The young Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB pro rider has exclusively shared with us one of his favourite routes, inspired by the Flèche Wallonne. Discover his insights, his advice and saddle up with Ardennes-étape !
It's time to get back in the saddle! Make the Ardennes your playground, book a holiday home and challenge yourself on training routes put together by five Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB riders. Tom Paquot gets the ball rolling by sharing one of his favourite routes, inspired by the Flèche Wallonne, starting and finishing in Huy.
About Tom Paquot - This 22-year-old Braives native and cycling all-rounder is a pro rider for Bingoal Sauce Pauwels WB, who are themselves sponsored by Ardennes-étape. As Junior Walloon champion in 2017, 2nd in the Grand Prix François-Faber in 2019, 3rd in the Tour du Doubs in 2021, Tom turned pro in 2021, with his list of accolades growing by the month. In 2022, he has already participated in the GP La Marseillaise, the five stages of the Etoile de Bessèges - Tour du Gard, the Tour of Antalya and finished 92nd in the first stage of the Tour des Alpes Maritimes et du Var. A rider full of promise, Tom Paquot is proving yet again why this team tends to favour younger riders.
A friendly place to start and finish
‘I put the start and finish at MUR - Coffee & Cycling. It's a place I often frequent during my summer recovery rides, especially when the weather is nice. It's a very friendly place and well known within the region as a cycling café. It's right at the foot of the Mur, and the people are really nice.’
On arrival ‘you can enjoy a coffee and a piece of cake with your friends while you discuss the route I’m currently suggesting.’
This is a great idea, as you start your ride in great spirits, before finishing somewhere where everyone is able to celebrate together and recuperate! What's more, as an Ardennes-étape customer, you can enjoy a sweet discount at MUR (on presentation of your Activity Pass).
Bonus - As an Ardennes-étape customer, you can enjoy a nice discount at MUR - Coffee & Cycling.
Tom's route – packed full of variety!
Tom invites you to take on 'a rather varied ride, starting with a few gentle corners up the Condroz, followed by some more open sections where the wind comes into play. To finish, we join the final stage of the Flèche Wallonne, which, although quite a challenge, is cool to ride up!
We start things off with a nice steady climb up the wooded Hoyoux valley. Next, we arrive in the Condroz, offering slightly more open roads, always undulating and never really letting up. Then, after 30 km, we arrive in Durbuy, first riding along the river and then through the town, cool as ever, with its castle. At this point, you can deviate 300 m from the route to go and admire the cliff face.’
Durbuy is always a nice place to visit, so be sure to take the time to look around! After that, things gets tougher...
Just the right amount of technicality
‘After the passing through Durbuy, there is a rather tricky hill to navigate. You don't want to go too hard too soon. Next, we return to Ocquier via a quiet valley, before climbing back up to the always-windy top of the Condroz. There, together with your mates, you can form echelons and punish those weaker riders staying on the wheel without taking their turn on the front (he laughs).
After 58 km, in Strée-lez-Huy, we come to the final section of the Flèche Wallonne. This starts off with a climb up the Côte d’Ereffem, before heading back down to Marchin in the Hoyoux valley. Then, before arriving in Huy, we climb up the recently resurfaced Côte de Cherave. While it is a very straight, very steep, quite hard climb, it's really not that long. After that, we descend to the Meuse quays, where we take on the Mur de Huy to finish. This is a real leg-breaker!’
The Mur de Huy – the place where memories are made
To end the ride, we take on the infamous Mur (‘wall’ in French). Does it deserve its reputation?
‘The Mur de Huy... There’s no two ways about it. It’s 1 km at an average of over 10% gradient. You’ve simply got to give it everything you’ve got left after 82 km of riding, right until you reach the top.
At the summit, you will find the Mount Mosan amusement park. I used to go up there with my parents and grandparents when I was little, without imagining that one day I would be climbing up it in a race. That's pretty cool!’
Discover our comfortable holiday homes for your cycling getaway in the Huy region!
Discover the GPX file on our Strava club
The complete route is available via the Ardennes-étape club Strava event. No fewer than five Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB pro riders will share their routes with us. By participating in this Strava event, which is open until the end of April, you could win:
- A VIP day riding the Liège-Bastogne-Liège Challenge with Ardennes-stage & Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB.
- A PASS to ride the Philippe Gilbert Classic.
- A VIP day spent with the Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB team.
An Ardennes-étape pro cycling outfit to accompany you as you enjoy the above prizes.
Don’t forget to smile... and share!
Share your best efforts on Instagram by tagging @ardennes_etape and become an ambassador for our event! You could in with a chance of winning a pro cycling jersey and have your photo displayed on our Strava club!
