Le Deux Ris-Durbuy-la Roche en Ardenne-Le Deux Ris 84 km

This is a nice cycling tour through the Ardennes, between the Ourthe and Aisne valleys, offering a few challenging cols, but also quite a few kilometers of easier, slightly undulating, quiet countryside. The most challenging climb is the Haussire, rated the most difficult in Belgium according to cotacol (see e.g. www.klimtijd.nl). Between Barvaux and Durbuy you follow a cycling path on the Ourthe. It is beautiful, but the concrete is a bit old. Part of the cycling path is skipped to avoid the worst part.
The tour starts in Le Deux Ris near the church in the Aisne valley where there is some room to park a car. Shortly after, the first climb starts on the Col de Rideux (see waypoint). It is a nice climb through the woods with good views at the end. From the top you descend through Heyd and continue to Barvaux in the Ourthe valley. Here you follow a cycling path (Ravel 5) on the Ourthe river. The concrete path is of mediocre quality. I continued all the way to Durbuy but the path deteriorates towards the end, and I therefore included in the track a small detour on small paved roads from the waypoint marked “Deviation from cycle path due to bad pavement”. This detour is on minor asphalt roads of varying quality (Google street view information). You arrive in Durbuy, a small picturesque and touristic town. From here you climb out of the valley and then continue to la Roche-en-Ardenne on undulating roads without any steep climbs through quiet countryside. Just before la Roche you descend to the Ourthe and follow a small road along the valley into the center. This is a good point for lunch, or you continue to go up the Vielle route de Beausaint, a nice climb with good views of la Roche. In Beausaint you turn back to La Roche on the main road. Here the main challenge of the tour starts: the Haussire. This steep climb with a slight descent in the middle is rated the most difficult of Belgium. On the top there is a sign to that effect as well as a monument to Claudy Criquielion. You descend to the N89 which you then climb to the highest point of the route at Samrée at about 550 m. From here, there is a long descend towards the Aisne valley at Amonines. Here is the last climb of the day to Hazeilles, after which you descend through the Estinale valley back to the Aisne valley at Le Deux Ris.
The main places to find something to eat and drink are Durbuy and la Roche.