Marin Roubaix - 2014 - Route Made Official

PHRO Sticks With Traditional Route for '14

Only a week remains until Marin-Roubaix and questions still abound as to who to watch for. PHRO President and Chairman of Sitting In Chairs Joos Litvalk has been atypically close mouthed in recent weeks but today called a press conference to announce the fake-race route for this years Marin World Cup opener, the Marin-Roubaix. 

Once again being run in the traditional counter-clockwise direction around the Camp Chinois, PHRO has elected to stick with the winning formula of last years tilt. Despite the popularity of the Pau Clouf section of golf cart track, year long negotiations with the United Union of Greenskeepers have broken down in the last month and the strike has closed Pau Clouf for all events for the past 13 months is expected to continue. 

In light of the situation, Litvalk has again elected to include the new sector, Pointe Camp Chinois, as the first sector of pavé. Included at the last minute in 2012, "le Pointe" as it's know to the locals, has been a fitting addition to a challenging route.

One factor to watch for is the recent work being done in the vicinity of the Railroad d'Arenberg. Municipal agencies have been preparing the area for the new high speed train to Monaco and conditions have been unsettling in the already treacherous "trench of despair."

As in years past, Marin-Roubaix will start at the former meeting hall of the Hushvod Boosters Club, at 1000 Bst in San Rafaaeel at 3:30pm and will finish with 1 1/2 laps of the track at L'Ecole d'San Rafaaeel stadium at the South end of the Western Bleachers. (Finish detail on map).

BREAKING: PHRO Releases RVSR 2014 Route

LITVALK CALLS SUDDEN PRESSER

In a surprising move, Joos Litvalk, PHRO Chairman and Chief Dishwasher, held an impromptu press conference this morning to reveal the official course for the 2014 Ronde von SanRaflaanderran. Given that traditionally, right up until the week prior to the fake-race the route is a tightly controlled secret, today’s announcement came as a welcom surprise to the teams and fans of the event. While much attention was given to the course layout, speculations about Litvalk’s motives were also in ready supply.

The narrative that has taken shape is that the early announcement will allow the lesser contenders to reconnoiter the route more thoroughly and lessen the advantage of the local fake-racers. Many fans were disgruntled last year when, expecting a hard fought and exciting race, they were instead left with yet another tête-à-tête between Jonas Lodewick and Ken Hushvod.

While publicly denying any influence of last year’s two rider, yet predictably one sided dual, many close to Litvalk report that he was privately outraged at the lack of resilience and fortitude shown by the rest of the field. Perhaps the growing chorus of riders complaining about the lack of adequate route documentation and prep time has finally swayed the notoriously intractable Litvalk.

Building on the previous edition’s improved route sheets, this year PHRO is not only including the official route sheet and a detailed elevation profile of the course but also an interactive Google course link: 

http://goo.gl/maps/HsqWW

Perhaps those bemoaning a lack of course knowledge will be able to put that in their proverbial pipe and smoke it.

Marin World Cup 2014

Marin World Cup

2014

Marin-Roubaix

Sunday, April 6th

3:30pm

Ronde von SanRaflaanderran

Sunday, April 13th

3:30pm