Did you actually make it up the entire Muur-Kappelmuur? If so, congratulations! That's an unbelievably difficult hill! (For those of you who don't know, it maxes at over 19.5%, and the steepest part comes just after you have to make a sharp turn. Oh, and it's all on cobblestones.)

I rode the general amateur Tour of Flanders in April, and the organization wasn't any better than you described. Thank goodness it was a cool and cloudy day as I never did find anywhere to fill up water. And I finally had to stop at a small-town bar to use the bathroom when I couldn't find one supplied for the ride after a couple of hours.

I'm still having problems with my neck from riding those long cobbled stretches. I just got a referral from my doctor on Friday for some sports massage sessions.

I didn't know there was a woman-only ride. How many people were there? There were over 19,000 on the one in April - it was pretty crazy!

That was my first trip to Belgium, and I truly loved it.