The Göhltal Classic – 12H Ostbelgien wants above all to inspire confidence

Only a few weeks ago, Michael Bartholemy and TheEvent officially launched a new event in East Belgium. The Göhltal Classic – 12H Ostbelgien will take place on Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th May, starting from La Calamine, crossing notably the valley of the Gueule, named after the river that originates at the border with Germany and flows into the Meuse between Belgium and the Netherlands. This project met with approval from the outset, with many teams immediately signing up to it.
The authorities are equally enthusiastic, especially since the prospect of a new event at the end of a difficult and tricky period offers hope. “When the organiser, Michael Bartholemy, came to present his project to me, I was immediately enthusiastic and agreed subject to complying with the health rules in force at the time of the event,” comments Luc Frank, Mayor of La Calamine. “Everyone now aspires to a degree of normality. When the Göhltal Classic – 12H Ostbelgien will stop in our municipality on 15th and 16th May, I hope that we’ll be able to enjoy this well-deserved entertainment. All the more so as La Calamine has several times hosted events for vintage cars on its territory. It’s of course difficult to predict now under which conditions this event will take place, but I have total confidence in the organisers’ know-how when it comes to adapting their event to the then prevailing situation.”
“The idea is to make the Göhltal Classic – 12H Ostbelgien the ideal event in view of the Ostbelgien Classic in December,” explains Joseph Lambert. “There will be pacenotes and simple map markings to ensure that the event is accessible to everyone. Some technicalities will be involved, but fewer than at the Eupen-based event. On Saturday, starting from La Calamine, the contestants will set off on a 210-kilometre loop via the plateau of Herve and the Spa region, whereas on Sunday, the programme provides for 245 kilometres, with a route first heading towards Stavelot Abbey, where those who wish to visit the Spa-Francorchamps Circuit Museum can do so, before going on to Trois-Ponts, Werbomont, the Herve region, and finishing in La Calamine. It has to be said that the leisurely ride (‘balade’) will be around 50 kilometres shorter each day than the regularity event.”
Michael Bartholemy, Joseph Lambert and the other members of the organising team want to give everyone the opportunity to get a taste of the Ostbelgien Classic by taking part in a spring event in keeping with the TheEvent concept. Of course, driving is important but so is having a good time over a drink or a good meal in an atmosphere of open camaraderie. The word is out…