Belgian pros take on staggering 365km ride around East Flanders during unexpected off-season
Riders are finding their own ways of dealing with the disruption, but this one is crazy
While Europe is struggling to deal with the effects of a coronavirus lockdown, two Belgian pros used the unexpected off-season to stack a staggering amount of kilometres in one ride.
Oliver Naesen, Classics specialist and Ag2r La Mondiale rider, and companion Maxim Pirard took on an immense 365km ride around East Flanders on Wednesday (March 18), spending more than 12 hours in the saddle.
Naesen’s season has been completely derailed, as he had been looking to capitalise on previous results in the spring Classics, before all the major one-day races in March and beyond were cancelled.
While many pros are spending their training time indoors on the turbo trainer, particularly in Spain where riding outside is banned, Naesen and 22-year-old Pirard decide to test the limits of their endurance.
Starting at 5.30am in Teralfene, just west of Brussels, the pair set off south on an enormous tour of the region.
The route took them around Ronse, Oudenaard, Zelzate and to the outskirts before they finished the day-long adventure back in Teralfene.
It wasn’t an easy ride either, as the pair averaged 30.4km/h on the mostly flat terrain, while Naesen averaged 182 watts and hit a maximum power of 861.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
He also set a few fast times, taking third on the Strava leaderboard for the 30-minute Belgo-Dutch frontier (W-O) segment.
Naesen says he burned around 8,000 calories (while Strava seems to be suggesting he only burned 1,944), for the ride which took a total of 12 hours and three minutes of moving time, or 12 hours and 51 minutes of total time.
Pirard, who raced as a stagiare for Bahrain-Merida in 2018 but is currently not riding for a pro team, also set a few impressive times, taking second on the Belgo-Dutch segment and taking seventh on the 200m zandgangklim segment.
While it’s unclear when racing will return (the next race still scheduled to run is the Critérium du Dauphiné in June, we can expect some huge performances from Naesen if he keeps this training up.
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Alex Ballinger is editor of BikeBiz magazine, the leading publication for the UK cycle industry, and is the former digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter, then as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output, and now as the editor of BikeBiz. Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) Alex covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers. Away from the desk, Alex can be found racing time trials, riding BMX and mountain bikes, or exploring off-road on his gravel bike. He’s also an avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.
-
Among market turmoil, Colnago boasts €55 million in sales: CEO shares the brand’s secret
Colnago’s growth has tripled since the brand’s acquisition by new majority stakeholders in 2020 and seems impervious to the downturn. Here's why.
By Anne-Marije Rook Published
-
Why e-bike torque numbers matter more than you think
You should choose an e-bike based on torque, not just power
By Paul Norman Published
-
Jonas Vingegaard’s former team reclaims Coll de Rates KOM from Juan Ayuso
18-year-old Peter Øxenberg Hansen now officially holds Strava title, beating UAE Emirates rider by 11 seconds
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'I got the dreaded uh-oh email from Strava... he took my KOM by 15 seconds': Phil Gaimon wins battle over world's hardest segment
American holds 249 watts on gruelling five-hour Mauna Kea effort to reclaim crown
By Tom Davidson Published
-
‘Dear tiger': Why do Wout van Aert’s Strava files all have strange names?
The Visma-Lease a Bike rider has been feeling musical on a training camp
By Tom Davidson Published
-
French WorldTour pro cyclist suspended for anti-doping ‘abnormalities’
Franck Bonnamour's biological passport is under investigation by the UCI
By Tom Davidson Published
-
'People aren't as snooty or uptight': gravel boom shows no signs of slowing, and here's why
Gravel bike riding is "one of the fastest-growing sports" on Strava, with 55% more people doing it in 2023
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Strava analyzed all our activities and found that boomers bike, Gen Z likes the party pace and we’re all held back by work
Strava’s Year in Sport takes an analytical deep dive into the habits of 120 million athletes world wide. Here's what they found.
By Anne-Marije Rook Published
-
Strava appoints YouTube exec as new CEO hopes to 'take it to the next level'
Michael Martin will lead the exercise app from 2 January 2024
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Strava introduces messaging
The activity-tracking app can now be used to chat to your fellow cyclists and runners
By Adam Becket Published