Face of Flanders: Andy Claeskens

Andy Claeskens’ YouTube video of his 50-kilometre cycle ride from his home in Scherpenheuvel to the fire service in Vilvoorde has become a sensation in Flanders. Any cyclist will tell you stories of the obstacles they encounter on a daily basis: cars parked on cycle paths, drivers throwing open doors without looking, the dreaded blind spot of lorry drivers turning right and so on.

Put them all in a row, and you have a real horror show. The film, which Claeskens shot using a GoPro attached to his handlebars, is made up of a pastiche of situations when he was forced to brake or take to the street to avoid a collision.

The video is his latest entry in a campaign he’s been running since 2014 to sensitise drivers and municipal authorities to challenges faced by commuting cyclists. He started the campaign after he ran into a pothole in Haacht and fell badly, breaking his shoulder and missing six weeks of work.

“I sent an email to the mayor and councillors of Haacht,” he told Het Nieuwsblad. “They never replied. There are now works happening on that stretch of road, but I’m keeping away and riding a few kilometres around because it’s dangerous for cyclists there.”

The video has made international headlines and has been viewed more than 99,000 times. In the comments – an unusually polite discussion, on the whole, considering it’s YouTube – Claeskens explains himself.

“I was myself a professional lorry driver for 10 years, then I moved to the fire service, so I can say I have experience as both a driver and a cyclist. I’m not trying to make out I’m holier than the Pope, but inattention, time pressure, making phone calls at the wheel and indifference make things really dangerous. I have three children, and I try to encourage them to take the bike to school. They’re really nice kids, and I’d like to hold on to them a bit longer.”