Cycle Kapelmuur, Geraardsbergen, Belgium

We were driving back from Switzerland for a lunchtime ferry and had a few hours to kill. I've cycled plenty of the cobbled climbs in Flanders, but never the Kapelmuur, so that's where we headed.
I've followed cycling for about twenty years now, so for me, this hill is haunted by the ghosts of Boonen and Cancellara. The Ronde Vlaanderen is my favourite race and the Kapelmuur still features in the parcours. In recent years the Kapelmuur has also become the departure point for the Transcontinental Race, an amazing, self-supported, long distance romp right across Europe.
I found it tough, mostly because the cobbles are a real mess in places, but not impossible. Riding at 7am on a Sunday morning, I was grateful to have the place to myself.
As usual, you can blame me for the music. This track reflects the confused state of mind left by an elevated heart-beat and a brain pounded to jelly by extreme cobbles!

[@baskooman9651]

This is hard work Dave, such a rousing music would also come in handy during the ride! And absolute proof of camera quality, probably even more than Italy.

[@baskooman9651]

Not to mention the quality of your muscles ;-) Although I think that the Italian mountains were tougher on the legs.

[@ComeRideWithMe-js5gc]

yes, this is short and intense, in the Alps you just get in the rhythm and count off the km.

[@davidstuart4489]

I hope you weren't sitting on that pencil of a seat during this bumpy ride. Yikes! Ouch!

[@ComeRideWithMe-js5gc]

Ha, it's a Brooks saddle. I have them on both my bikes. A hard strip of leather that shapes itself to your backside after a few hundred miles. It's bolted to the saddle frame front and back and is like an arse hammock in between. I swear by them, never had a saddle sore.