonus of 100 francs for any rider who led by 30 minutes. The last four riders in 1949 were given bottles of massage oil. The prize for reaching the the top of the Kruisberg first in 1953 was a washing machine.

In the 1930s riders had to carry all their own equipment (including tyres) and would probably have seen their modern contemporaries as a bunch of wimps with their radios, spare wheels and air conditioned team cars. Riders were eventually allowed to accept a rain jacket, a spare tyre and a pump, but only in an emergency and at the referees’ discretion.

Irish classics legend Sean “King” Kelly claimed his failure to win the Tour of Flanders was the biggest dissapointment of his career. He was second several times was desperate to win it as he had lived in Belgium during most of his cycling career.

In 1984 only Phil Anderson and Jan Raas managed to reach the top of the Koppenberg without walking. Riders walking up this famous climb has often been a feature of the race. The Koppenberg has been dropped from the route several times due to safety concerns.

The final word goes to Walloon writer Paul Beving, and his tribute to his northern countrymen’s race:

La Ronde is as much part of the heritage of the Flemish people as the processions of Veurne and Bruges, the festival of cats at Ypres or the ship blessing at Ostend. This cycle race is the most fabulous of all the Flemish festivals [kermesses]. No other race creates such an atmosphere, such a popular fervour.

Our friends from The Flemish Representation in the UK will be taking part in The London Classic this year so feel free to check these facts with them!

The Flemish! This year we welcome back The Flemish Representation in London as event supporters. Flanders folk were born on bikes. They look at the Hovis advert with a  kid pushing a boneshaker up a cobbled climb and ask ‘why isn’t he riding?’ The laugh in the face of a 50mph headwind blowing straight down their throats off the north sea. They edit the sports news to to have cyclocross as main feature and Formula 1 and football somewhere down the running order. In short they are mad about the bicycle.

This year a delegation from Flanders House won’t just be coming to have a pint and watch the race – they’re riding too. A Sunday morning leg twitcher over some cobbles and monster steep climbs is of course the most natural thing in the world to these folks. They’ll also be bringing some tasty Flandrian prizes for the raffle as if we needed to further pique your interest.



Minneapolis – famous of course for Prince, the American Swedish Institute (2600 Park Avenue – Tel: 612-871-4907) and of course All-City Cycles – thems and their UK distributor have been kind enough to give us this.

Yes thats right – TLC 2012 will again raffle off a load of stuff on April the 1st. Top prize is this 58cm All-City ‘Mr Pink‘ frameset lovingly crafted from Columbus Zonal tubing and normally yours for £749.99… but kindly donated to The London Classic by the lovely folks at All-City and Brixton Cycles. This means it could be yours for £1 in our post ride raffle!

As well as this we have loads more stuff to give away from the likes of Halo, Surly and Brooks. Can you afford not to buy a ticket?

An All-City Mr Pink complete bike photographed earlier today with the new proprietary invisible wheels, groupset, bars, saddle and headset.

Thanks to everyone who registered for The London Classic 2012. Registration is now closed and we have sent out confirmation e-mails to everyone who registered.

We are encouraging people to please use our Evelina Chidlren’s Hospital online sponsorship page to pass on donations as we are trying to raise awareness and funds for this important, life changing resource.

Please pass on the link to our sponsorship page to friends and relatives so we can raise as much money as possible.

We look forward to seeing all our riders at The Gipsy Hill Tavern from 8am on Sunday 1st April.

We are pleased to announce the third edition of The London Classic – taking part this year on Sunday April the 1st.

This year the ride celebrates The Ronde Van Vlaanderen (Tour of Flanders) and true to form we will have live, big screen action of the race for all to enjoy.

Entry open on February the 1st!

26 Sectors of pavé.

7 major climbs or ‘bergs’.

We’ll be open from 0830 so come and collect your route guide from then – we start and finish at The Alma, 95 Church Road London SE19 2TA.

see you this Sunday

We’re almost there – hopefully you are too.  Time to shakedown your steed and tighten rattly bits and pump up those tyres a tad.  If you got a place for 2011 please check your emails as we sent out some extra instructions today (overzealous spambots might have nabbed it, please check).