We celebrated the recent holding of the Paris Roubaix cycle races with an informal Gö Gravel social ride .
This is not a hell of the north like the Paris Roubaix bike race, instead it offers a flavor of the event.
Gravel not Cobbles
The landscape of the Leine Valley and Northern France are similar being flat. On route we use farm roads interconnecting villages, but instead of cobbled dirt road we have gravel sectors.
There aren’t many cobbled roads in the Gö area which can be put together to create a Paris Roubaix like tour. Instead, and to mimic Northern France (Picardy and Nord-Pas-de-Calais) we ride 30 plus gravel sectors, and these stand in for the cobblestones. Instead of hills, in Northern France there are tall cone shaped coal spoil ‘mountainsß a heritage of the region’s industrial past. Roubaix was called ‘Little Manchester’ during the Industrial Revolution, Manchester becoming a mammoth engine of Britian’s dominant powerhouse days.
Nothing Compares
There may be greater tests of endurance or living on the edge of madness stunts but nothing compares with the Paris Roubaix cycle race, it is unique because of so many factors, history being one. Sinead O’Connor and Prince sum it up for me – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-EF60neguk
In Northern France the Feldweg is cobbled, in the Göttingen area gravel is king. It is clear to me that despite the rough stuff in Gö it’s not as hellish as PRbx!
The route shown is often exposed and that like PRbx is subject to the whims or vengeance of the wind gods. At times with the wind at you back you can feel like omnipotent, only to be brought back down to earth when you turn into a headwind.
PRbx STATS
PRbx men’s race – 260km, 29 cobble sectors (55.7km) and 1400m of elevation.
PRbx Women – 144km, 17 cobbled sectors (29.2km), 1000+ elevation.
PRbx 144km sportive features 400+ elevation.
Note although the PRbx races are flat, the route goes up and down and in total the elevation is over a 1000m.
The Gö Gravel PRbx Tribute ride is 56.9km and features:
7 cobbled sectors, 30+ gravel sectors, all but 10km is off main roads. Plus, lots of dirt roads! There are a few hills at 24/31km. 300m of elevation.
Linking together the rough stuff are some great asphalt dirt roads and cycle paths.
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/11172248632
Komoot: https://www.komoot.com/tour/1511796926
Garmin: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/14878862750
With the ride number being high we spill into two Gö Gravel groups after a few kilometers, a faster and a less fast but better-looking group.
Thanks for their company: Ann-Christin, Damian, Felix T, Finn, Frank, Ingo, Johannes, Jonas, Josh, Konstantin, Max, Patrick S, Robert, Rostyslav, Sarah, Sebastian B, Sergiy, Stine, Susanne and Tim.
Links
Gö Gravel Omloop Rides
Gö Cobblestones
Paris Roubaix Media War
Ride Pictures
Previous Scouting Ride Pictures
Gö PRbx South Loop (Not Hell) – April 10, 2024
Go North Loop in shorts! – April 7, 2024
Scouting Gö PRbx – April 4, 2024
Warning/Attention
The Gö Gravel Rides are suggested routes for a bike tour and not a race or competition. Should you decide to follow our tour description or a GPS of the route described, you do so at your own risk.
You are responsible for cycling as you think you can, according to your ability and fitness level.
Die Gö Gravel Rides sind vorgeschlagene Strecken für eine Fahrradtour und kein Rennen oder Wettbewerb. Sollten Sie sich entscheiden, unserer Tourenbeschreibung oder einem GPS der beschriebenen Route zu folgen, tun Sie dies auf eigene Gefahr.
Sie sind für das Radfahren verantwortlich, wie Sie es für möglich halten, entsprechend Ihren Fähigkeiten und Ihrem Fitnessniveau.
Contact – https://veloklubhaus.com/contact/
Velo Klubhaus 
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