Sport and socialising … all day long!

Whilst the team assisting Michael Bartholemy with the organisation of the Ostbelgien Classic has already made much progress with respect to the cross-border route which the contestants will take on Friday 4, Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 December, utmost attention is also being paid to the social aspect of this event highlighting Eastern Belgium. The details of the – already famous – Ostbelgien Classic evenings have also been finalised, promising comfort after much effort expended at the wheel or pouring over measuring instruments.
“As already mentioned, we were keen to learn as many lessons as possible after the first edition of our event”Michael Bartholemy explains. “One thing is certain: everyone enjoyed the festive atmosphere on the Klötzerbahn, where the podium and tent were set up. The party was already fun on Friday evening when the contestants returned, what how much more can we say about the atmosphere on Saturday? The future winners were even seen singing and dancing! When planning the second act of our event, we wanted more than ever to turn the Klötzerbahn into the focal point of the Ostbelgien Classic. The point people never really move away from at the end of the stage …”
On Friday evening, the participants will thus meet just 150 meters from the podium for dinner at the Europasaal. And, since the end-of-day festivities will be more than flexible, those who want to enjoy the atmosphere on the Klötzerbahn for longer will be able to do so at their leisure. Likewise on Saturday evening, when dinner will be served in a very special place that was highly appreciated last year, Kloster Heidberg, located barely 500 meters from the centre of the event. The final dinner, including the award ceremony, will take place at the Atelier, also located on the territory of Eupen. This is a venue we already attended last year, but on Saturday evening and which also enjoyed unanimous approval… it’s the ideal way to conclude the festivities.
The main news of the last two weeks, i.e. the  participation of the Lambert-Chapa duo in the route design and sporting event management, an itinerary that will take the contestants to the Netherlands, Germany and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, as well as down the most beautiful roads of Eastern Belgium, but also and above all the creation of an Ostbelgien Classic Light category with fewer hurdles, have already had an impact on the list of entrants… more than six months before the start!
“We can clearly feel the contestants’ desire to turn the page on this very peculiar spring” continues Bartholemy. “More than twenty teams have already signed up to the provisional entry list and we’re very happy to see that several Dutch-speaking teams will be joining. It’s also noteworthy that the rate of new contestants is very high, which is a good sign. Jean Vincent, who already participated in 2019, will be there with his wife, this time at the wheel of his magnificent 1934 Bentley Speed Six, which we saw in action during the Beijing-Paris race last year. That’s a legendary car that won’t go unnoticed!”. And which will no doubt be joined by others.
Visit the website www.ostbelgien-classic.be and also the organisation’s Facebook page (Ostbelgien Classic) to find out all there is to know about an already very promising second edition …