Cobbled streets, “estaminets” – typical restaurants with local gastronomy -, houses with sparrow-stepped gables, “Reuze Papa” and “Reuze Maman” – two giants for emblem – and a panoramic view of the plain of Flanders . Welcome to Cassel, 176 m above sea level, 2,300 inhabitants. This Sunday, June 25, it is here, in the heart of the “favorite village of the French” edition 2018, located some fifty kilometers from Lille (North), that the new French road cycling champion will be crowned.
Cassel is a regular at major competitions. The 4 Days of Dunkerque stop there regularly and the Tour de France peloton passed through it in 2022. At the heart of “Flanders, land of cycling”, named after the communication campaign carried out by local authorities to promote the practice , this is the favorite spot for cyclists in the region.
“It’s THE local spot”
If the general public was still missing on Thursday, they had already made the trip to follow the arrivals of the winners of the day’s events, the time trials: Cédrine Kerbaol (Ceratizit-WNT) for women and Rémi Cavagna (Soudal-Quick Step) for men. On the large screens installed on the village’s “Grand’Place”, the images of the Porte d’Aire and the difficulty the runners had in climbing it almost reassured Roger, 67, in his old school “Cofidis” outfit. . “I’m not the only one to have to hang on in the home stretch,” he laughed, as a regular at the scene.
Accustomed, Adrien, 28, is one too. Since the post-confinement period, he has seriously taken up cycling, as much pushed by his group of friends as he is curious and motivated after having worked for several summers in the organization of the Tour de France. Among other things, he was responsible for installing signage on the course. “By necessity, Cassel is THE cycling spot in the area. Some call it the Alpe d’Huez of Flanders, he smiles. If you want to climb a little, if you want to progress or even prepare for mountain races, you have to come here. On average, four out of five bike rides, I ride Cassel. »
From Hazebrouck, where he lives – and where the start of the “pros” race will be given -, he also sometimes comes by car to the foot of Mont Cassel, then goes uphill and downhill, just to accumulate enough elevation gain. In his wheel that day, he trained Perrine, 26, his little sister, who was freed from this difficulty for the first time.
“Here, as soon as there is a ray of sunshine, people drive”
“This is only my third outing,” explains the dynamic physical education and sports teacher from a college in the region. Here, as soon as there is a ray of sunshine, people drive. Every Sunday, we always come across a lot of bikes and there is everyone’s interest in the practice, including among young people who are more and more numerous. That’s part of what made me want to do it myself. »
On site, locals and traders also regularly visit cyclists from the neighboring country. Nathan Hardy, “co-owner” of the Taverne Flamande, a tavern, regularly sees Belgian runners pass by, the border being only a dozen kilometers away. “They take advantage of Cassel to take a break from their outing and come and enjoy a coffee or a Perrier, or even a beer for the strongest,” he laughs. As a sports enthusiast, he says he is delighted to see such an event in his town. “This long weekend of races, it will inevitably bring back even more people”, he appreciates.
In the meantime, make way for the professionals, who will therefore have to face the famous ascent of the village via the Porte d’Aire. “You can’t cycle in Cassel without going through rue d’Aire”, concludes Adrien. The runners will have time to taste it, since they will pass it 16 times this Sunday.
Installed in a bend at the foot of this climb, placed near the Porte de Dunkerque (the other difficulty of the route: 1.9 km at 4% on average, with a maximum slope of 9%) or seated on a terrace of the Grand’Place, facing the finish line, fans will be spoiled for choice. And they will, no doubt, be present in large numbers to enjoy the show.
