It was a day of historic – and epic – proportions. We’ve journeyed far, across continents, oceans, and the toughest roads in Europe, to arrive at the route for Sunday’s Hell of the North – Paris-Roubaix. Me and my butt found out first hand what it’s like to ride the “pavé”.

The continued support of title and presenting sponsors, and the addition of a Director Sportif and five new riders, reveals the promise that Velo Classic p/b Stan’s NoTubes is poised to excel on the national stage in 2017.

The spring classics are considered the most exciting single day races on the cycling calendar. From the cobbles and bergs of Flanders, to the pave of northern France to the hills of the Ardennes, these races have come to define the image of the hard men -and women- of cycling.

Tour Stage Preview: The ASO certainly knows how to put on a spectacle. Each year, the Grand Depart is feted and celebrated, usually more for its cultural iconography than its significance for the actual race itself. So if setting the table at Mont St Michel, then it is only fitting to conclude the world’s most popular bike race in the shadow of Europe’s most iconic mountain, Mont Blanc.

The 2016 Giro d'Italia comes to its grand finalé in the northern City of Turin on Sunday, but there is much more to the Piedmont region than big mountain climbs. Peter Easton of VeloClassic Tours takes us on a culinary and cultural journey through Torino as the peloton readies its self for the last battles.

Chasing Paris-Roubaix is always an adventure, but one that requires a plan. We'd set out to catch Paris-Roubaix with a four-stop strategy, under the experienced guidance of Velo Classic Tours. But lucky for us, these best-laid plans went awry in the most incredible way. This is the story of how we reached the velodrome on race day.

Gord is bouncing around on the kasseien and hellingen of one of the sport's most hallowed regions. Travelling with Peter and Lisa Easton of Velo Classic Tours, it's time to get up close and personal with the brutality of what the pros will face in the Ronde van Vlaanderen.

A couple of weeks back, Pez got a few minutes with one of the top women’s racers on the planet. Oenone Wood rocketed to the top with a series of great performances in the toughest races in Europe – winning back-to-back World Cups in 2004 and 2005. Although she couldn’t get the hat-trick in a tough 2006, next year brings a new team and a new resolve to grab even more success.

The Belgian fans weren’t happy. “They’re praying for rain!” said our driver, ex-Navigators pro, Franky Van Haesbroucke. For the most part, the rest of us were delighted to enjoy a warm, sunny day, speeding across country to catch the action as Paris-Roubaix unfolded.