On 10 March 1906 a fire in a pit at Courrières, a few kilometres from here, set off a coal-dust explosion that ran through the galleries of three linked mines and killed 1,099 men and boys. It is the worst mining disaster in European history. Rescue teams came from Germany's Westphalian coalfield and worked alongside French crews, a rare moment of cooperation between two countries that would be at war within a decade. Twenty days after the explosion, thirteen survivors were found alive, which astonished the country. The disaster led to strikes and a national debate on safety and the role of the state, with the interior minister, Georges Clemenceau, sending troops to the area, and it changed mining law in France.
The landscape of Fouquières-lès-Lens, Billy-Montigny and Noyelles-sous-Lens is part of the UNESCO-listed mining basin, with corons, slag heaps and pit headframes scattered among the modern suburbs. Many of the cemeteries and memorials in the area honour the victims of that day, with rows of simple graves and a monument. They are worth a quiet visit.
The people are warm and direct, and the old mining communities have a strong identity. Football, brass bands and pigeon racing are all part of the culture, and the Sunday market is a good place to see it. The beer is local and the frites are very good. The pit villages hold a festival for Sainte-Barbe, the patron saint of miners, in early December, with processions and banners.
For a rider, the roads are flat, mostly straight, and often busy. The surface is generally fair, though cobbles appear in town centres and slippery rails cross the roads. Fuel is easy to find in the neighbouring towns of Billy-Montigny, Noyelles and Fouquières, all of which have supermarkets and petrol. A visit to the Louvre-Lens, a short drive away, fits well with the day. Spring and autumn give the best light, and winter brings fog and drizzle.