Brussels Cycling Classic 2017
Tomorrow Brussels will host the 97th annual Brussels Cycling Classic, a one day bike race formerly known as Paris-Bruxelles that was first run in 1893. The race begins and ends at Parc du Cinquantenaire taking in 201km of racing in Flemish and Walloon Brabant, including 11 climbs.
Belgium, and more specifically Flanders is seen as heartland of cycling. It is one of the most watched sports in the country and takes up a big part in the national imagination. ‘The Cannibal’ Eddy Merckx, the cyclist for which the metro station is named, won this race in 1973. A classic Belgian weekend often includes a couple beers, and falling asleep to the soothing voice of commentator and local legend Michel Wuyts narrating a bike race.
Admittance is free for both the mass start and the finish, and the atmosphere i.e. the metaphorical circus that follows a bike race will be fun and entertaining for the entire family.