Turnai - Turnai     

Turnai - Turnai, the only cobble classic in Division 3. And a classic, it is. It has a history with many top cobblers on the honours list.

The race starts and finishes before the 'Cathédrale Notre Dame de Tournai'. Going to the north, the first 45 kilometres won't be that difficult. The difficult hills known from the Tour of Flanders are left out of the route. However, after 45 kilometres, the first cobble roads ap...

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Turnai - Turnai, the only cobble classic in Division 3. And a classic, it is. It has a history with many top cobblers on the honours list.

The race starts and finishes before the 'Cathédrale Notre Dame de Tournai'. Going to the north, the first 45 kilometres won't be that difficult. The difficult hills known from the Tour of Flanders are left out of the route. However, after 45 kilometres, the first cobble roads appear on the way. The triptych of Kerkgate, Ruiterstraat and Holleweg (also from the Tour of Flanders) will be the first big obstacle on the route. Close after, the Haaghoek follows. Avoiding the difficult Taaienberg and Eikenberg, the last cobbled road in the Flemish Ardennes is the Donderij.

Via Ronse, the riders will turn back to Turnai, from where there are only 35 kilometres left. Very difficult kilometres, because after 114 kilometres, the riders will start riding four of the last "Secteurs Pavés" from Paris-Roubaix. The first one is Bourgelles-Wannehain (****), directly followed by Cysoing-Bourghelles (****). Both are ridden in the reverse direction.

After 122 kilometres, the most difficult "Secteur Pavé" begins: Gruson-Carrefour de l'Arbre (**), which is 1.1 km long and Carrefour de l'Arbre (*****), 2.1 kilometres long. Directly after probably the most decisive cobbled sector, Camphin-en-Pévèle begins (****), which is 1.8 kilometres in length. It is highly probable that the one rider who is at the front after this last "Secteur Pavé", will win the race.

However, then there are still 10 kilometres left to the finish, which are on the clinkers in the centre of Turnai, next to the cathedral. The winner will get a splendid trophy of the symbol of the race: The cathedral of Turnai.