The day before watching the Tour of Flanders, Fred took me out for a ride on our bikes, riding parts of the route they'd be riding tomorrow. Such a treat to experience the climbs and cobbles that the professionals would be riding the next day. Ever since, when a race is on tv with parts that I've cycled I get a little buzz knowing I've done them.

Seen here is Muur van geraardsbergen, a legendary climb... absolutely brutal (my only real experience of steep and cobbled climbs) but so rewarding to reach the top.