Normally concerned with curating a vibrant landscape of bergs and concrete roads, the ‘Vlaanderen kunstpunt van de wielrcultuur’ (Flanders society of cycling art & culture) has taken aim at the American based series of ‘Belgium Waffle Rides’
The Kunstenpunt’s from Antwerp, in a strongly worded fax, suggest that the Gravel-based events are culturally appropriating both ‘Belgium’, ‘waffle’ and the ‘vlag van België‘ itself. The society asserts that a typical American Gravel Race consists of elements unrecognizable from the average Belgium based cycle race.
A spokesperson for the organisers of the Belgium Waffle Rides ‘reached out’ to SOTP to push-back on what they see as vexatious allegations “These guys need to wake up and smell the coffee. Gravel is the future of cycling and so are these rides. Anyway – that Belgium flag is based on the French Tricolour and there waffles are a French invention too. These ‘gatekeepers of cycling culture’ need to understand that North American cycling heritage goes all the waaaaaaay back to 1981. Nineteen-Eighty_One! We’re legit’
With shots fired on either side, SOTP offers to culturally arbitrate in this unsavoury matter.