Le Roc D’Ardennes 2019

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BY: Melanie Alexander

Published: 6th May, 2019

We’re in Belgium for the BEMC but noting that this year the Roc and the BEMC are on subsequent weekends we decided to do both and stay over. The campsites are good here so we had no worries about coming over in the T4 and being comfortable for our time here.

We arrived in Houffalize midday Thursday, tired from the overnight drive from Cardiff but got out for a spin on the first 25km of the Marathon course to loosen the van legs, then had a couple of beers in the campsite bar before retiring for a 12 hour sleep. Friday was a leisurely start followed by the final 30km of the course.

Mel was just in Houffalize for the UCI Roc Marathon but I had entered Saturdays’s Roc D’Ardennes and then the “full-fat” Big Marathon on Sunday. The Roc D’Ardennes is the mass participation “fun” event that attracts all types, some opting to do the 3 race package that added a night race on the Friday to what I had signed up for.



So, on Saturday morning I headed down to the start line for the civilised 10am start. I was gridded fairly well but soon let that advantage slip as the route went near vertical on the road out of Houffalize. “Training” for me recently has been commuting on a Brompton and mucking about on a trail bike so this wasn’t unexpected. I was confident I’d make up time on the technical parts and sure enough I soon started to move forwards but I never really found my climbing legs and with very few flat sections you miss them here when they’re not present. It may have been Star Wars day but the Force had deserted me,

I finished in 3h17, about 20 minutes slower than last year and a little further down the field. Whilst the forecast snow didn’t arrive it was very cold and wet throughout. I’d fitted some Maxxis Forekasters front and rear which certainly helped on the muddier parts but felt draggy compared to my usual Ikon/Ardent Race combo. By comparison 2018 was dry and warm and the winner was also 20 minutes quicker.

The main event of the weekend though was the Marathon on the Sunday, Mel’s 83km UCI event and my 115km “Big Marathon”. I was a little nervous given my lack of climbing legs on Saturday and a 7:30 start meant it would be below zero on the start line. My warm up consisted of putting my cycling kit on then climbing back into my sleeping bag until a last minute high cadence spin down to the start line and straight into the start box with 3 minutes to spare. Some 30 seconds before the start a few flakes of snow started to fall, then strengthened as we headed off up my nemesis climb out of Houffalize such that it felt more like Christmas than early May.

I was more concerned with finishing and riding consistently than with chasing a good time so avoided trying to chase anyone down, rather trying to spin a low gear up the climbs and stay well nourished. The first 30km felt tough but suddenly my legs seemed to return and I was effortlessly moving through the field. In places I was making time through singletrack and at others on the climbs that had hurt me the day before. Strangely I found myself enjoying this 115km race considerably more than the previous 59km one.

Finishing in 6h 42mins I was a long way from troubling Ben or Paddy (and kudos to Ben btw on a brilliant result) but I’d placed higher than in the 2018 shorter Marathon distance and more importantly felt good and had enjoyed it.

Despite Mel’s race starting 45 mins later she had finished some time ahead of me, finishing in 6th place with her best time of the event, and this with a still swollen recently sprained ankle. With Mel’s bike already clean I had only to clean mine and shower before heading to the bar for chips with mayo, an omelette and Chouffe. A spin down the road to a cashpoint then back for more food and more Chouffe, all part of our plan for this year after having to make a hasty departure in 2018 to make a tunnel crossing. We’d both had a good day and recounted umpteen times to each other how we’d nailed one section or nearly binned it on another. Mel’s tales continued into this morning’s recovery spin which took in parts of the course, I now know precisely where she battled with X or dropped Y.

So, now camped up in La Roche en Ardennes we have a summer’s worth of Chouffe after a slight detour past the Brasserie and are looking forward to Belgium’s next challenge.