The Koppenberg looms large, both metaphorically and physically. It’s only 600 metres long, and 63 metres high, but you see it rising up - seemingly from nowhere - out of the Flemish plains. I rode it on Saturday, from a standing start, as part of the ‘We Ride Flanders’ sportive.
The climb itself doesn’t sound horrible on paper, or even on television: 11.1% average over 600 metres. The cobbles are some of the worst of the Tour of Flanders, but it should be doable.
