Classics Story 2024 is in the books

The race is over when everyone is in

The podium is taken

First finishers

Day 3 and the pain goes on

A lot of sightseeing and sweat at day2

The 1st 100 kilometers at the classics story

The classics story 2024 is over and the last rider crossed the finish line today. The entire __1200 kilometers__ must now be processed by the riders. Whether it's cleaning their bikes, repair some technical issues, putting their feet up and having a massage, reviewing their experiences or simply maintaining new friendships and exchanging experiences.

Everyone has experienced and perceived the race in their own way. As I said in the first post, the field is a mixed bag. The experienced riders have gained a new experience and the newcomers now know what they were letting themselves in for and everyone is probably already planning their next tour.

At the end, I visited the organizer Bart at the finish point and meet a few participants in person. It was a wonderful atmosphere and we had a nice breakfast together.

![cdbb5290-0f81-4ed5-b083-0a2b17f8c4d2](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5eJpcxPThdBeheGYPkDVO7/0ce7c4932a2769776510e1675e2a4c56/cdbb5290-0f81-4ed5-b083-0a2b17f8c4d2.png)

__The question of all questions:__ Will there be a next time?
Bart has already told me about his interesting plans and optimizations during a short trip. So there will definitely be a next time that you can look forward to.

It was an honor and fun to document it for you here. The daily livestreams in German were also very well received by the family members of the German participants and gave a rough impression of how such a race is run.
I would be happy to comment for you here on the platform again soon.

Your Pascal

The race is still going on, even though the first riders crossed the finish line the day before yesterday. The riders still in the race are all in good spirits and are happy to receive encouragement from the sidelines. __Evelien (cap#15)__: "My friends are standing at the side of the road and waving to me. They take photos and cheer me on. That supports me a lot and I have fun."

## DNF
Today Erik (cap#8) decided to finish the race for family reasons. Thank you Erik, you gave us an exciting race, have a safe journey home and thank you for being there.

## The track is the track
As in every race that takes a long time and has been worked out in great detail by the organizer, there are sometimes situations where drivers get lost and have to take detours due to last-minute closures. An organizer always has to think about how to deal with this. 

You can over-regulate a lot of things and write them down in a thick book of rules down to the smallest detail. Fortunately, Bart has only drawn up a few basic rules for his race. These include the rule that is probably best known among ultra cyclists: if you leave the track, you have to pick it up again at exactly the same point. 

A thick book of rules would have its own chapter on penalties. Bart has decided otherwise and opts for the mildest penalty, a time penalty that has no effect on the ranking. Unfortunately, he had to apply this in this race. The dynamic duo from Italy failed to resume the track and missed rodeberg, banenberg and the muur van geraardsbergen. This means a time penalty of 1 hour.

Nevertheless, the Italian team put in a great performance. Riding such a time as a team is a special challenge and considerably more difficult than riding individually. 

## Weather conditions
What can you say about the weather. It was mostly rainy, but the riders who are still on the track can look forward to the best weather conditions. Sunshine. So sometimes it pays to be a little slower. Because in my experience, the Ardennes can be enjoyed much better in good weather.

## Magic moments
__Tom (cap#34)__ reports a very emotional moment. "This morning was the most emotional moment of the tour. After I had to push up a part, I looked east as I stepped out of the forest and saw the morning light and it was such a magical moment as I rarely have.gasp and take three deep breaths. I would like to share that with you. A highlight like that is something very special." We can only confirm that. 


![pizzamaschne](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6yyMsQ1BfTSTmS1Iwn9aiu/836846b87638b1b143bda8fe17bd3da3/pizzamaschne.jpeg)

hidden treasures for bikepackers, a pizza machine.

The first three riders have crossed the finish line and are happy to be there. Against all odds.

__1st Henrik Kleemann cap#41__
![henriksmall](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1gHowWkZByTKyucb7Aq1nd/8f5e77d7334f3ed88bfc4673095aa1a0/henriksmall.png)

---

__2nd Rob Gardiner cap#49__
![robsmall](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1kofJbj4STQr0XYrqq9KOw/ca16279b927714727749e595a4d2555a/robsmall.png)

---

__3rd Timo Giese cap#30__
![timsmall](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/71oJ8INrWyuLbZIPpJqw5m/ccf05ba5a7030a5c2ec5d7085168c627/timsmall.png)

---


The first finishers have crossed the finish line. Henrik (cap#41) won the race ahead of __Rob (cap#49)__. In 3 days 9 hours and 26 minutes Henrik has conquered the Classics Story with 1200 km. Just ahead of Rob who crossed the finish line in 3 days 11 hours and 2 minutes. On the last meters (about 10 kilometers to the finish) Rob's equipment sabotaged his continuation and his wahoo doesn't want to work anymore. 

Henrik still told me today about the short sleep (3 hours) he had last night and that when he got up at 01:30 in the morning he met __Timo (cap#30)__ right in front of his feet who overtook him. But Timo hadn't slept yet and so it was clear that Henrik would also catch up with Timo. And so it was. 

## Technical difficulties 

__Tom (cap#34)__ found a bike store in Leeuven where he not only bought a new tire and brake pads but was also allowed to mount them himself.
So it can go on again for him. His rear wheel had suffered a lot from the cobblestones. Just like his brakes.

![tire](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7DVdSdI4kAebfX9eY3JIr9/3aa7b083b40ad7056f04ef90fa2d0fa4/tire.jpeg)

Brakes was somehow an issue for several riders. Even relatively new pads were completely worn out during the race. This also stopped Rob, who was slowed down a little by this, as he says. But that's what brakes are for, sarcastic people would say.

![brakepadsRob](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2l55md4zCmj5rKd91jDO7Y/074e4f5718230d81e1b18cf676ef4d57/brakepadsRob.jpeg)

Rob also told me how he had patched up his slashed front tire, which I had already reported on yesterday. He cut off part of his tool bag and glued it to the inside of the tire with super glue. Wherever he got the superglue from, it certainly helped him to continue riding. Even though the tire didn't fit cleanly in the rim afterwards, he still managed to cover about 200 km with this tire.

![tire cut](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7CHOIPchQ8Hyj7eT5CKSa6/a21ae25f4b0ab3c8a603133923679be7/Bildschirmfoto_2024-04-03_um_20.13.23.png)

Timo reports that his legs are made of rubber and that his dynamo for the lights has given up. This is of course very annoying. So he still has to charge his power bank to be able to operate his light for a short time, which will be exciting as the dark night will soon be upon us again. But he sweetened the charging of the powerbank by eating a strawberry cake while waiting and replenishing his Haribo stock.

![strawberry](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5SLH0LK5TQ0X7IWXoyb19H/f90998d58e1ad0bd98c922e46001ee49/strawberry.jpeg)

## Dogs

Somehow dogs are always an issue. Here, too, another driver has been hit. __Erik (cap#8)__ was the unfortunate one with a dog bite in his forearm. He dropped out of the race for a short time to receive medical treatment. But he got back into the race and is now rolling up the field from behind. Good that nothing worse happened.

## The race is still ongoing

The race is still going on and the stories there are to tell are not getting any fewer.
A lot happens in the midfield of a race like this and the riders are sometimes hard to motivate. But for some, it's all about the experience. Something that is particularly important in this race. After all, it's not those who finish first who are alone the winners. It's also the riders who enjoy every meter, visit all the museums on the sidelines and soak up the special atmosphere of the races that have just finished before on the same roads. These are perhaps the real winners. Without diminishing the enormous physical performance of the riders. Because it really was enormous to master this route.

So everyone is a winner i could say.

## Livestream

<https://youtube.com/live/f4uQUdOHRDk>

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqTryyhbwrs>

Classics Story 2024 Day 3, Through Flanders to the Ardennes

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37-QVziL4oQ>

The night before the finish

On day three, the pain slowly comes to the fore. The riders get in touch and report the first signs of exhaustion due to lack of sleep and pain.

The lack of sleep is an issue. Especially at the start of such races, you tend to ride more and take shorter sleep breaks in order to keep up with the front runners. The psychological effect is already measurable for you and the riders. However, the lack of sleep becomes noticeable after a few days. Especially if it is such an unusually physically demanding route. Cobblestones at their finest and weather at its worst. This combination also takes its toll on the body.

__Henrik__ __(cap#41)__, for example, reports saddle sores. Other riders will also have this problem and it is quite widespread. You just ride your butt off. Especially when it rains so much and the moisture gets between your skin and the bib shorts, it leads to friction of the finest kind. If you don't take the right precautions or don't treat it properly, you're usually out of the game. It happens more often than you might think. At every ultracycling event there are DNFs due to saddle sore. It's an open secret

## DNF
We also have a DNF to report today. __Christoph (cap#21)__ has shown greatness and registered a DNF. As he reported pain in his Achilles tendon relatively soon after the start, he was always at the back of the field of riders. Now he has to go back to work on Monday. His calculation and estimation showed that he will not be able to finish on time to get back to work fresh. He has therefore decided to register a DNF. He deserves respect for making this decision and we wish him good luck and a safe journey home.

## Technical challenges

__Rob (cap#49)__ has a deep long cut in his front tire and we all hope that the makeshift repair will hold for over 300 km to the finish. So technically you have to be able to help yourself. After all, it is a self-supported race.

<https://www.instagram.com/p/C5TVQwRM-d4/>

## Strategies and leaderboard
What can I say about the leaderboard? There's nothing too surprising at the top at the moment if you've been watching the last few days. __Henrik (cap#41)__ and __Rob (cap#49)__ are regularly taking turns at the top. The gap between the two is usually only a few kilometers. 

However, the riders behind them are also using strategies that can of course change at the end of the race. In other words. Everyone keeps their own personal strategy secret. Because some strategies are planned in such a way that some things change at the end of a race. I don't want to say any more about this so as not to influence the race. More on this after the race. It remains exciting in any case.

## Livestream

Like the last few days, there was another livestream of the race from me today, in German.

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoauPfW8KlA>


<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1qEB-uLx5I>

YouTube Story from day 2, A whole lot of cobbles

Today, on day 2, I would like to take a look at all the sights that this race has to offer. Because this race is based on the original routes of the famous spring classics, such as the Ronde van Flaandern, Gent Wavelgem, Paris-Roubaix, Dwars door Brabant and Amstel Gold Race. And now I'll just name a few well-known races.

On day 2, some of the participants will get to see at least the following sights, depending of course on the amount of riding they do during the day. 

The weather is very windy today and the riders are repeatedly confronted with relentless headwinds. Depending on which direction the route takes them. This is very hard on the legs and the motivation. But so far all the riders are smiling their way through.

## DNF
The first DNF of the race has taken place and Rudy (cap#01) has voluntarily decided to leave the race. No crash, no technical defect, etc. He will make a statement himself this evening and inform you about it himself. Nothing bad, so you don't have to worry.

## Kemmelberg
Most of the riders had already passed the Kemmelberg on the first day. A few stragglers were allowed to complete the lap over the Kemmelberg today. This means that they were allowed to climb the Kemmelberg twice. With a length of 380 meters and a maximum gradient of 12.88%, it is not impossible to climb this mountain. But it does challenge some. 
![Kemmel](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2lL3uIxeQzo06G5bDVBv28/c3535b2284cc3e263c974f9c75e7bce9/Kemmel.png)

## Vélodrome André Pétrieux
The Roubaix cycling track (French: Le vélodrome de Roubaix, official name today: Vélodrome André Pétrieux) is a concrete track in Roubaix in northern France, which is particularly well known as the finish line of the Paris-Roubaix road race. The cycling track is still the finish line of Paris-Roubaix today. 

The riders were allowed to do a lap of the track and get an impression of what it feels like to be at the finish line. Although it still takes a while for the participants of this race to reach the finish line.
![velodrom](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4u8gFFDwiPnDCHmqPbUMT0/e38545dfa68d52e90a5c9108af72dc7e/velodrom.png)

## Paris Roubaix
What more can be said about Paris Roubaix. Everyone should be familiar with it, at least by name. Here is a brief reminder:
Paris-Roubaix is one of the most famous classic one-day races in road cycling and is one of the five monuments of cycling. The sections on cobblestones (pavé sectors) are characteristic of the approximately 250-kilometer race. Some of the roads date back to the 19th century and are paved with coarse cobblestones, which make the race an extraordinary ordeal, especially in wet and diffuse lighting conditions. Originally, cobblestones were the usual road surface in the north of France; however, after these roads were increasingly paved, the organizers decided to integrate cobblestone passages on field and forest paths into the race in 1967. Today, many pavés are maintained by the French government especially for the cycling classic. Since 1977, the association Les Amis de Paris-Roubaix has been working to preserve and restore cobbled sections, develop new sections and secure them for the race.
Fortunately, you could say. Because it is one of the most interesting sections of the race for spectators and the toughest for the riders. Crashes are not uncommon and often end in hospital.
The riders in the classics story are warned and approach the whole thing with caution. Nevertheless, there were a few minor crashes, but they were all minor and mostly ended with rolling in the mud.
![roubaix](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3D7ABraeAPQzbHPg6f884T/92fb304465dcbd1443e59c8dd264aa14/roubaix.png)

## Kluisberg (Ronde van Vlaanderen)
The Tour of Flanders regularly hoists itself over the Kluisberg. But the Tour de France also pulled over this hump five times. The Kluisberg is a hill in the Flemish Ardennes, on the border of Flanders and Wallonia. The hill is part of a ridge extending east-west to the Oudenberg in Geraardsbergen.And we will also get to Geraardsbergen. Later in the day.

## more Berg and straat
There are many sights that you can catch a glimpse of during the television broadcasts when the pros are whizzing past. A lot of them. Far too many to immortalize them all individually here. It's a shame, but the riders will definitely take home a lot of memories and hopefully souvenir photos from the track. Even if you never forget something like this. 
Here is a list of the mountains and roads that were tackled:
- Knokteberg
- Monument Karel van Wijnendaele
- Karnemelkbeekstraat
- Kanarieberg
- Oude Kruisberg
- Oude Kwaremont
- Paterberg
- Koppenberg
- Stationsberg
- Taaienberg
- Centrum Ronde van Vlaanderen
- Wolvenberg
- Ruiterstraat
- Leberg
- Berendries
- Valkenberg
- Berg Ten Houte

Now last but not least 

## Muur van Geraardsbergen
The Muur van Geraardsbergen is probably the most famous wall in cycling, which is the executioner of the Ronde van Vlaanderen every year on the first Sunday in April. Various races, such as the Transcontinental Race, have also started there.
So there is a lot of history in the air here and the participants pause or simply slow down a little to take it in. Or just to catch their breath, because the journey there is really tough.

The first two riders (Rob & Henrik) arrived this evening Geraardsbergen and shoot this nice selfie for you:

![geraardsbergen](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/66I0cIlLyEamsW5UsCNuop/db93b88ee155ae77e38e99189a3d250e/geraardsbergen.jpeg)

## daily livestream
Here the link to my livestream from today, in German.

<https://youtube.com/live/ar96iQC6eOE>


Pascal Kurschildgen

Classics Story, The Northern Way 2024 Belgian bikepacking ultra cycling road event on the Classics road racing routes of Flanders and Northern Belgium

Classics Story, The Northern Way 2024

A 1,200 km self supported cycling adventure on the legendary roads of the Northern Classics with lots of Bergs and Cobbles on routes used in Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, La Flèsh Wallonne, Liège Bastogne Liège and Amstel Gold.

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