The main subject in this post is a place but I am going to speak as if it was a person, one old very nice, real historical person. This person has it`s glory once a year, he is French and he loves cycling. He loves to host one of the most beloved cycling race. It is a classic in the UCI Calendar, a one day race, from P to R - I did not choose those letter just to be two letters, they really mean something for all cycling fans.
The race happens on the 14th of April, every year for the last over 100 years. The race starts in Paris and end`s in ROUBAIX. I think that who knows cycling figured it out what I am writing here. It is all about the VELODROME in Roubaix, this special guy I have just visited - yesterday - and I just enjoyed it to the full.
After one long tram journey from Lille to Roubaix, about 22 stops - about 40 minutes of travelling - and after 20 minutes of walking - I messed up my route and just walked not to get angrier :)) - I entered the sports arena that hosts this guy. I was very emotional because I recognized the entrance of all the famous cyclists rode through the famous velodrome. After this whole adventure that I`ve been through just to get here, the sun showed up and I found myself on the Roubaix Velodrome, this new special friend that I have now. It is very different than what you see on the TV, very very different - in a bad way to say - but you can feel the emotion and the enthusiasm that is left there after the Hell of North race as it is called, or A Sunday in Hell - like the movie from 1976-, otherwise Paris-Roubaix Classical Race.
Why did I choose this post title?! It was very easy for me to say how great and how nice it is, and how this velodrome is a part of the history of the sport for over 100 year - and it is great and nice and it is a part of history - but I want to mention how I saw him yesterday - a little sad and a little broken and a little left out of the visiting places in Roubaix and being just a place where some folks are running and just this one guy who was taking laps on his mountain bike.
Putting all of this aside, on the 14th of April, this nice guy is the host of the most waited and most loved races of the year. The whole town is under the "attack" of cycling fans who are here with one goal: to see the final two laps of the Paris Roubaix race taking place on this old new friend.
So, like every person that has they're 30 seconds of fame in a lifetime, this guy has on hole day of glory every year.
I am so glad that I had the chance to visit him and I am going to leave here some photos of yesterday's meeting :)
The race happens on the 14th of April, every year for the last over 100 years. The race starts in Paris and end`s in ROUBAIX. I think that who knows cycling figured it out what I am writing here. It is all about the VELODROME in Roubaix, this special guy I have just visited - yesterday - and I just enjoyed it to the full.
After one long tram journey from Lille to Roubaix, about 22 stops - about 40 minutes of travelling - and after 20 minutes of walking - I messed up my route and just walked not to get angrier :)) - I entered the sports arena that hosts this guy. I was very emotional because I recognized the entrance of all the famous cyclists rode through the famous velodrome. After this whole adventure that I`ve been through just to get here, the sun showed up and I found myself on the Roubaix Velodrome, this new special friend that I have now. It is very different than what you see on the TV, very very different - in a bad way to say - but you can feel the emotion and the enthusiasm that is left there after the Hell of North race as it is called, or A Sunday in Hell - like the movie from 1976-, otherwise Paris-Roubaix Classical Race.
This is where the peloton enters the Velodrome |
This is how you know the old Velodrome guy from the TV :) |
It looks a lot "smaller" then on TV - but he has his part in the cycling history |
Putting all of this aside, on the 14th of April, this nice guy is the host of the most waited and most loved races of the year. The whole town is under the "attack" of cycling fans who are here with one goal: to see the final two laps of the Paris Roubaix race taking place on this old new friend.
So, like every person that has they're 30 seconds of fame in a lifetime, this guy has on hole day of glory every year.
I am so glad that I had the chance to visit him and I am going to leave here some photos of yesterday's meeting :)
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