How we cycled the ‘Lion of Flanders’ in a heap. Or at least pretended to.

Pedaleurdecharme — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 11:53:51 +0000

As hobby cyclists, we know full well that there is really not much to it, the ‘performance’ we achieve on the road bike. In fact, that is actually the whole idea why we - my brother Garikai and I - started our sock website. Whether you cycle the bricks out of the street, or are ready for a coffee break after 15 kilometres or so, as long as you look good on your bike. With handsome socks with a fun print so.

Yet there are also moments when we take ourselves more seriously as cyclists. That we are proud to have completed a polder lap with a 35 average, or to have set a good time on the virtual Alpe du Zwift (which we are forced to cycle on more often than the real one). Alpe d'Huez). Then it is also necessary for us to be put with both feet on the ground. That happened last summer, during a tour with Andrea Tafi and Johan Museeuw, two great cycling heroes of ‘days gone by’.

Cycling with Andrea Tafi in Tuscany

Garikai together with Andrea Tafi in Tuscany

First a word on how we got to that tour: a few months earlier, Garikai was on holiday in Tuscany and stayed in the Bed & Breakfast From Tafi. For those who do not know Andrea Tafi: jovial Italian, winner of both the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. During a ride through the beautiful Tuscan countryside, Tafi invited Garikai to come to the Belgian Ardennes in August. There, he organised the ‘Andrea Tafi Mapei Cycling Tour’, in which Johan Museeuw would also take part. For those who do not know Johan Museeuw: Belgian folk hero, former world champion, multiple winner of both Roubaix and De Ronde and known among cycling followers as ‘The Lion of Flanders’.

Andrea Tafi Mapei Cycling Tour with special guest De Leeuw van Vlaanderen

We decided not to turn down this invitation and enthusiastically reported to a village near Liège on a sunny Saturday morning. With the two cycling legends and about 100 other enthusiasts, we set off on a ride of about 120 kilometres through the Walloon hills. The first part, we understood, would be a ‘gentle pace’. Then, after the dressing station, it would be at a tighter pace towards the beer at the finish. Well, that leisurely pace was already pretty tough for us; thirty average, with constant short and longer climbs. Not something we do every day. It seemed easy for the ‘veterans’, both Tafi and Museeuw were well into their fifties. Not surprising in the case of the well-trained Italian, but ‘The Lion of Flanders’ was a little less tight than during his pro career.

In any case: when it was every man for himself after the break, we did not see both gentlemen again. At a - for us - nice pace, we boomed towards the finish, where the former pros had already been drinking beer for a while. About half an hour, we calculated when we compared some Strava results afterwards. Our self-confidence, carefully built up in the previous period, had thus been wiped out in one fell swoop. And since our sock company didn't exist back then, we didn't look good either. How could we still put a positive spin on this? Fortunately, that turned out to be easier than thought. Sitting at a table, we heard Museeuw grumble a bit about the fast pace: “At the end, it did go a bit too fast for me.”

Beer at the finish after the Andrea Tafi Mapei Cycling Tour

Well, we could do with that. “How was your bike ride?” “Went really well. We cycled the Lion of Flanders in a heap.”

Whether you cycle hard or not, as long as you look good. And know how to make a good story out of it when you get briskly cycled off.

Jelger van Weydom

Pedaleur de Charme

Het bericht Hoe wij de ‘Leeuw van Vlaanderen’ op een hoop fietsten. Of tenminste deden alsof. verscheen eerst op Pedaleur de Charme.

leeuw van vlaanderen Archieven - Pedaleur de Charme

How we cycled the ‘Lion of Flanders’ in a heap. Or at least pretended to.

Cycling with Andrea Tafi in Tuscany

Andrea Tafi Mapei Cycling Tour with special guest De Leeuw van Vlaanderen