The Bullet's Belgian Adventure

Day 11- Monday, April 10 , 2006 Another Koppenberg Day.       

This time I brought the map.  My story today has a twist.  My home team’s Director Sportif Steve Pucci (we call him Pooch) made a small side wager that Eddy O and I could not get up the Koppenberg without walking.  The pressure was on…

The ride was about 18 miles from the hotel and the wind from Saturday was reversed.  A headwind all the way out, I began to think Pooch had something to do with that (?).   

Down a long straight road a small sign pointed right, the Koppenberg.  The adrenalin began to flow as it got closer.  A good natured townsman had a sign painted on the side of his building “Welkom Op de Koppenberg”.  A left at the fork in the road and up I went.  My first though was “these cobbles are horrible!”. The road began to bite as the % approached 20!  These cobbles were still horrible!  Near the end of the 20% a BMW came at me with pretty good speed.  He did stop but with no side space to go through, “Click”, foot down!?!  I began an immediate investigation to see if Pooch had sent that BMW to intersect at the EXACT (!) worst time.  I walked 10 meters and remounted on the less steep section (still 8 to 10%).  Over the top I started my tailwind return to the hotel.   

Eddy O was right, the Koppenberg is tougher than the Muur.