{"id":7838,"date":"2022-07-06T13:03:13","date_gmt":"2022-07-06T13:03:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cyclingdestination.cc\/?p=7838"},"modified":"2026-10-05T14:33:56","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T14:33:56","slug":"cycling-over-cobblestones-follow-the-tour-in-northern-france","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cyclingdestination.cc\/en\/verhalen\/frankrijk\/fietsen-over-kasseien-volg-de-tour-in-noord-frankrijk","title":{"rendered":"Cycling on gravel roads: follow the tour in Northern France"},"content":{"rendered":"

Potholes. Children's buckets. Stones. Large pieces of stone laid out in a fixed pattern. As country roads or sometimes for passing traffic. Mostly poorly maintained, with large holes in them. Stones that protrude in jagged and uneven ways. In winter almost impassable. In summer a source of dust and misery. The round often makes its appearance here, looking for spectacle between boring sprint stages. Lars Boom once won his stage in the rain here. Sponsor Belkin was pleased. In more recent editions there was mostly a lot of complaints about the balance between tour interests, team interests and other nonsense. Preferring 200km of flat, tight asphalt than 10 kilometers of hotse-knots-begonia road. Cycling over potholes is more for spring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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France \u2013 Lille (adobestock)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lille is not Roubaix<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The city of Lille, or Lille in French, is developing as a weekend destination. The city is on the rise with a vibrant, authentic center, a shopping haven, and also some culture. Ideal to stop by on the Thalys. The popularity of the local football club LOSC will also contribute to extra atmosphere on match days. The museums, the zoo, and the associated citadel complete the picture. Whether it is a stark contrast to Roubaix, I am not exactly sure. Roubaix is raw, but has that one piece of historical ground that every cycling enthusiast has wanted to visit at least once. The cycling track, the showers, the smell, and the feeling of \u2018Roubaix\u2019. The \u2018Lille Metropole\u2019 somewhat fades into the background there. Although Roubaix forms the MEL together with Tourcoing, Moeskroun, and Lille. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stage 5, but for tourists<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The men of the professional peloton will have a considerable number of gravel sections to choose from when they head from Lille via Wasquehal (km 0) into the farmlands of northern France. With almost 20 kilometers of gravel sections, but without the most famous stretches from the Tour de France. Paris-Roubaix<\/a>, This is a big challenge. For the cycling tourist there is a route of 102<\/a> kilometer created. Also note: this route does NOT start in Lille, Compiegne or Roubaix. The start is located in Arenberg, in the middle of nowhere, but in the heart of the gravel courses. The forest of Wallers, the Trouee d\u2019Arenberg is real cycling history. This beautiful stretch, where in earlier years the riders raced over each other in bad weather is also the start of your route. Photography is allowed, maybe even a must. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bos van Wallers\/Trouee d\u2019Arenberg (Adobestock)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Haveluy \u2013 Helesmes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ve made the route a little more beautiful by cycling through the Haveluy\u2013Helesmes area. That\u2019s just a little extra treat and a chance to bounce over the stones. Make sure you ride the route on a beautiful summer day. Then everything is easier to handle and you\u2019ll have less trouble with falls and slips. The route passes through unremarkable villages like Auberchicourt, where the boulangerie and the caf\u00e9 are the most important pillars in daily life. A \u2018petit-caf\u00e9\u2019 and a picard, and the worries are over. Here there are no romantic Parisian scenes. No, here real work is being done. Many streets bear the name \u20188 mai 1945\u2019. The end of the war was three days later in France than in the Netherlands. The pain of that time is also felt here. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Furthermore, the meadows in<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In total, you get 18 kilometers of gravel roads. Rest assured: Mons-en-P\u00e9v\u00e8le is included, and the other gravel sections are not the most painful kind. Nevertheless, 102 kilometers on these roads is a serious challenge. Soon after, a nice stretch of gravel appears between Fressain and Villairs-au-Tertre. Then you basically circle the most beautiful sections and follow the Nord c\u00f4te V\u00e9lo cycling route. You do drive through Hem, a well-known stretch in Roubaix, but you leave that here. You head towards Cambrai, where you turn back just before the town and are allowed to bounce over the gravel again. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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(c) adobestock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A loop<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re not really going on a real tour, but more of a loop. At Emerchicourt we get some nice turns in front of us again. The only thing that attracts more attention in Emerchicourt than a lost cyclist is the municipal building, which also serves as a media library. The big music key on the outside is just as botched as the municipal building in Hardenberg. Tastes vary. The Boulevard de la R\u00e9publique doesn\u2019t have the same appeal as Boulevard Haussmann. That\u2019s an understatement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wasnes-au-Bac<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The route heads towards the sector of Chateau d\u2019eau, where the water castle is mainly a water tower that adorns the strip. The water tower of Wasnes-au-Bac. That one really catches my eye. The gravel strip on the other hand is a gem. Not too difficult, but well doable. With the right tire pressure, certainly no problem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Warlaing \u2013 almost home<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps the longest stretch of trail lies waiting for you at Warlaing. Beautiful in the meadows. With a good length, this is a nice finale to a day in \u2018L\u2019enfer du Nord\u2019. Although the route still has two more beautiful stretches ahead of you, this is definitely a finale. Komoot believes that after 104 kilometers, you have indeed had to face quite a few stretches of \u2018unpassable terrain\u2019. We dare to differ. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Route<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You can find this tour route and all the other tour routes in our collection on Komoot. A great initiative in our opinion, and it creates a bit more connection with the real race. Although this route goes completely the other way, but who\u2019s counting? With the French twist, we\u2019ll just say that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n