The Dutch Cycling Federation (KNWU) was very much looking forward to the “beautiful cycling festival in a central location in the country” and so was the municipality of Arnhem. But there is criticism from many sides about the idea of sending the peloton to the Posbank climb, a place with lush nature.
Now that the Natuurmonumenten association does not want “bells, whistles, helicopters, the public running and shouting in the middle of vulnerable nature”, the problems are piling up, reports the Omroep Gelderland website.
Competition will take place in June
The Dutch Cycling Championships will be organized on Sunday, June 23, 2024, in Arnhem. The start and finish of the street races are in the town of Gelderland, while the route largely consists of a circuit with several passes in the Posbank. The climb is located in the province of Gelderland and at the southern tip of Veluwezoom, on the outskirts of Rheden.
Organization believes it is possible
Thijs Rondhuis from Courage Events, organizer of the championship, states that he realizes that the race passes through a vulnerable area and is convinced that the National Championships can be organized at Posbank:
“This National Cycling Championship will therefore be held in the most sustainable way organized in this way, because the KNWU attaches great value to nature and the future of the Netherlands.”
Rondhuis does not want to anticipate whether a National Championship could be held without, for example, an audience, helicopters, support cars and noise pollution.
“We have created a working group for this purpose, including the municipalities of Rheden, Rozendaal and Arnhem. This group will meet next Wednesday. The requirements of the Natuurmonumenten will then be discussed.”
