{"id":7386,"date":"2024-10-14T10:08:14","date_gmt":"2024-10-14T08:08:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/?p=7386"},"modified":"2024-11-13T10:20:56","modified_gmt":"2024-11-13T09:20:56","slug":"gravels-inescapable-attraction-zdenek-stybar-and-his-guide-to-flanders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/2024\/10\/14\/gravels-inescapable-attraction-zdenek-stybar-and-his-guide-to-flanders\/","title":{"rendered":"Gravel\u2019s Inescapable Attraction: Zden\u011bk \u0160tybar and His Guide to Flanders"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gravel seems to be all about putting some laid-back attitude into the high-strung world of (not only) pro cycling. Especially compared to the fast-paced and watts-obsessed road cycling scene, it stands out as the more exploratory counterpart. We asked local expert and ex-pro Zden\u011bk \u0160tybar to guide us through three days in Flanders, Belgium, perfectly tailored to any gravel aficionado.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Zden\u011bk\u2019s name is strongly tied to the cyclo-cross and road racing scenes but as he only just retired his career<\/a>, we were more interested in his tips as a Flanders local and leisure gravel enjoyer. \u201cI think that gravel has a hype now but it\u2019s still a pretty uncharted territory. Its growing popularity lies in the combination of relatively fast riding without the push of chasing Strava records and the possibility of enjoying nature, fresh air, and off-road cycling. The lifestyle is a bit different and more relaxed than on a group road ride, there\u2019s also no need for high-tech Lycra apparel,\u201d he introduced the discipline.<\/p>\n

Also, if you\u2019re mostly used to riding a road bike, you\u2019re in for a treat. \u201cMany people will be definitely surprised how much of their own \u2018backyard\u2019 they can discover on a gravel bike, their cycling world will expand just 10-20 km from their house. Even I found a brand new route near my home recently and I\u2019ve been riding around Belgium for years.\u201d In Zden\u011bk\u2019s case, his neighbourhood is the forests of Brabant, Brabantse Wouden in Flemish, aka the \u201cgreen lung\u201d between the cities of Brussels, Leuven, Wavre, Louvain-La-Neuve and Halle \u2013 the backdrop of this year\u2019s UCI World Gravel Championships<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Unlike its neighbour, the Netherlands, Belgium isn\u2019t nearly completely flat. In fact, the majority of the country consists of pleasantly unfurling hilly landscape \u2013 the best-kept secret of MTB, cyclo-cross and now also avid gravel riders. With Zden\u011bk, we set out to visit some of the amazing local trails to show you that gravel is all about \u201cno road, no plan, no problem\u201d and the \u201cdirty but happy\u201d mindset. As a nod to the Gravel Championships, which were due in just a few days at the time of writing this article, all of the places we visited were either directly on the course<\/a> or in its vicinity.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s sketch out what a three-day gravel programme in Flanders could look like.<\/p>\n

Day 1<\/strong><\/h2>\n

We met near the adorable mediaeval-castle-turned-restaurant Spaans Dak<\/a> near the Zoet Water ponds outside Leuven because the surrounding forests are just teeming with trails. By pure chance, Zden\u011bk ran into his friend Laurens ten Dam in full gravel gear while prepping for a ride \u2013 the Champs were already drawing the pros to the region. From Laurens, Zden\u011bk learnt that Jasper Stuyven\u2019s uncle Ivan runs an established chocolate-making atelier in a nearby town, which we decided to visit on Day 2. That\u2019s pretty much how you stumble across amazing places in Belgium while on the bike \u2013 via friends on the trails, by word of mouth, and pleasant chance encounters.<\/p>\n

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P\u0159\u00edsp\u011bvek sd\u00edlen\u00fd We Love Cycling (@wlcmagazine)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n