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In a nutshell
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Start
Finish
Country
Stages
Rest days
Highlights
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Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Maastricht, The Netherlands
The Netherlands
12 stages
2 days : Groningen, Rotterdam
Flower fields, Elfstedentocht,
Hoge Veluwe National Park, Betuwe,
Kinderdijk,
Delta Works,
Amstel Gold Race
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Total distance
Average distance
Total climbing
Average climbing
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1.600 km
130 km
2.500 meters
200 meters |
1000 miles
83 miles
7.500 feet
600 feet
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Road condition
Period
Accommodation
Bike Rental
Price
Discount
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90-95% paved, 5-10% unpaved
( alternative route 100% paved )
Sunday April 14th,
2019
Saturday April 27th,
2019
15 hotel nights
Available
€ 2.795,- euro
€ 200,- for early registration
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Description
When you think of the Netherlands, you think of
windmills, flowers, wooden clogs, water and of course
cycling. It's probably the only country in the world
where there are more bicycles than inhabitants. The
country has an extensive network of beautiful cycle
paths, from the busiest cities to the smallest idyllic
villages. A total of 35.000 kilometres of cycle paths
have been built in the Netherlands, which is exceptional
for such a small country. Cycle paths between wetlands,
through rolling forests and heathland, along vast green
meadows, on winding inner dikes, and in the middle of
ancient city centres. The Dutch Detour is a succession
of a small selection from this wealth of paths that
connects the most beautiful areas and places of the
country.
You start in the capital
Amsterdam with its old warehouses located on
picturesque city canals and a tangle of urban cyclists.
You leave the capital in a southerly direction to the
world-famous tulip fields;
a stunning mosaic of brightly coloured flowers as far as
your eye can see. Via striking places such as the Zaanse
Schans and Alkmaar you cycle over the 32-kilometer-long
Afsluitdijk in the direction of Friesland, the province
where the famous tour along
eleven Frisian cities
is waiting for you.
A first rest day is planned in the northernmost city of
the country, Groningen.
From here we find us a way through the Dutch provinces
to the south. Millennia-old dolmens, dark forests and
historic villages mark the landscape of Drenthe. We
cycle in Overijssel through Giethoorn, also called the
Venice of the Netherlands, and the rolling Salland with
wonderful views that you won't expect to see in The
Netherlands. The National
Park de Hoge Veluwe should not be missed, as well
as the countryside between Maas and Waal that has a lot
of hidden natural beauty and lovely fortified towns.
It seems like all cycle paths converge in
Utrecht. Tens of
thousands of inhabitants and students find their way as
an elongated peleton through the old centre of the Dom
city. We pass the windmills of
Kinderdijk that
all have been operating since 1740. A piece of
culture and history that deserves a place on the Unesco
World Heritage List and it's worth a detour on our way
to the south.
One of the world's largest harbour cities
Rotterdam offers
plenty of entertainment for a second rest day. It is a
dynamic city along the water with an impetuous beating
heart. We continue our way through the harbour area to
Zeeland, a province that has been struggling against the
rising water since time immemorial. The peninsulas are
connected to each other in a unique way by the
construction of the Delta
Works that offer the residents protection. Three
stages remain through the Roman Catholic South of the
country that is adorned with abbeys, cathedrals,
churches, monasteries and castles. The last stage to
Maastricht we
follow a large part of the
Amstel Gold Race. It's Netherlands' largest
one-day cycling race with countless brutal hills, so you
can still use your smallest gears.
The route follows mainly rural roads and cycle paths
outside the cities. We certainly don't take the shortest
route from Amsterdam to Maastricht, but we prefer the
most beautiful detours and passages to enjoy optimally
the diversity of the Dutch landscape.
It will happen more than once that the planned route is
unpaved, but is well passable with a normal road bike.
La Strade Hollanda. It provides an extra dimension to
the tour and will give you the feeling to cycle through
old Dutch regions where time has stood still. However,
there is always a good fully paved alternative available
to reach the finish in a scenic way.
The tour is planned in spring when the Netherlands shows
its best side with the colourful flower fields, gorgeous
blossoms and a myriad of fresh green colours. Of course
we hope for nice sunny days with pleasant temperatures,
but also rain or a cold eastern wind is possible. You
can expect a temperature between 10 and 20 degrees
Celsius, but don't forget to bring cycling gear for
worse circumstances. Good or bad weather conditions; we
make sure that your engines keep on running and that
every day a comfortable hotel room with a warm shower is
waiting.
The first edition of the "Dutch Detour" starts on
Sunday April 14th,
2019 in Amsterdam. The finish is after 14 days,
1.600 kilometres and many detours in the most charming
city of the Netherlands, Maastricht.
The Dutch Detour is certainly not the most physically
challenging journey in our program due to the limited
number of altitude meters, but the cycling pleasure is
certainly no less. You pass a large number of well-known
Dutch cities and sights, but it is mainly the detours
that make the trip an attractive bicycle experience. Why
would you cycle directly from A to B if there is a much
better detour? We would like to welcome you in our own
cycling country, the Netherlands.
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