(Photo © J. Maus)
The infamous and grueling “De Ronde Van West Portlandia” is set for this Sunday (4/17).
The ride, inspired by the Tour of Flanders in Belgium, was first held in 2007. 100 people showed up that first year and by 2009, the turnout had ballooned to 600-700 and the ride caught the attention of Oregon Public Broadcasting.
The route of De Ronde is legendary. About 50 miles in length with thousands of feet of climbing, it tackles several of Portland’s steepest hills, including some with inclines as steep as 26%. Organizer Brad Ross says he’s made some changes to the course this year, including, “one really cool climb that I don’t think many people know about.” Ross also decided to take a descent on Upper Hall off the route because he felt it was too “boring and dangerous.”
This year’s ride takes off Sunday at 10:00 am from the corner NW Industrial and 31st (map).
See our photos and past coverage of De Ronde in the archives. For more on the ride, visit RondePDX.com.