Paris-Roubaix and Amstel Gold.

Dave11 · 10-10-2013 7:04am #1

Hi Guys,

Sat down last night to sort the holidays for next year and got the go ahead for 10 days in France/Holland taking in Paris-Roubaix and Amstel Gold!! Looking for advice on both:

Paris-Roubaix:

Should I rent a car from Paris or will there be local buses serving the race route? If we're limited to public travel should we go to start or finish?

Amstel Gold:

Anyone got tips on where to stay?

Any advice gratefully received!

Raam · 10-10-2013 7:53am

I stayed in Maastricht for Amstel Gold. It's a short train journey away. You can also stay in Valkenburg which is where it will finish. Well, almost finish... the last climb will start there.

Start was in Maastricht so it's interesting hanging around for that.

smurphy29 · 10-10-2013 8:39am

Great trip, you will hve a fantastic time. Amstel Gold is quite spectator friendly, as it comes up the Cauberg three times (or did this year anyway). I was there this year and we had incredible weather for it - a really memorable day. The Dutch fans really get behind the event. Maastricht is a short train trip to Valkenberg, so you will have no problem making the grand depart and then hopping on a train to catch the action in Valkenberg.

Question - are you bringing the bike? On the day before the Amstel there's a huge sportif where you get to ride much of the circuit. It's a massive event with every grade of cyclist out there and you can do any route between 60km and a monstrous 250km.

We stayed in Liege, but that was to be halfway between the Amstel route and the Fleche Wallone, which is on the following wednesday, and also has a pre-race sportif on the tuesday, called the Farniente Calssic.

Raam · 10-10-2013 8:40am

The sportif is awesome. I did it, but it was difficult to get a place for us. Sold out in minutes.

AnotherView · 10-10-2013 2:38pm

But why not go instead to FW and LBL.......I think D Martin will win both next year

Lusk_Doyle · 10-10-2013 4:46pm

I did the Paris - Roubaix challenge in 2011. Bone shudderingly awesome! I'm pretty sure that my report on it is up here somewhere if you care to search as part of your decision making process.

wav1 · 10-10-2013 6:03pm

Poshoorn hotel Station St Maastricht.As the name suggests a few minutes from the station.11 mins out to Valkenburg.Was about e6.30 return last year.Stayed in this spot for the worlds last year and its ideal location.Cheap and cheerful and a lively craft beer pub underneath it.Also a 10 min walk up to the main square in Maastricht where all the night life,cafes etc are.From valkenburg station its about a ten minute walk to the bottom of the Cauberg.Ryanair are flying directly in to Maastricht now.When we went to the worlds last year we flew to Eindhoven.Its about e15 down to Maastricht on the train from here.Got the hotel on www.budgetplaces.com .Would love to go back to Valkenburg tbh.

Dave11 · 10-10-2013 8:38pm

Cheers for the tips guys!

Looking foward to the trip and it's only October!

QueensGael · 04-12-2013 5:22pm

@Lusk_Doyle - did you stay in Roubaix when you did the 2011 one? If so, which airport did you fly to? I registered for the 2014 sportive this week, my complete distain for cobbles notwithstanding

NamelessPhil · 04-12-2013 5:39pm

QueensGael wrote: »

I registered for the 2014 sportive this week, my complete distain for cobbles notwithstanding

I thought you did the Tour of Flanders this year so the cobbles can't be that off-putting! Are you working your way through the Monuments?

Lusk_Doyle · 04-12-2013 6:35pm

QueensGael wrote: »

@Lusk_Doyle - did you stay in Roubaix when you did the 2011 one? If so, which airport did you fly to? I registered for the 2014 sportive this week, my complete distain for cobbles notwithstanding

No, get this for a trip:

Flew to Munich on the Thursday afternoon and arrived in the evening. Train from the airport into the city where I met my brother and had pints. Back to his to sleep forva few hours. Up very early on the Friday morning and drove from Munich across Germany and France as far as Saint Quentin which is where the sportive started. That journey took about 9 hours. Checked into the "hotel" (term used very loosely). It was like a pop up prefabricated thing with paper walls. Bikes made ready, we went off to register and then had pints.

On Saturday we did the event then had dinner and more pints. Very little sleep that night due to the noise of the lady in the room below expressing her pleasure while her man drove her through the bed, floor and walls! She REALLY enjoyed it or is a shoo-in for the French truck stop hotel equivalent of the Oscars! Up very early on the Sunday and drove between 10 and 11 hours back to Munich due to mega diversion only 100kms from our destination and just got back in time to see the last 30 or 40kms and van Summeran taking advantage of everybody watching fabu.

Great trip. Somewhat epic but worth it.

[URL=" https://sites.google.com/site/swordscc/club-announcements/paris-roubaixchallenge2011"] https://sites.google.com/site/swordscc/club-announcements/paris-roubaixchallenge2011[/URL]

Michelin · 04-12-2013 8:49pm

Charleroi and Brussels main aiport are half way between Roubaix and Valkenburg/Masstrict. Both places not much more than an hour to get to from either airport. Paris would be a good distance even to Roubaix, at least 2 hours.

Lusk_Doyle · 04-12-2013 9:01pm

QueensGael wrote: »

@Lusk_Doyle - did you stay in Roubaix when you did the 2011 one? If so, which airport did you fly to? I registered for the 2014 sportive this week, my complete distain for cobbles notwithstanding

The start is 160 odd kms away from roubaix btw.

QueensGael · 04-12-2013 10:52pm

Thanks for the info - that sounds like quite the epic adventure, Lusk!

Yeah, a gang of us did the Tour of Flanders one last year, and I crashed mightily on my first sector of cobble, you'd think I'd learn at this stage

The plan this year is to stay in Roubaix - mostly for the convenience of watching the pro race the next day without hauling on a train to get there. I've a ticket for the shuttle from Roubaix to Busigny the morning of, just need to figure out the Dublin-Roubaix bit now, will check flights to Charleroi and Brussels. Don't know if I could handle a mad dash across Germany to get there

Thanks for all the suggestions!

PS that report is brilliant!

Lusk_Doyle · 04-12-2013 10:54pm

The cobbles of Amstel are nothing in comparison to those of Paris Roubaix let me tell you.

calistro · 05-12-2013 10:54am

QueensGael wrote: »

@Lusk_Doyle - did you stay in Roubaix when you did the 2011 one? If so, which airport did you fly to? I registered for the 2014 sportive this week, my complete distain for cobbles notwithstanding

@QueensGael - Have you signed up for the sportif that's on 8th June?

Lusk_Doyle · 05-12-2013 11:34am

calistro wrote: »

@QueensGael - Have you signed up for the sportif that's on 8th June?

No, they've signed up for the one in April the day before the pro race. The one in June is the full length version. The April one is shorter and does not include the trench!

calistro · 05-12-2013 11:44am

Lusk_Doyle wrote: »

No, they've signed up for the one in April the day before the pro race. The one in June is the full length version. The April one is shorter and does not include the trench!

Ah, you mean Paris-Roubaix Lite

I did the full length one 2 years ago and will more than likely be heading back this year. The 'Trench' was interesting, the Roubaix club took photos of anyone taking the easy route and posted them on their webpage with a reference to balls or the lack thereof!

Big Mig · 05-12-2013 2:43pm

The April one is shorter but still 170km and includes all of the cobbles with timed sections through Arenberg,Troisvilles and Carrefour de L'Arbre next year.
Hope it's dry, did it back in the 90's in snow.Hard but great crack :-)

Lusk_Doyle · 05-12-2013 7:04pm

I'm fairly certain I heard a local say it was ok, nay even recommended to push mtb riders who are riding the course on the grass beside the pave into the ditches.

QueensGael · 05-12-2013 8:42pm

Gah! Didn't realise I had signed up for the wimpy one!

Straatvark · 05-12-2013 9:04pm

Dave11 wrote: »

Amstel Gold:
Anyone got tips on where to stay?

Out of the really busy/noisy area of Valkenburg, but 10-15 minutes by train (station next to it) or can cycle to/from Valkenburg. Close/central to real Amstel route to spectate pro's a couple of times by bike the next day.

We stayed 4 days and was very satisfied - Will use it again. Cyclist friendly and I was allowed to prepare bike in dining room. Couple of local cyclists use it as well. Photos make it look expensive, but look at prices, we felt was real value. We also had a small kitchen so could prepare small meals, but were able to have dinner every night in Valkenburg by train - It is that close.

Booking
http://www.booking.com/hotel/nl/residence-het-dal.en-gb.html?aid=340631;label=postbooking_confemail;sid=114e2d9d975bb10af3ab9454073b4911;dcid=1;srfid=2140a03750b3c9a3185304536e7ab88edefc0524X1

Map/Streetview:
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=valkenburg&hl=en&ll=50.866797,5.889948&spn=0.000003,0.00372&sll=-33.915538,18.656059&sspn=2.158426,3.809509&hnear=Valkenburg,+Valkenburg+aan+de+Geul,+Limburg,+The+Netherlands&t=m&z=19&layer=c&cbll=50.866797,5.889948&panoid=y9oNPfd0Va12gBNyvbF3dA&cbp=12,319.62,,0,-0.34

Lusk_Doyle · 05-12-2013 9:37pm

Big Mig wrote: »

The April one is shorter but still 170km and includes all of the cobbles with timed sections through Arenberg,Troisvilles and Carrefour de L'Arbre next year.
Hope it's dry, did it back in the 90's in snow.Hard but great crack :-)

Boo! They must have changed it recently so. That section wasn't oon it when I did it. :mad:

Paris-Roubaix and Amstel Gold.

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