MONUMENTS IN MOVEMENTS
2012-02-05 GOBERT Daniel
The B.I.G challenge has one part of its superlist based on the wellknown climbs cycled by the professional races and likes very much those monuments of the cycling story.
Of course, the history has to move sometimes and to create some improvements in the classic races, but this year, one monument inside the monuments is moving : the Muur (Kapellemuur = Muur van Geraardsbergen-Grammont - nr 117).
Main climb in the Tour of Flanders since such a long time, last climb before the last Bosberg in the final area of the race, the Muur of the Flanders people, their Muur, disappeared of the race. On the other way, the final will be very impressive and surprising with three times our other B.I.G climbs Oud Kwaremont and Paterberg, but well, the Muur is not there anymore. It will be the arrival of the Eneco Tour during 5 years with some tours riding several times the cobbled streets and the finish lines in the "remparts" of the city, but it's not the same. It's just like if the Poggio disappears from Milan- San remo or if the Wall of Huy disappears from the Arrow of Wallonia.
We'll see if the change is a good thing or if the loss of a monument will delete something in the race. The B.I.G challenge of course keeps the Muur inside.
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2012 STARTED WELL
2012-02-01 GOBERT Daniel
One month ago, the 2012 year started. One month later, we can say that it started well.
In the yearly classification, you can already read 25 members having climbed at least 1 BIG since the beginning of the year. Two spanish people (the couple Rafols-Escuer) already reached the score of 12 new BIGs. Congratulations to all those members, active so early in the season.
Other surprising thing : the ironbigs are already alive. Gabor Kreicsi climbed 2 times the Kekestetö, Jean-Pierre Bernelin climbed 1 time the Chartreuse de Portes; some are already hoping to become ironbig 3 times a year; and finally, our prince of the superlist, our master-chief, our first winner, Etienne Mayeur, became the 1st 2012 ironbig by climbing 25 times the Mont Saint-Aubert in Belgium in one (cold) day. Congratulations, Etienne !
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