Koppenberg - Melden

The Koppenberg used to be one of the monuments of the Ronde van Vlaanderen. The Steengat or Koppenberg was climbed for the first time by the Ronde van Vlaanderen (Tour of Flanders) in 1976 but was climbed only for the 14th time in 2006. Reason for this is that the cobblestone road became too dangerous for cyclists, so the Koppenberg was removed from the route. After a repavement with handmade cobblestones imported from Italy, the Koppenberg reappeared in the Tour of Flanders. The maximum gradient of the Koppenberg is 22%.

The Koppenberg is situated in East Flanders and belongs to the Vlaamse Ardennen . Starting from Melden, the Koppenberg ascent is 0.62 km long. Over this distance, you climb 64 heightmeters. The average percentage thus is 10.2 %.

Look for other sides to climb the Koppenberg.

Story by Matt from , Canada, submitted on 26/07/2011

Did it this year (together with the rest of the Ronde Van Vlanderen hills) when dry. When dry you can stand on the pedals and just power your way up. Cobblestones make every hill much harder as the friction reduces your speed. As you can see from the pictures, there is a gutter on the side which makes the climb a bit easier as it''s smoother. In the Tour of Flanders, cyclists try to use the side when possible as well. As with most Ronde climbs, there is a turn before the hill starts which means that you have to reduce your speed before the start. However, here you have about 200 m before the hill really kicks up.

My personal climb rating:

Story by WJS from , Belgium, submitted on 01/06/2010

Have ridden Koppenberg 5 times and luckily all were dry. 1st time was equally worried about the cobble stones and the slope. Was elated to make it and looped around for a second run which was quite a bit easier knowing the cobbles could be managed on a dry day. If you enjoy cycling and are in decent shape I highly recommend it.

My personal climb rating:

Story by Michael Osborne from Chattanooga, United States, submitted on 31/10/2008

I tried it twice of different days. The first day the cobbles were slick from rain and I fell into the embankment. The next try, with dryer cobbles, I made it. Also changed to Vittoria Roubaix tires which helped.

My personal climb rating:

Story by Bob Jenkins from London, U>K>, submitted on 17/07/2006

I rode up the Koppenburg but had to get off my bike because it was too slippery. I then slipped and fell and banged my head and got amnesia......................

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