Six Days-Ghent / Cyclocross Superprestige Cyclocross
Visit the home of cycling, BelgiumTrack Cycling
Six Day Ghent 16th to 23rd November 2020
Visit the cobbles of Tour of Flanders. Hosted by a local former professional cyclist.
Experience Cyclocross with Superprestige
AT A GLANCE
- 8 Days
- 3 Dinners, 2 Lunches
- Six Day Ghent
- Luxury Transport
- High Staff Ratio
- Spectator Trip
- 4 Star Hotels
Spring Classics Trip Details
Dates: November 16, 2020 to November 23, 2020
Start: Brussels, Belgium
Finish: Brussels, Belgium
Group Size: 5 guests – 1 staff
Price: $5200AUD
Single Supplement: $800AUD
Note: All trip costs are per person, not including airfare and based on two persons per room. If travelling alone we will match you with a person to share. Alternatively, you may choose to have a room of your own by paying the single supplement.
Note: It is a requirement of Bikestyle Tours that you have Travel Insurance for your trip.
TRIP HIGHLIGHTS:
- 7 nights accommodation in a 4 star hotel
- 5 nights entry at the 6 Days Ghent Event.
- Riding at the Eddy Merckx track
- Entry to Cyclocross Superprestige event
- Hosted by Eric de Clercq, an ex Belgian Pro
- Visit the Tour of Flanders Centre and Museum
- Experience Belgian Hospitality
- Immerse yourself in a true Cycling Culture
- Visit Flanders Fields and Ieper with the Menin Gate and Battle Field Tour.
SPECTATOR TOUR
Travel with like minded individuals sharing a passion for the Belgium cycling and the home of the Six Day Ghent event and Cyclocross.
Sorry this trip does not provide bike carriage, it is dedicated to the racing fan with a spectator only itinerary. There are many other trips that offer riding itineraries, some are combined with non-cycling excursions
Tour cost is per person twin share and includes:
- All transport
- 7 nights accommodation in a 4 star hotel.
- 5 nights entry at the Six Days Ghent Event.
- Entry Cyclocross event + lunch and drinks.
- Buffet breakfast daily
- 3 lunches
- 2 dinners
- Riding at the Eddy Merckx track
- Cyclocross experience
- Entry cycling museum.
- Guided visit Flanders Fields
What is the Ghent Six Day Event?
The best way to describe Six-day cycling is action-packed. The track event that competes over six nights in 2 person teams race on the track in individual and team events. You will see a range of events such as points race, the team race, the elimination race, the time trial, the super sprint and the derny.
With the festival atmosphere, Six-Day events are the perfect mix of world-class cycling and entertainment. Every year, the very best track racing cyclists compete for the victory in the legendary Kuipke cycling stadium. The translation for Kuipke is a little tub, they give it this name for his steep gradient. At only 166 meters in length, it’s the shortest track on the Six-Day calendar and the most exciting!
What is cyclocross racing?
In contrast to road cycling, large parts of the course are not paved and the cyclists ride through forests, over fields, ditches and dirt roads. It is sometimes necessary for the competitor to take the bicycle on their shoulders and run with it, for example in muddy stretches or over obstacles.
How long are cyclocross events?
A race takes around one hour for the pro’s. After the first lap the officials calculates the number of laps to be ridden. They try to reach one hour, but it can be a little bit more or less.
How are cyclocross bikes setup?
Cyclocross bikes are specifically designed to handle obstacles and accommodate wider tyres with nobbles like a MTB but they are slightly thinner than MTB tyres.
When it’s too muddy riders are able swap bikes. There’s a “pit-stop” zone where the riders can take a clean bike from their mechanic. The mechanics have 7-8 minutes, depending on the length of the lap, to clean the bike. Top riders have at least 3 bikes and 10-15 pairs of wheels, so they can access different tyre tread patterns during the race.
Hosted by local Belgian and former professional cyclist, Eric de Clercq
Share the local roads and home of Eric de Clercq. Eric is a Belgium local and knows Ghent as only a local can.
Eric’s career of 11 years saw him win 19 victories including a stage win in the Tour of Britain. He is one of the hard men of Belgium. Eric rode for:
- La William-Duvel from 1991-1993
- Collstrop from 1994-2002
You will find Eric a wonderful host as he shares his experiences with professional cycling teams. From racing, to sports director, professional soigneur to hosting team VIP’s during race-day. You will learn an incredible insight into the Belgium races, as well as meet some of the riders and managers.
Most of all, Eric is a great guide who cares for your experience and he is a pleasure to spend time with on and off the bike.
Six Days-Ghent / Cyclocross Superprestige Tour Itinerary
Welcome to Belgium
Arrival to beautiful Ghent.
We start today with our staff meeting you at Zaventem airport in Brussels at 11.30 am and transfer you to our first hotel in beautiful, lively Ghent. After checking into our hotel we will have time to take a look around the historic city.
Tonight a Welcome Dinner is provided at the Hotel Restaurant and there will be plenty of time to ask questions and meet the staff and of course, the people who you will be spending your holiday with and maybe a Belgian beer or two!
Tour of Flanders Centre Museum
Explore the famous Ronde van Vlaanderen roads and our first night at the track for Ghent Six Days
This morning, we will travel to Oudenaarde and visit the Tour of Flanders Centre Museum and enjoy lunch in the beautiful town square. After lunch, we will explore the Tour of Flanders racecourse included the Oude Kwaremont, Petersberg and Koppenberg. This is our chance to take some pictures of the most famous climbs from the “Ronde van Vlaanderen”.
Tonight it will be our first night at the track for the Six Days Ghent event.
Flanders Fields and Tyne Cot
Explore the landscape of WWI battlefields and Tyne Cot. Our second track night at Ghent Six Day.
Today we will visit the Flanders Fields, which were the scene of some of the fiercest battles of World War 1. Included will be a visit to the Tyne Cot Cemetery where there is an interesting display of the battles fought in this area and the resting place of many Australians and British soldiers.
In the afternoon we will visit the 13th Century city of Bruges before making our way to the track for another night on the Six-Day Ghent event.
Sven Nys cyclocross Cycling Centre
We have an amazing day ahead with a close look at the CX world. We’re visiting the Sven Nys cyclocross Cycling Centre.
This morning, we will drive to the Sven Nys cyclocross Cycling Centre for a look around and learn all things "CX" and have the opportunity to ride a few laps.
After our ride, we will take a shower and have lunch at the CX museum before another night at the Six-Day Ghent event.
Eddy Merckx track day
Try track cycling for yourself on the Eddie Merckx velodrome before our third night at the Ghent Six Day.
Today we will visit Ghent's other famous velodrome, the Vlaams Wielercentrum Eddy Merckx. Unlike Het Kuipke which is only used for the Six-Day Ghent, Vlaams Wielercentrum Eddy Merckx is used the whole year for track training and racing.
This afternoon we’ll give it a try on the Eddy Merckx track. Riding the track is a unique experience and after a few laps riding on the track your respect for the pro’s will only increase.
Tonight we return to Het Kuipke.
Superprestige
Belgium traditions – watching Cyclocross and beer.
In Belgium, cycling is the second biggest sport, after soccer. There are a few different disciplines in cycling, road, track, MTB and of course cyclocross. Today we will see the CX race in Merksplas. The race is part of the “Superprestige”.
It will be a busy and long day today, so we will skip the Six-Day event this evening. It’s also a great opportunity to check out one of the many restaurants in Ghent.
Don’t forget to visit the “Dulle Griet” pub. With more than 500 different beers, the pub has the largest collection of Belgian beer in Ghent. Unfortunately, you can’t try them all.
Final night Six-Day Ghent
The night at Ghent Six Day to not miss.
Yesterday we went to see the Superprestige, this afternoon we’re heading back to the track. It’s the last day of the Six-Days and more than likely the last Madison race will decide the winners.
Often the top teams are in the GC in less than 3 laps of each other. With the short track, anything is still possible so there will be plenty of action.
After the final celebration, it’s time for our farewell dinner.
Farewell Belgium
Farewell from Belgium and the Ghent Six Day.
Sadly, our trip comes to an end today. We hope you enjoyed the Six-Days Ghent and the Cyclocross experience, most of all we hope you’ve created new friendships and great memories. We head our separate ways but we hope to see you again soon.
We will have a bus available to shuttle people to the airport during the day.