Flanders in Shropshire
With the spring classics in full swing and my two favourite
races of the year only a few weeks away, it seems like the perfect time to
reflect upon our very own piece of Flanders in Shropshire.
Nestled in the heart of Shropshire between Canyton and
Beckbury, this most innocuous 2.5km stretch of badly surfaced concrete road has
something special about it. It’s that intangible property which transforms
otherwise ordinary roads into something so much more.
It can be ridden either way, but for me it has to be in the
direction ridden on ‘The Toothpaste’, Shropshire’s tribute to the greatest one
day race of them all, The Hell of the North, Paris-Roubaix.
Ignore the sat-nav error signs as you turn off the main
road, and as you pass the small cottages on your right, you’d be right to ask
what all the fuss is about. But as the fields open out, the landscape is
transformed. Wide open, and seemingly always windy; you really could be in
Flanders. It’s not difficult to imagine the road being lined with spectators
and campervans, as the pro peloton thunders past.
Ninety degree left and right turns do their best to upset
any momentum you’ve managed to gather, and the potholed surface means you need
your wits about you at all times. As you crest the gentle brow it’s now a drag
race all the way to the end. The farm buildings pass in a blur, and with
gradient finally in your favour, speed builds almost effortlessly.
All too soon it’s over, and the right hander back onto the
road bring you back to earth with a bang. Suddenly normal tarmac seems ever so
slightly dull. Every time I turn off the Belgian Road I make a promise not to
leave it so long next time.
If you’ve never ridden this beauty before, do it, and I just
hope you enjoy it half as much as I do.
Vive la Velo
@936ADL
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