Gravel between Thiant and Sommaing

The ride

Roll out of Denain and let the route unfold along the water. You ride beside the canalised Escaut, then follow the Écaillon and the Selle, each river pulling you further into the countryside. The Selle hands you over to the Canal de l'Escaut, and from there it's a straightforward run back to where you started. With 59.8 km under the wheels and 58% of it unpaved, there's plenty of variety between the paved stretches and the gravel ones.