The following is an extract from The Ronde: Inside the world's toughest bike race, by Edward Pickering, published by Simon and Schuster, available here. For more from 'Belgian Week' on Cyclingnews, click here.
In some parts of the 'traditional' cycling countries – Belgium, France, Spain and Italy – cycling seems to be an expression of regional pride as much as national pride. Though the internationalisation of the sport in the 21st century is diluting this tendency, by reputation the most passionate fans come from Flanders, Brittany, the Basque Country and Tuscany.
These regions have also produced a surfeit of professional riders, lots of local racing and a large following for the sport, and they remain hotbeds of cycling talent. Bike races held in these regions have special atmospheres, and their fans are extremely knowledgeable about the sport.
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It could be coincidental but the first three regions especially have strong separatist movements. (Also, the Lega Nord political party – which advocates policies ranging between greater autonomy for the northern regions of Italy and outright secession from the south – came second in Tuscany in the last elections in 2015.) One of the defining aspects of bike races in Flanders, Brittany and the Basque Country is the omnipresence of the local flags – the black lion rampant with red claws on a yellow background (black claws for the Flemish nationalists) of the Vlaamse Leeuw for Flanders, the black and white stripes of the Breton Gwenn-ha-du and the red, white and green ikurrina of the Basque Country.
There are similarities between the bike racing in Brittany and Flanders. An almost autonomous circuit of local races evolved in both regions that were linked to local religious festivals. In Brittany, each village held festivals of penitence, known as Pardons, and through the 20th century bike races, usually based on laps of a shortish circuit, became part of the entertainment. The Flemish equivalent is the kermis, a celebration of the local patron saint, where bike races, similarly based on circuits, are often the highlight. In the second half of the 20th century it became possible for riders to make a good career out of participating only in this kind of race in their local regions, with no need to turn professional and participate internationally.
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