The Ardennes Monster – Origin (1050km)

The Ardennes Monster Origin is the flagship distance of the Belgian ultra series — a 1,050-kilometre road event from Namur with 20,000 metres of climbing through the forests and river valleys of the Ardennes. Namur sits at the confluence of the Meuse and Sambre rivers and serves as the gateway to the Ardennes plateau, the forested highland region that covers much of southern Belgium, Luxembourg, and parts of Germany and France. The route loops through this territory on roads characterised by continuous short climbs and descents — the Ardennes landscape is one of the most deceptive in European cycling, appearing modest in gradient but accumulating enormous elevation totals through sheer relentlessness. The 20,000 metres of climbing in 1,050 kilometres is comparable to major alpine ultras despite the maximum elevation rarely exceeding 700 metres. The event runs in July, when the Ardennes forests are in full summer green and the days are long. The name captures both the character of the terrain and the attitude required to complete it. Riders who underestimate the Ardennes because of its modest altitudes consistently report it as harder than expected — the Monster is an apt description.