While there is no UCI event in Houffalize this year, a mountain bike event has nevertheless been pulled together! Houffalize Bike Festival, 29 April-1 May! In all likelihood I won’t be able to go; there is simply too much to be done on home ground in preparation for some – hopefully – fantastic biking coming up in the near future!
Houffalize is a quaint little village, and I have always enjoyed going here for the World Cup event, to absorb not only the usual bike exposition, but the whole atmosphere with mountain bike enthousiasts and fanatics and their bikes. When I tried the trails here, several years ago now, I was quite disappointed. Now I have been told that the shorter distances might be technically more to my taste. Why not, I am willing to give this area a second shot. It is called the Mekka of Belgian mountain biking for a reason, surely?
And … if I am in the area for longer .. Looking at it, maybe I should stay a whole week? I so much would like to give La Roche-en-Ardenne a second chance as well. And, there are the brand new loops in Bertogne that beckon: loops of 45 km (green) and 42 km (blue), criss-crossing and overlapping, combinations in zillions possible. And, maybe even pop over to (country of) Luxemburg to try a trail or two over there .. (Aiaiai, the beast is loose again) … on the way down or back up to Brussels, re-ride the inofficial trails of Coo?
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Tags:Bertogne·Coo·houffalize·Houffalize Bike Festival·La Roche en Ardenne·luxemburg·Mekka
While my doctor has ordered me off my bike once again, this weekend I saw two events come off that took me down memory lane.
Magic Finnmarksturen in Sweden comes off every year. Mentally the hardest ride I’ve ever done. Fantastic nature. Excellent organization.
And in Belgium, Houffamarathon, where I lost my precious magnesium on one of those rocky downhills, and with rest stops 20k apart, I was not the only one to abort from severe muscle cramps. What an excruciating pain. I need that revenge! Saying that, though, many have complained that starting fees have been raised too high, and that organization is not as it was in the beginning.
An upcoming event I have been looking at for years, and which brochure I came across when participating in the Roc d’Azur last year, is the Grand Raid Godefroy. Even if I am off the bike, I might go and have a look at the exposition and the downhill competitions in particular. Maybe a photo or two …
Hoping I am fit enough to drive a car … and wishing for less rain.
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Tags:bouillon·Finnmarksturen·Grand Raid Godefroy·houffalize·Houffamarathon·Ludvika
Do not forget the Houffalize World Cup this weekend. See ya there!
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Tags:houffalize·world cup
The National Geographic Institute conveys that the maps for mountain bike trails in Houffalize and Floreffe have been updated.
Houffalize VTT-Mountainbike, vijfde editie numeriek, met 6 aangeduide mountainbikecircuits, code VTTOE.0055.PP.5, schaal 1:50 000, verschijningsdatum 20/01/2010, ISBN nummer 9789059347205, verkoopprijs € 6,00.
Cinqième édition numérique, avec 6 circuits mountainbikes balisés, code VTTOE.0055.PP.5, échelle 1:50 000, date de parution 20/01/2010, numéro ISBN 9789059347205, prix de vente € 6,00.
Floreffe, tweede editie numeriek, met 9 aangeduide wandelwegen en 2 uitgestippelde mountainbikecircuits, code VTTOE.0146.PP.2, schaal 1:25 000 vergroot, verschijningsdatum 20/01/2010, ISBN nummer 9789059346857, verkoopprijs € 6,00.
Deuxième édition numérique, avec 9 circuits pédestres balisés et 2 circuits mountainbikes balisés, code VTTOE.146.PP.2, échelle 1:25 000 agrandie, date de parution 20/01/2010, numéro ISBN 9789059346857, prix de vente € 6,00.
Should you be interested, the NGI has a mailing list for all alerts as to new or updated maps in Belgium.
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Tags:floreffe·houffalize·list·mailing·map·www.ngi.be
