The Worlds 2012 Cycling Momentum Scheme has become a great success in Limburg.

Not only already existing initiatives, but also the organizations of new cycling activities have responded on a large scale to the scheme. Requests have been done for so called “Fat tire races” (unofficial youth races), proposals for cycling-projects for handicapped people and many brand-new youth races and time trial races have recently seen the light.

At this stage the total budget of 55.000 euro for the complete scheme is nearly exhausted. The budget of 25.000 euro for initiatives from non-Worlds municipalities is already completely used. Any new requests from within these municipalities will not be rewarded anymore.

From the total budget of 30.000 euro meant for initiatives from within the six Championships municipalities - Maastricht, Eysden-Margraten, Valkenburg, Heerlen, Landgraaf and Sittard-Geleen - the budget ceiling has almost been reached. New initiatives from organizations within these municipalities can be send till 31st of March. If the budget by then still hasn’t been cleared, the rest of the budget will be allocated towards initiatives from outside the six municipalities on condition that their requests have been sent before 12 February (dealt with in order of admission).

During an informational briefing for mayors, municipal councilors, local councilors and provincial electives the province of Limburg has spoken out it’s trust that the organization of the 2012 Worlds will deliver “the best worldchampionship cycling ever to be organized.”

During the international cyclocross race in Heerlen the organization of the Worlds Limburg 2012 held an informational briefing for governmental partners. The guests were briefed by CEO Pé Diederen on the evolvement of the Worlds.

As kick-off of the meeting provincial deputy Theo Krebber symbolically transferred the contract of the Worlds 2012 to the organization of Limburg 2012.
In his speech the deputy declared that “all efforts of all parties involved will lead to the best Worlds that will ever be organized. The championship will become a great event whereby Limburg will be able to profile itself as a top sporting province.”
 

Photo: CEO of the Local Oranisation Committee Mr. Pé Diederen en Deputy of the Province of Limburg Mr. Theo Krebber (photography: Wouter Roosenboom).

This year’s event will be different with the return of the team time trial (TTT), not for national teams but for trade-sponsored squads.

The World Championship TTT was last run in 1994, where teams of 4 riders represented their country over a 100km course. The new version includes teams of six, riding distances of 53.2 km for men and 34.2 km for women. Another key difference is that for the first time in the history of the World Championships the national aspect of the race is put aside because the riders will represent their commercial team rather than their home country. UCI WorldTour, Pro-Continental and Continental teams will participate, so their six best riders, regardless of nationality, will have the opportunity to ride. Reaction to the change has been greeted positively by team managers, and several teams have indicated that success in the TTT will be a priority for them. Rabobank officials have already looked at the route, Vacansoleil-DCM sees opportunities and 1t4i manager Iwan Spekenbrink thinks that the collective race against the clock is a chance to raise their profile this year. "What you mainly need is a team time trial team spirit," he says. "This spirit is reflected in our temporary name. A good result at the World Championships really reflects a solid team ethos.  For our women's team it is also one of the priorities of the season. "

Planning and training
Although this year’s structure is very different from the old team time trial, there are also similarities. The distance is much shorter, but it remains an extremely difficult task and the riders will need to be very well prepared in order to grab a podium place. The physical qualities of the riders need to be supported by a desire to win, while the contribution of the coach is far more important than in an individual road race. Everything needs to come together on the day for success. In this respect riders could learn from the Dutch teams of 1978, 1982 and 1986, all of whom won gold in the team time trial.

These three championships were part of a long period of success for Dutch teams and riders, many of whom entered races with an air of invincibility. One such rider was Jan van Houwelingen, who represented the Netherlands at the TTT in 1978. When journalists saw the team as they stood at the start, they were shocked by the confidence that they radiated. Their self-belief was justified as they won the race by over a minute, beating the Russian team into second place. During the 1982 race, Frits van Bindsbergen worked so hard during the first two circuits of the motor racing track at Goodwood that he had to abandon, but he had done enough to deliver the team to victory. The tactic worked again four years later in Colorado Springs when Rob Harmeling buried himself in the early stages of the course, ensuring success for the Netherlands once more.

These amateur riders sometimes employed unusual methods in order to achieve their aims. The 1986 team would ride long training sessions behind a car, pushing a big 55x12 gear and listening to disco music by Donna Summer in order to keep a cadance of 135 rpm. They gave up the normal tour of amateur races that year in order to train purely for the World Championships, entering hard stage races, not to win, but in preparation for the season’s single goal.

Early Decisions
It may well be the case that this year’s successful riders build their season around the World Championships TTT in much the same way. A combination of physcial and mental preparedness, developed over the course of the 2012 season, will be required for success. However, training in itself may not be enough, as team managers will look to in-form riders who have shown themselves to be capable of competing in the discipline. Vacansoleil team manager Michel Cornelisse: "We take the TTT very seriously and I also think we have a good team. In Lieuwe Westra and Gustav Larsson we have two great time trial riders. In addition we have men like Stijn Devolder, Thomas De Gendt and Björn Leukemans. But I think it is too early to really make decisions about who will ride. Of course, I generally have a roster and a plan in my head, but there is so much happening between now and September. Final decisions will be based partly on rider’s form as the time approaches; Nothing is more frustrating for a rider in shape to be told he isn’t riding because the team has already been decided. "

With a very full fixture list throughout the season it may well be the case that some teams take to the start line with limited practice as a group. But in a sport that thrives on teamwork and mutual support, to compete in a World Championship team time trial may well be the high point of many team’s and rider’s seasons.

Who will be at the start?
The pressure builds to a climax on September 16th  in Sittard, the start of the team time trial event. All teams from the men's UCI WorldTour will participate. There is also space for Pro-Continental and Continental teams to qualify. Competitors will come from the following:
- Top 20 teams in the European Tour
- Top 5 teams in the American Tour
- Top 5 teams in the Asian Tour
- Best team in the African Tour
- Best team in the Oceania Tour

Selections will be based on the rankings of August 15th, 2012. In the women’s event the top 20 UCI ranked teams will start. All teams are required to submit the names of nine riders by September 1st. Six of them will actually start, and during the race the time of the fourth rider across the line will be the one that counts.

Course
The routes chosen for the team time trials are certainly not flat out and back! Both the men’s and women’s events start in Sittard and finish in Valkenburg. The women's 34.2 km route includes two climbs; the Lange Raarberg, after around 20 km, and of course the Cauberg. The men’s 53.2 km route features the Lange Raarberg and also the Bergesweg in Voerendaal. The men also finish close after the Cauberg. Vacansoleil rider Lieuwe Westra knows how to deal with the climbs. "You must make sure that the team does not split up on the first climbs. You must stay together if you are to stay in contention."

This article was made possible by media partner Wielerland Magazine.

Andi Druk has been added as official printer for the 2012 UCI Road World Championships.

Andri Druk established at Maastricht-Airport is no rooky in the world of cycling. The Dutch company delivers high quality prints among others to former Olympic champion ATB Bart Brentjens and for the organizations of the Amstel Gold Race and Hel van het Mergelland (UCI Continental circuit Europe). For Limburg 2012 Andi Druk will provide the organization with all kind of graphical products and prints of the highest quality.

The organization of the Worlds Limburg 2012 is very pleased with this new partnership.

JCDecaux has been added as official outdoor media partner for the UCI Road World Championships Limburg 2012.

The multinational JCDecaux will take care of all outdoor billboard advertisements for the 2012 Worlds. JCDecaux is world leader in outdoor advertisement and (advertising) street furniture. In the Netherlands JCDecaux advertises in 56 cities with columns and billboards. For the 2012 UCI Road World Championships, JCDecaux will organize a billboard campaign.

The organization of the Road World Championships Limburg 2012 is very pleased with this new partner.

Two brand new Dutch World Champions will be present at the upcoming international Cyclocross in Heerlen.

Lars van der Haar, U23 Espoirs World Champion, will be at the start of the cyclocross race, while Mathieu van der Poel (World Champion in the Juniors catagory) will be honored in Heerlen.

The participants in the elite men's field is strong with exciting riders such as Kevin Pauwels, Bart Aernouts, Zdenke Stybar and Francis Mourey apperaring. Dutch support will be for the promising rider Mike Teunissen. In total the participants come from fewer than 10 countries but there are several national champions riding.

Limburg 2012
Where the Road World Championships will close this amazing cycling year in Limburg, Cyclocross Heerlen is the first major cycling event of the year. For this reason the organization of the World Championships invites the aldermen and councilors of the 14 municipalities involved in the event for a briefing on the progress of the worlds 2012. Provincial delegate Theo Krebber will open the meeting while Pé Diederen, Managing Director of the Local Organisation Committee, will provide an update on the current state of planning.

Program
The program for the International Cyclocross Heerlen 2012 / Grand Prix Heuts begins on Saturday 11th February with an open practice session from 12:00 to 15:00.

The events program for Sunday, February 12th:

10.00 Start Amateurs Men (40 min)
           Start BMX Clinic
11.00 Start Masters (40 min)
13.00 End BMX Clinic
13.45 Start Elite Women (40 min)
14.45 Celebration of World Champions
15.00 Start Elite Men / Espoirs (60 min)
 

French team-coach Laurent Jalabert inspected the course of the UCI Road World Championships men road race. Jalabert, worlds second in 1992 (Benidorm) and World champion time trial in 1997 (San Sebastian) predicts an exciting race in the Dutch hills of Limburg.

During a press conference after the inspection of the track the French coach spoke frankly about the track, chances, dangers and possible title favourites.

According to Jalabert the track is selective and hard enough to become an epic race. During the long approach to the circuit (100 kilometers) the French team has to be aware that any time differences are controllable. “The wind is going to be a determining factor in this”, concludes the former top rider.

It’s a beautiful, difficult, fast and challenging course where time differences have to be kept in check. Jalabert knows from his experience that the Cauberg, in his own view “a unpredictable climb”, is the defining challenge. If you want to win there are two options according to the Frenchman; “one, you go full throttle from the foot of the hill all the way till the finish line, or two you pull away at the top of the Cauberg and don’t look behind till you pass the line.”

The finish line is one kilometer behind the top of the Cauberg. This gives other riders, who are less explosive than f.e. Phillippe Gilbert, the chance to come back. Jalabert predicts that a small group of favourites is going to decide the championship in the last kilometers of the race. On the question who these favourites are, Jalabert gave already a shortlist: Gilbert, Hushovd, Freire, Valverde en Boasson Hagen.

Photo: Wouter Roosenboom

The start of the new year is traditionally the period of team presentations for the coming season. Many pro-riders changed teams and new teams make their entry into the 2012 WorldTour.

During these presentations, teams also looked ahead towards the UCI Road World Championships Limburg 2012. A couple of riders such as Evans, Gilbert, Gesink and Vos spoke about their ambitions for the upcoming Worlds.

Tour de France winner Cadel Evans (BMC) mentioned that the course in Limburg suits him well. Besides the Tour the France and Olympics the World Championship is one of his main targets. Another great rider in the BMC-team is Philippe Gilbert. The Belgian rider who experienced the best year of his career in 2011, focusses in 2012 especially on Paris-Roubaix and the Worlds. Gilbert winner of last years Amstel Gold Race calls Limburg 2012 “his biggest goal” for 2012. Gilbert dreams already of wearing the rainbow jersey for a whole year. He has proven that whenever he rides in Limburg, he always has chances to win.

More riders mentioned that the course is favorable for them. Frank Schleck (photo) “loves the hills in Limburg.” This romance between rider and Limburg started after Schleck won his first professional victory with a win in the 2006 Amstel Gold Race. Schleck almost reached for the podium once before (4th place Stuttgart 2007) and would like to go for a medal in 2012. Frank Schleck is certainly one of the riders to be looked after in September 2012.

Besides Schleck, also Olympic Champion Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel) has two fourth places at a Worlds on his palmares (Mendrisio and Salzburg 4th place). The Spanish rider adjusts his season explicitly towards the championships in Limburg by skipping the Giro and Vuelta.

Triple Worldchampion (1999, 2001 and 2004) Oscar Freire (Katuscha) sees chances in 2012 to win the title for the fourth time. This would be unique in the history of professional road racing. “The course for the Worlds suits me well. I know the roads in Limburg by heart from the Gold Race”, sais Freire. He is very positive on the changes the organization made by moving the finish line 1.500 meters behind the famous Cauberg. According to Freire, this extra flat kilometer gives him more chances to win his fourth title.

Obviously the Dutch top riders are also going for medals at their home race. Robert Gesink (Rabobank), recovering from a broken thighbone, wants to ride himself into shape at the Vuelta. Besides Gesink also the local heroes, Wout Poels and Rob Ruijgh (Vacansoleil-DCM) would like to go for gold. Poels already secretly dreams about the championships. “Pulling away on Cauberg hill and finishing alone surrounded by an orange colored crowd”, a dream come true for the Vacansoleil climber. Also Ruijgh who lives only a stone’s throw away from the finish line has marked the Worlds on his calendar. The revelation of Dutch cycling in 2011 is going to prepare himself in the Vuelta for the championships cycling in his backyard.

The time-trial specialist are also looking impatiently towards Limburg 2012. Besides Worldchampion Tony Martin and Olympic Champion Fabian Cancellara, Alberto Contador also aims for the World title.

Besides the individual time-trial, the 2012 UCI Road World Championships in Limburg has a premiere with the team time-trial World Championship for commercial teams. Teams like Sky, Garmin-Cervélo, Rabobank, Vacansoleil-DCM and Radioshack-Nissan-Trek have mentioned their ambitions to win this first ever world title. Next to these ProTour teams also the Pro-continental team 1t4i (former Skill-Shimano) has marked this race as an important goal. “In this discipline it’s all about for which my team stands; Teamspirit” according to the team director.

Not only the men’s teams have broadcasted their ambitions and dreams, also the ladies mentioned their plans the past few weeks. For Marianne Vos (Rabobank) the World Championships in her own country is the highlight of the 2012 season. According to Vos this championship is an excellent occasion to promote ladies cycling in Holland and in the rest of the World. The Rabobank rider is - after a gold and five successive silver medals - extra motivated to become worldchampion again in her own country. Also the team of AA Drink/Leontien.nl, with former worldchampion time-trial Emma Pooley, focusses explicitly on the Worlds.

Team ambitions and sportive dreams for the Worlds have been broadcasted and shared with the world. To what extent these ambitions and dreams become reality only time will tell. The 2012 season promises to become a long, exciting and busy cycling year, with the climax in Limburg 2012.
 

Photo: Roosenboom Fotografie

On Sunday 15 January the next to last round of the Mulleners Cup for cyclocross and ATB at the Sport and Leisure Park in Landgraaf was ridden. 150 participants in all categories took under ideal weather conditions part in this race.

Maaslandster, a regional amateur team, responded quickly to apply for the scheme. According to the secretary of Maaslandster this grant is a more then welcome gesture, especially in these meager economical times. “Keeping up the good work of organizing cyclingraces for all youth categories is imperative for the further development of Dutch cycling.”

With the World Championships 2012 Cycling Momentum Scheme cycling-organisations in Limburg can profit financially of the World Championships in their own region. As compensation for the grant the organization of the Worlds ask the local cycling organisations to promote the 2012 UCI Road World Championships (15-23 September 2012). Promoting Limburg 2012 can be done by placing the Worlds logo on their website and placing Limburg 2012 Sky dancers and banners at their venue/ race. The Cycling Momentum Schemeis still open for cycling-organisations to request a grant. Application-forms can be found on the website.

The race itself, on the demanding track at the Sport and Leisure Park, was won in the junior-espoir category by Lucas Wollenhaupt (image). The young talent full German rider is trained by former Worldchampion cyclo-cross and Vuelta winner Rolf Wolfshohl. Wollenhaupt who does well on both road and field(cyclo) looks forward to the Worlds in Limburg 2012. He is especially interested in the junior and espoirs races. He wishes all his German and Dutch friends in the national selections all the best for their races at the Worlds, and hopes to participate in it as well one day.

The UCI Road World Championship races of the espoirs and junior categories will take place on Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 september.
 

The UCI Road World Championships 2012 will start in Limburg on Saturday, September 15th with a sportive version. Participants can choose from two distances: 85km and 170km.

On Saturday, September 15th, the only official World Championship tour version will be held. The ride provides the possibility for participants to cycle large sections of the same course as the professionals will tackle during the road races and time trials.The tour includes the famous climbs of the Cauberg and the Bemelerberg. The start and finish will be located at the Megaland in Landgraaf.

Participation in the World Championship sportive version costs 35 euros. For that amount, riders receive accident insurance, food and drink during the race, an official World Championship Limburg 2012 T-Shirt, technical support, medical services, a massage at the finish and a time-and video recording on the Cauberg and at the finish. All participants will also receive a medal and certificate on completion of the course.

To ensure the quality of the tour the organisers have set a limit on the number of participants. Online registration starts on February 1 via the website.

Photo: Roosenboom Fotografie

The 2011 UCI Road World Championships in Copenhagen have proved a major economic success for Denmark after a report showed that approximately €31.2 million was generated by the event in terms of tourism economic turnover.

The report, compiled by Sport Event Denmark, showed that 76 per cent of the total tourism economic turnover came from international tourists meaning that visitors to the Danish capital for the competition generated €23.7 million for the country's economy.

The event, the highlight of which was Britain's Mark Cavendish winning the men's road race, also proved a huge success in terms of branding and for promoting Danish cycling sport with a total live audience of 545,000 spectators viewing the six days of cycling.

Approximately 40 per cent of the spectators were tourists and the majority of them were 25-years-old or younger.

Around 118,000 hotel rooms were occupied due to the Championships, while the derived effects generated by the event amounts to 262 fulltime jobs.

"The UCI Road World Championships were a great success not only in relation to the event management but also in relation to the secondary effects," said Sport Event Denmark chief executive Lars Lundov.

"A total tourism economic turnover of approximately €31.2 million was generated by the Championships, €23.7 million from international tourists. "That is indeed growth-enhancing foreign-exchange earnings for Denmark. "We have also gained important input and experiences that we will reuse in future major international sports events."

The report claims that the number of spectators and amount of money generated far exceeded the anticipated numbers, while Tom Lund, President of the Danish Cycling Federation and chairman of the UCI Bike City Copenhagen, admitted that the results are an extra boost after a fantastic World Championships.

(Source: Insidethegames.biz)

Photo: Graham Watson

Cycling Team Project1t4i, the successor to the Skil-Shimano squad, have declared their intention to target the team time trial at this year’s Road World Championships in Limburg.

Team manager Iwan Spekenbrink was interviewed during the presentation of his team in Alicante, Spain and had this to say: "The World Championships team time trial is high on our agenda. It’s a discipline that relies on cooperation and a strong bond, and that's exactly what we stand for as a team.''

The 1t4i roster includes Limburg riders Tom Dumollin and Roy Curvers. Dumollin’s main goal for the season is the 2012 UCI Road World Championships in Limburg, where he aims to compete in both the time trial and road race. For 32-year-old Curvers 2012 is his fifth season as a professional and he will focus on the spring classics.

Project 1t4i is a temporary name. In late March the new team name will be unveiled to the public.

Photo: Cycling Team Project1t4i

Vacansoleil DCM presented their roster for the upcoming season at Vaeshartelt castle in Maastricht.

Team manager Daan Luijkx is very happy with his new acquisitions, but also the preservation of the young core of the squad that worked hard last year. In addition to some of the more well known riders are Limburgers Wout Poels and Rob Ruijgh.

"Confidence" was the theme during the presentation of the Dutch squad and Luijkx is convinced that his men can build on the solid work that was done last year. "During the last Tour de France we tried hard to be in the right escapes. This year you can expect more from us. We have set our sights on a top ten place in the Tour, a stage win, and a podium finish in a monument. I'm also looking forward to the UCI Road World Championships in Limburg. "

At the end of the presentation the team management and a number of riders explored the World Championship circuit, meeting mayor of Valkenburg Martin Eurlings at the site of the finish line.

Leadership team: Daan Luijkx, Hilaire Van der Schueren, Michel Cornelisse, Jean-Paul van Poppel.

Riders: Kris Boeckmans, Matteo Carrara (Ita), Thomas De Gendt, Stefan Denifl (Austria), Stijn Devolder (Bel), Romain Feillu (Fra), Johnny Hoogerland (Ned), Martijn Keizer (Ned), Sergei Lagoetin (Uzbek), Gustav Larsson (Sweden), Björn Leukemans, Pim Ligthart (Ned), Bert-Jan Lindeman (Ned), Marco Marcato (Ita), Barry Markus (Ned), Tomasz Marczynski (Pol), Wouter Mol (Ned), Jacek Morajko (Pol) , Martin Mortensen (Den), Nikita Novikov (Russia), Marcello Pavarin (Ita), Wout Poels (Ned), Rob Ruijgh (Ned), Mirko Selvaggi (Ita), Rafael Valls (Spa), Kenny van Hummel (Ned), Kevin Van Impe, and Frederick Veuchelen Lieuwe Westra (Ned)

Photo: Mayor Martin Eurlings of the municipality of Valkenburg en Jean-Paul van Poppel, team leader of Vacansoleil DCM.

The organisation of the 2012 UCI Road World Championships has devised a scheme that allows cycling and biking organisations in Limburg to take advantage of the World Championships.

Through the World Championships 2012 Cycling Momentum Scheme, Limburg cycling groups can apply for financial support.

The UCI Road World Championships will be held in Limburg in 2012. This World Championships should not only produce something for local Limburg companies, but also for the variety of organisations that are involved with cycling activities in this, the southernmost province of the Netherlands. Therefore, the Oganisation Committee of the World Championship has put aside a portion of its budget to be used by existing recreational cycling associations and foundations. In total, the organisation has allocated € 55,000 for this scheme. Of this, € 30,000, is reserved for the World Championship municipalities of Maastricht, Margraten, Valkenburg, Heerlen, Sittard-Geleen and Landgraaf.

Who can apply?
Foundations and associations that are part of the Limburg Cycling Federation affiliated unions (KNWU, NTFU and NWB) are eligible to apply. Activities that emphasise cycling as a sport can claim up to € 500. Associations or foundations promoting wider cycling activities can make a claim up to € 1,250. Examples would include those involving children’s races, sports promotion activities or tandem bike races for the visually impaired. One condition is that the activities must take place in the province of Limburg between January 1st and September 14th  2012. Applications will be reviewed by the Sports Promotion team of the World Championship Limburg 2012 Organisation Committee.

In return
In return, the organisation asks that participating associations and groups help to provide promotion for the Road World Championships, which will take place in September. This can be done by displaying the World Championship logo, flags and skydancers during the event. Applications can be submitted via this website. Here you will find more information regarding the criteria for this scheme (in dutch).

The organisation of the UCI Road World Championships Limburg 2012 wishes everybody a Merry Christmas and best wishes for 2012.

Looking ahead towards the new year is impossible without looking back at what has been achieved in 2011. Many people worked hard the past year to shape the World Championships into it’s definite form. The race circuits have been finalised, media partners have been contracted, facilities have been hired and the (side) program of the Championships week is nearing it’s completion.

The organisation is on track to make of the UCI Road World Championships Limburg 2012 a unique and innovative cycling event. Innovative not only due to length of the Championships but also due to the World Championships cycling tour for recreationists and team trail for commercial cycling teams.
The Worlds will not only attract cycling enthusiasts but also people who love culture or like to discover our beautiful province of Limburg. We are working closely together with several organisations to offer young and older visitors a broad sportive, cultural and tourist program.

Looking ahead to the Cycling climax of 2012 tells us that the championships are increasingly gaining more attention inside and outside Limburg. Our website receives more hits every month, more people are using our iPhone app and the attention in the media will only further increase as september 2012 comes nearer. In any case, we have a lot of energy and enthusiasm to make these UCI Road World Championships a huge global Cycling celebration.

The organisation of Limburg 2012 looks ahead with healthy tensions, a little impatience and with lots of pleasure to the Championships week of 15-23 September 2012. We therefore would like to wish everybody a Merry Christmas and the best (sportive) wishes for 2012.

See you in Limburg 2012!

The well-known Belgium website Sport.be and the Flemish cycling-magazine Cyclosprint have been added as mediapartners for the 2012 World Championships.

A few months ago a similar partnership was signed between Limburg 2012 and Wielerland magazine. The organization of Limburg 2012 is very pleased with these mediapartners from the Low countries.

Sport.be is the most important and biggest bilingual cyclingwebsite in Belgium. The site is also visited regularly by many people from the Netherlands. On a daily basis Sport.be reaches more then 65.000 unique visitors and on a monthly basis more then 1.000.000 visitors. The cyclingpage of Sport.be is the second best visited page on the site.
Cyclosprint is a monthly cycling-magazine with a circulation of 20.000 copies. Cyclosprint is the magazine for everybody who is passionate for cycling and cycling races.

Sport.be and Cyclosprint will report regularly in 2012 on the UCI Road World Championships Limburg 2012. Both media are published by Golazo media.
 

The Rabobank team for 2012 was presented in Utrecht on Tuesday 6th December. "I have great hope for the coming season, which of course has an extra shine because it is an Olympic year and because the World Championships will be contested at home," said Harold Knebel, general manager of the Rabobank team.

Gesink

Robert Gesink’s recovery was a major topic of conversation at the event. "The recovery is going well, I'm already back on the bike. Last Sunday, I rode for 4 hours on the cyclocross bike and it felt a milestone in my recovery," said the Rabobank rider. And regarding his goals for 2012? "I have my sights set on the Tour and the UCI Road World Championships," was the obvious comment.



Female Team

Next year will see the presence of a women's team with Marianne Vos as a key member. "The Rabobank family is now complete," said Harold Knebel. He continued, "The team is built around Vos. We have put together a good mix to give Marianne the best possible support. The women's squad is a vital part of the Rabobank team." For Vos herself there are two logical major goals in the coming year: "In an Olympic year it is clear that I am aiming to succeed in London. But 2012 has the added bonus of a home World Championships. The team time trial this year features trade sponsor’s teams so the Road World Championships TTT is obviously a goal for the Rabo-women.” She has already taken a look at the route: "It is a tough course with tricky turns. I think it will be  difficult to find a rhythm," said Vos.



TTT for sponsor teams
Next year’s World Championship is the first to feature team time trials raced in sponsor’s livery. This discipline is a key target for the Rabobank teams. Technical director Erik Breukink: "I think it's a race that we should be able to compete well in. In the past we were very successful in the team time trial and our team has access to some excellent time trial riders. The beauty of a team time trial is that it is really an effort by the whole team. " Breukink agreed with Vos’s assessment of the course: "It's tough. But we have time to prepare to be at our best, and the fact that the World Championships will be held in Limburg is just beautiful."

A few days after the election of Bauke Mollema (Rabobank) as Dutch cyclist of the year, Wout Poels (Vacansoleil-DCM) was honoured with the title of cyclist of the year  in Limburg. Besides Wout Poels, Sabrina Stultiens (junior-ladies) received the title of greatest talent of Limburg 2011.

The election organised by the “club of 24” – consisting of 24 former cyclists and people who are closely involved with cycling in Limburg – selected besides Poels, Rob Ruygh (Vacansoleil-DCM) and Mike Teunissen (Giant-Rabobank Offroad Team).
 
Wout Poels received the price from former world champions Danny Nelissen (world amateur champion-Colombia) and Raymond Meijs (world junior champion-Stuttgart). Poels received his price for his sublime performances in the Tour of the Mediterranean, Tirreno-Adriatico, Tour de Murcia and for his great results in the toughest stages of La Vuelta 2011. Poels expressed his gratitude for receiving this price from this distinguished group of cycling connoisseurs. Wout Poels already received this price two times before, in 2008 and 2010.
 
The price for greatest talent in Limburg went to Sabrina Stultiens. The cyclist of the Brainwash team is regarded as one of the biggest Dutch talents in female road and off-road cycling. Her greatest successes in 2011 were a first place at the national junior Championships cyclocross, a third place at a Superprestige cyclo-tour in Zonhoven, a fourth place at the National road Championships for ladies and finally a seventh place at the European Championships in Lucca (Italy).
Sabrina wasn’t able to be present at the price ceremony due to a training stage. She thanked the club of 24 and the audience by video-message.
 
Both cycling talents from Limburg are looking forward to the World Championships on own soil. According to Wout Poels the World championship is a very special race which is already very much alive in heart and mind of many people. Poels mentioned that he already dreamt about the race in his own province in September 2012. “Pulling away on Cauberg and finishing solo surrounded by a crowd dressed in orange who cheered me on, an ultimate dream”, according to the new Cyclist of the Year in Limburg.
 
Image: Deswijzen-Fotografie

Preparations for the UCI Road World Championships in September 2012 are in full swing. The finish location is situated between Vilt and Berg and Terblijt (Valkenburg municipality) and the organisation would like to keep the residents well informed of events.

The kickoff for this is an information meeting on December 8th, 2011 at 19:30 in Cascade at Vilt.

Valkenburg has often been the scene of national and international cycling events. It is important to talk with local residents in order to keep them updated on the preparations for such an important event. During the meeting on December 8th the organisation will provide information about the new design of the 2012 Road Worlds, setting up the finish location on the main road, and the changes that are needed.

If you are unable to attend the meeting but are interested in the World Championships, check this website regularly and register for the free newsletter.

See you on December 8th!

The campaign for the UCI Road World Championships Limburg 2012 is being developed. The organisation committee has chosen timeless yet modern images with bright colours to publicise the World Championships and to give a lasting memory of the event.

The main character is a male cyclist with helmet and sunglasses. The sunglasses and jersey have the rainbow colours of the International Cycling Union (UCI) to make it clear what event it is. In the background you can see the rolling landscape of Limburg with Maastricht, the capital city, on the horizon. This symbolises South Limburg as a complete entity comprising town and countryside within the landscape. In the countryside you see a typical scene with Limburg farmhouses and fruit trees.
The bike and rider are highly stylised and the colours are also derived from those of the World Championships. These colours are combined with orange, for the Netherlands, and those of the main sponsor Rabobank, whose colours are blue and orange. The rainbow colours of the UCI are continued in the ribbons through which the cyclist is riding. These ribbons also symbolise the finish line and against the white background of the rider’s body depict the rainbow colours of the Championships winner’s jersey. The series of spheres, styled on the UCI logo, was distorted about the cyclist's body to give the suggestion of speed.

The campaign was designed by illustrator Irene Jacobs of I'm JAC design. Jacobs was also responsible for the campaign of the Olympic Games in Vancouver (2010) and the Tour de France Grand Depart Rotterdam 2010.

In September of next year the UCI Road World Championships take place in the Dutch province of Limburg. The official Twitter hashtag used for this event is #limburg2012.

A hashtag is a way to catagorise messages sent on Twitter. This is commonly used at events to make them easier to find. A hashtag is this sign # followed by the name. Twitter users were asked what the official hashtag of the UCI Road World Championships Limburg 2012 should be. The most votes went to #limburg2012. This is an understandable choice. This hashtag clearly shows where the event takes place and the year. This is the most obvious selection since the World Championships are a global international sporting event so such a hashtag is easy to use by all. For example a hashtag like #WKlimburg2012 would only be recognisable to Dutch speakers.

The top five consisted of the following suggestions:

1. #limburg2012

2. #lim2012

3. #wklimburg2012
4. #rwclimburg2012
5. #wcc2012

The 2012 UCI Road World Championships can be accessed via twitter.com/limburg2012.


 

Especially for the national cycling federations the travel partner of the 2012 UCI Road World Championships, BCD Travel, has selected a number of hotels.

Click here for more information about accommodations, rates and reservations.

The hospitality packages have been announced.

The packages allow you to experience the UCI Road World Championships Limburg 2012 from the first row. Together with your guests, you will experience the outcome of a world class sporting event in the most pleasant way imaginable. 

More info: http://sport.be.msn.com/limburg2012/eng/
 

Wielerland magazine has been appointed as an official media partner of the 2012 UCI Road World Championships. Today the directors of the magazine and the Limburg 2012 organisation agreed that Wielerland magazine would produce the official program book for next year’s World Championships.

Wielerland magazine (which is part of Wielaard Media BV) is planning to produce a series of special articles in the run-up to the Road World Championships. "The world championships in Limburg will be a great spectacle," said publisher Marcel Wielaard. "With such an international event experience is extremely important. I believe here at Wielerland we have an important contribution to make." Editor Timo Bruijns adds, "We have a lot of interesting stories we want to tell in the run up to the 2012 Worlds. A Road World Championship is something extra-special when it happens in your own country. Therefore, we want to make it the major focus for our magazine next year.”

President Jacques Huberts of Limburg 2012 says, "It's fantastic that Wielerland will contribute to increasing the awareness of the 2012 UCI Road World Championships. Readers will learn a lot about the various new events, the courses and the developments surrounding the organisation of the event."

Major road traffic works carried out on the N590 road near Valkenburg. The work involves the installation of central barriers between the carriageways.

In a system unique in the Netherlands the barriers can be removed when required for sporting events and other activities. One such event is the UCI Road World Championships, which take place in September 2012.

The last barrier is due to be installed in late November near the Cauberg. The removable barriers are an initiative of the Province of Limburg.


To introduce the international cycling public to the 2012 RWC a promotional cycling trip from Copenhagen to Maastricht, the capital of Limburg, has been organised.

On arrival in Limburg, Sunday, October 2nd, participants will travel through all municipalities participating in the 2012 UCI Road World Championships. They will be escorted by a dozen prominent figures, an Olympic Limburg double-decker bus, a sound truck, motorcyclists and other support vehicles.  By then, everyone will know that the Worlds 2012 will take place in Limburg! In each participating municipality, the riders will be received by the mayor and aldermen. The promotional tour ends on the market square in Maastricht, where in 2012 the men’s elite road race starts.

The group will be escorted by mayors and aldermen of the municipalities, Dutch politicians and some famous faces from the world of cycling history.



During this year’s UCI Road World Championships in Copenhagen, Limburg 2012, the venue for the next Championships, presented Rabobank as its main partner.

The World Championships take place from 15th to 23rd September in conjunction with the six municipalities in Limburg: Maastricht, Valkenburg, Heerlen, Sittard-Geleen, Landgraaf and Eijsden-Margraten, and the province of Limburg. Rabobank will contribute the sum of € 950.000,-.



"An event of this scale cannot be organised without the expertise and support of reliable partners," said Jacques Huberts, president of the Foundation UCI Road World Championships Limburg 2012. "We are very pleased to have Rabobank as our main sponsor. They are a partner who is familiar with sports, with athletes and world-class sporting events. They are a partner that is distinguished by a long history of support for cycling. Their philosophy fits perfectly with our organisation, where we want to encourage the public as much as possible to become involved in cycling.


"Rabobank has now been actively involved in cycling in the Netherlands for about 16 years", says Bert Bruggink, member of the Executive Board of Rabobank Netherlands. "From the outset we supported not only elite riders but the full range of abilities. This partnership is a perfect match. Some of our riders will represent our country at the World Championships in Limburg and in addition our team will participate in the Championships Team Time Trial for the first time in history. This UCI Road World Championships gives us a great opportunity to bring cycling to a wider audience. Many recreational activities will be developed together with our local banks and our partner the National Federation (KNWU) under the motto: ‘There is more to win than the game’. Finally, our partnership with the World Championships fits well with the reputation of our bank as a stable and reliable global player that supports our customers."



The Province of Limburg has previously been chosen five times by the UCI as host for the Road World Championships. The finish of all races is situated just after the Cauberg in Valkenburg. The starting locations of time trials and road races are Sittard-Geleen, Eijsden-Margraten, Landgraaf, Maastricht and Heerlen. The updated design of the World Championships will last nine days, twice as long as is usual. The 2012 UCI Road World Championships has been spread over a longer period in order to give more attention to sport and youth. Another change is that commercial teams will participate in the team time trials for the first time.

To introduce the international cycling public to the 2012 RWC a promotional cycling trip from Copenhagen to Maastricht, the capital of Limburg, has been organised.

This is the first time in cycling history that the World Championships has been symbolically transferred between the host countries in this way.

Cycling Team Limburg without Borders, cycling touring club of the Province of Limburg, will carry the starting flag of the World Championships from Copenhagen to Maastricht. On Sunday, Sept. 25th, the final day of the Road World Championships in Copenhagen, former world cycling champion and Limburg 2012 ambassador Jan Janssen will receive the start flag from UCI president Pat McQuaid. This handover will take place immediately after Mr. McQuaid has started the men elite road race. The trip from Copenhagen to Maastricht is 1,200 km long and will be in 7 days. During the trip, a range of promotional activities are planned.

On arrival in Limburg, Sunday, October 2nd, participants will travel through all municipalities participating in the 2012 UCI Road World Championships. They will be escorted by a dozen prominent figures, an Olympic Limburg double-decker bus, a sound truck, motorcyclists and other support vehicles.  By then, everyone will know that the Worlds 2012 will take place in Limburg! In each participating municipality, the riders will be received by the mayor and aldermen. The promotional tour ends on the market square in Maastricht, where in 2012 the men’s elite road race starts.

The group will be escorted by mayors and aldermen of the municipalities, Dutch politicians and some famous faces from the world of cycling history.

The Cycling Team from Limburg can be followed by twitter, a blog and through ‘track and trace’. 

Marianne Vos starts today in the time trial during the UCI Road World Championships in Copenhagen in a new jersey. Unique to this cycling jersey is the logo of the 2012 UCI Road World Championships, courtesy of National Federation's cycling clothing sponsor Bio-Racer.

It is the first time in cycling history that riders of a national team have worn a logo on their shirts to highlight the World Championships in their own country. Vos: "For a woman cyclist the World Championships is the high point of the season. It is the momement where you want to be seen riding. This jersey makes it even more special."

Next year’s UCI Road World Championships will take place from the 15th to the 23rd September 2012 in Limburg.

Next week will be dedicated to the UCI Road World Championships in Copenhagen. Visit the website for the complete program, news and all the 'ins and outs'.

In Copenhagen, Limburg has organised a spectacular presentation to publicise itself as the next host of the event. In addition, after the World Championchips a cycling team will depart from Copenhagen on a promotional ride to Limburg.

Dutch national coach Leo van Vliet and cyclist Wout Poels have unveiled the new KNWU kit in the province of Limburg. Unique to this cycling jersey is the logo of the 2012 UCI Road World Championships, courtesy of National Federation's cycling clothing sponsor Bio-Racer.

It is the first time in cycling history that riders of a national team have worn a logo on their shirts to highlight the World Championships in their own country.
 According Wout Poels this is an extra motivation to try even harder for success in Copenhagen. "Riding for your own country is obviously very special to me and, as a Limburger, this addition is even more special," said the rider from Blitterswijck.

Next year’s UCI Road World Championships will take place from the 15th to the 23rd  September 2012 in Limburg.

Rabobank riders dominate the make-up of the Dutch squad for the world championships road race in Copenhagen, which was announced on Monday.

Fresh from winning the points classification at the Vuelta a España, the in-form Bauke Mollema will be accompanied by Robert Gesink, who was a strong second at the GP de Quebec on Friday and Lars Boom, who will be hoping to make an impression on the strongman’s course in Denmark.

Giro d’Italia pink jersey wearer Pieter Weening and Maarten Tjallingii have also been named in the squad.

There are three representatives from the Netherlands’ other WorldTour team, Vancansoleil-DCM. Johnny Hoogerland is liable to be an aggressive presence in Copenhagen, and he is joined by Wout Poels and fast-finishing national champion Pim Ligthart.

The Queen's Commissioner in Limburg, Mr. LJPM Frissen, will leave his post on September 12th, 2011. His farewell will take place at a public meeting of the Provincial Council.

The Governor took office on July 1, 2005. At the request of the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, Mr Frissen has continued for several months as acting commissioner.



Governor Leon Frissen is also an avid cyclist. He would like his farewell to help start  professional cycling careers for young talent. This means that he requests that people do not buy any farewell gifts and instead make a contribution to the Foundation for Cycling Talent Limburg, which will support young riders in Limburg towards a professional career.



A contribution is welcome to account 851463673 in the name of: Cycling Talent Foundation Limburg.

Foundation 2012 UCI Road World Championships is looking for cyclists. The Maastricht company which currently operates BLIK 51 has been commissioned by the Foundation to make a special 2012 RWC film and a number of cyclists are needed to help.



Riders are needed on Friday, September 9th until from 14.00 to 16.00. These cyclists will ride on sections of road that have been painted by the artist Roel Meertens. The recordings take place in Maastricht. There are also a number of riders needed on Saturday, September 10th. With small cameras on their bikes these riders will cycle the Cauberg and make recordings into the hills of Limburg.



It does not matter what kind of cyclist you are: young, old, male, female, child, teen, immigrant or Dutch native. Cyclists who love cycling and the sport itself, who ride regularly and own a road bike and cycling clothing can also apply to appear in a film of the 2012 RWC.



Those interested can register with Ron van der Bolt via email at rvanderbolt@me.com. It is requested that the e-mail mentions a few things, namely a telephone number, age, ancestry, availability and level of cycling. People selected may be asked for more information.



Presentation World Championships in Copenhagen
The film will be used in a half hour show during the 2011 RWC in Copenhagen later this month. The presentation of the Foundation UCI Road World Championships Limburg 2012 is a blend of theater, live performances and four films, namely a greeting movie, a regional film, a movie with technical and sports information on the various competitions, and a film in which former world champion Jan Janssen, the Ambassador of the 2012 UCI RWC, tells how it feels to win the rainbow jersey.

Foto: Wouter Roosenboom

The organisers of the 2012 UCI Road World Championships, which take place next year in Limburg, The Netherlands, have released an iPhone application.

By subscribing to the app, cycling fans can be kept up to date with the latest news about the event, wherever they are in the world.

The application will provide a range of cycling-related news, photos, videos, tweets and track information. There is also a "Fan Wall" where subscribers can upload photos and messages. Over time, the app will also be expanded to include team and country information, World Championships history, race results and possibly the exact date and precise movements of the riders with live pictures of the different races.

The application is displayed in the language depending on the language setting of the iPhone. The content of the RWC-app is in English.

The official 2012 UCI Road World Championships app was developed by the Foundation UCI Road World Championships Limburg 2012 in collaboration with Nxtmix Vermeulen and Brand Design.

The Limburg 2012 application is now available in the App Store and costs 0.79 euro cents.

The Championships 2012 will take place from 15th to 23rd September, in an around the Dutch province of Limburg.
 

This weekend some of the world’s best cyclists tested the Danish circuit of the UCI Road World Championships when they participated in Tour of Denmark. Now the cycling world looks forward to next month’s event.

Thousands of spectators cheered on the peloton of the Tour of Denmark this weekend. The riders got a chance to scout the circuit of the upcoming Road World Championships, and the Danish great interest in cycling is promising for the event next month.
 
The triple world champion Oscar Freire, Rabobank, also participated in Tour of Denmark and after the race he commented on the circuit of the Road World Championships:
 
”It was a nice race because a lot of people watched the race. Today we did the World Championships’ circuit. It is not really complicated only the final is complicated. But if it is raining or windy I think it will become a really hard race,” said Oscar Freire and he expects the Road World Championships to end with a mass sprint.  If Oscar Freire wins this year’s Road World Championships in Denmark he will be the first ever to have four road world championship titles.
 
No. 1 and 2 of Tour of Denmark, the winner Australian Simon Gerrans from Team Sky and Daniele Bennati, Leopard-Trek, both hope to revisit Denmark in September.
 
"It is for sure a circuit that suits me. I hope to come back to Denmark in top shape. I’m going to be the captain of the Italian team and I hope for a medal,” said Bennati to CyclingWorld.dk.
 
"After my success I hope to come back to Denmark in September. The spectators were absolutely great,” Simon Gerrans said. He will though have to qualify for the Australian team that no doubt will be one of the strongest teams at the World Championships.
 
All Time Trials start and finish at City Hall Square in the heart of Copenhagen from 19th to 21st of September, while the Road Races are from the 23rd to 25th of September in Copenhagen and Rudersdal.
 
Stay tuned with: www.copenhagen2011.dk
 

On the recommendation of the Province of Limburg, Frans Pistorius and Jac Verhaegen have been added to the 2012 UCI Road World Championships Board of Trustees.

Both have made their mark in business, Pistorius (left in photo), having served as CEO of DSM Netherlands and Verhaegen as a member of the Executive Board of Rabobank Group.

The municipality of Valkenburg, Limburg and hundreds of fans gathered at Castle Valkenburg on Thursday to honour cyclist Rob Ruijgh.

Based in Sibbe, Ruijgh was the highest placed Dutchman in this year’s Tour de France.

Pé Diederen, director of the Foundation Limburg 2012 Cycling World Cup was there, and said he looked forward to seeing Ruijgh ride next year at the World Championships in Limburg.

Photo caption: Pé Diederen congratulates Limburger Rob Ruijgh on his fantastic performance in the Tour de France.

The UCI is extremely pleased with the progress of the organization of the 2012 Road World Championships in the Limburg Region, The Netherlands.

At a conference in Maastricht, members of the executive committee of the UCI said they have rarely seen this, more than one year before the event and this far advanced in its preparation.

The Road World Championships 2012 will be held from 15 to 23 September.

Source: L1 Radio & TV
 

Nearly 100 visitors were present on Tuesday, 21th June during the presentation of WIL - Cycling in Limburg number 1 at Café Aan de Kirk in Sibbe.

Special guest Peter Winnen took the first copy. The evening opened with a preview of a documentary "Winning on Alpe d'Huez", directed by John Appel.

The audience responded enthusiastically to the first meeting in Sibbe. Monitoring of the WIL-Café is certainly inevitable.
 

Next Sunday, July 3, the Ronde van Wolder will be held. This cycling event is praised for it's innovative approach.

More info: www.rondevanwolder.nl

The 2014 UCI BMX World Championships will take place in The Netherlands.

Rotterdam Ahoy will be the venue of the race and the track is going to be similar to the one that was used at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. We will keep you posted on further developments. One thing's for sure. It's an easy one for the FATBMX crew to cover the event in our home country.

The Professional Cycling Council (PCC), presided by Mr Vittorio Adorni (ITA) met yesterday in Maastricht, the Netherlands.

During his opening speech, the UCI President, Mr Pat McQuaid, supported by members of the Council, strongly encouraged the representatives of the AIGCP (Association Internationale des Groupes Cyclistes Professionnels) within the PCC – Messrs Jonathan Vaughters and Roberto Amadio – to begin a revision of the Code of Conduct for UCI ProTeams so that the very important element, the fight against doping, is updated, revived and applied.

On the same subject, the CCP decided to submit to the Management Committee – which will meet in Maastricht Thursday and Friday – a proposal aiming to prevent any rider returning to competition after a suspension of at least two years for violation of the Anti-Doping Regulation to contribute to the establishment of his team’s sporting value during the registration procedure.
If the UCI Management Committee approves, this measure, which means that during a period of two years these riders’ points would not be taken into account, will take effect from this year.

Concerning riders under contract who change teams, the PCC decided to regulate “intra-season” transfers by creating a period from 1st to 15th August during which such movement will be authorised on the basis of a three-party agreement.
In principle, “inter-season” transfers will be possible between 1st and 20th October and then – with the exclusion of the 15 riders who have contributed to the establishment of the sporting value of each team – from 21st October to 31st December.
This regulation, which will also be put to the UCI Management Committee for approval, would apply to 1st and 2nd division teams and would take effect immediately.

The PCC approved a change to the date of the Clasica Ciclista San Sebastian-San Sebastian in 2012 in order to avoid a clash with the road race at the London Olympic Games: as an exception, the UCI WorldTour event will take place on Tuesday 14th August.

The members of the PCC also expressed their support for the granting of a UCI WorldTour licence for the GP E3-Harelbeke from 2012, on condition that the race is brought forward to Friday. The organisers will apply to the UCI Licences Commission for this.

The PCC also accepted the new regulation for the team time trial - reserved for commercial teams - which will be introduced at the UCI Road World Championships from 2012, and the composition of the working groups “Technical rules and security”, “Riders – teams relations” and “Sporting evaluation”.

The municipality of Eijsden-Margraten is part of the Marl Land National Landscape,  and the many small villages of South Limburg combine human communities and nature in a unique way.

Situated in a superb location in the heart of mainland Europe the municipality, with an area of 5,770 hectares, is one of the largest in South Limburg. Besides agriculture and fruit production, tourism has become an increasingly important means of livelihood for local people. The characteristic landscape of the Mergelland (Marl Land) makes it ideal for interesting cycling and hiking.

A Rich History
Eijsden-Margraten has a rich heritage and with its historic streets, squares and monuments is one of the best preserved regions in Limburg. The area has a natural beauty, typically composed of the Meuse valley and surrounding hills. There are the Maasplassen, a nature reserve with a rich flora and fauna, and the flint mine in Savelsbos. The American cemetery, where over 8,000 soldiers have their final resting place, deserves special mention for it’s international significance. Castle Mheer and the Van Tienhoven windmill on the plateau of Margraten at the top of the Bemelerberg add interest to the landscape. A wide variety of clubs provide a strong social cohesion within the local community. From football to singing, from militia to bow shooting, almost everything can be found in Eijsden-Margraten. All of these facilities and activities contribute to an attractive living environment.

Road Cycling
Partly because of its central location in South Limburg, Eijsden-Margraten is home to many cycling events, both for professionals and amateurs. Examples include the Amstel Gold Race, the Hell of the Marl (Eijsden hosts the start and finish), the Tour of Limburg, the Bart Brentjens Challenge and the Eneco Tour. In the past Valkenburg and Maastricht have cooperated with Margraten in order to organise the Road Cycling World Cup. The time trials were held around Margraten and the Bemelerberg featured on the route of the other road races. The municipalities of Eijsden-Margraten thus have a rich cycling history which goes back many years.

Mountain Biking
The hilly and undulating nature of the Eijsden-Margraten region makes it a favoured location for mountain bike trails. In 2006, 2007 and 2009 Noorbeek played host to the NK Mountainbike event. In 2011 the town will again be hosting this event. In addition, the road, path and trail network is also used by many tourist and recreational riders, both individually and in groups for events such as Limburgs Best and the Tour version of the  Amstel Gold Race.

With an exciting Championship we hope to spotlight cycling in a positive way and particularly to involve young people in the fun and excitement.. The World Cup will undoubtedly promote Eijsden-Margraten as a beautiful part of the Netherlands with an emphasis on recreational sports, and especially cycling and walking.
 

In the Province of Limburg are many road works planned in the next years. Especially the provincial roads will be constructed. The road from Maastricht to Valkenburg (N590), where the finish line of the 2012 Road World Championships is planned, is under construction at this moment.

The provincial road did not meet the current needs. It was very hard to cross the road and the many connecting roads lead to unclear and unsafe traffic situations. The connecting roads can especially lead to unsafe situations for cyclists and the local government wanted to change this situation.

The road works at the N590 need to be ready before the end of this year. The planned roundabout at the N590, on top of the Cauberg, is postponed till after the 2012 UCI Road World Championships. 
 

Foto: Jürgen Simon

For the first time in the UCI Road World Championships history Team Time Trial for sponsored teams (both men and women) are part of the program.

ProTeam and (Pro) Continental teams will be riding at this World Championship, departing from Sittard-Geleen and finishing in Valkenburg.

The women's Team AA Drink - Leontien.nl would leave nothing to chance and has already trained last week in Limburg. The training was needed for testing and adjusting the new time trial bike’s.
 

The  UCI Road World Championships Limburg 2012 Foundation is looking for unique historical film footage.

The Foundation is commissioning a special World Cup film and would like to include images of previously held world championships in Limburg, and other cycling competitions in the Southern part of Limburg (also known as Maastricht Region).

The Foundation is especially interested in film taken by amateurs. By doing this they hope to involve the region’s many real fans in the preparation of the cycling event, which takes place from 15th to 23rd September 2012.

The film will premiere on September 23rd, 2011 at the UCI Road World Championships in Copenhagen. Anyone in possession of recordings of previous World Cups run in Limburg, or perhaps of other Limburg bicycle races from 1938 to 1998, such as Amstel Gold Race, Tour of Limburg or maybe even a youth course, is invited to contribute.

Please contact us before 6th June 2011 at:
UCI Road World Championships Limburg 2012, Julianaweg 15, St. Geertruid, 6265 AH or by email at info@limburg2012.com. Any questions should be also directed to the above address.

A dark shadow was cast over the Giro d'Italia Monday following the death of Wouter Weylandt from injuries suffered in a crash.

The organization of the UCI Road World Championships Limburg 2012 expresses its sincere condolences to his family, friends and team mates at Leopard Trek.

Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto) has won the 46th edition of the Amstel Gold Race. The Belgian rider beat Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) and Simon Gerrans (Sky Pro Cycling) on the heavily crowded Cauberg. Gilbert took his second consecutive win on the famous Dutch climb.

For Gilbert, the Amstel Gold Race, is almost home turf. He lives nearby and his wife is born just a couple of kilometers from the parcours.

The 190 riders left Maastricht under fantastic conditions for the 46th Amstel Gold Race. With 32 climbs and 260,4 kilometers in front of them, several riders tried to leave the bunch behind. Every attempt proved to be in vain, average speed in the first hour: 46.5 km/ph.
Four riders got clearance for the breakaway of the day: Simone Ponzi (Liquigas), Pierpaolo De Negri (Farnese Vini), Albert Timmer (Skil) en Thomas Degand (Veranda's) left with 200 kilometers to go. The four took almost twelve minutes on the bunch before anyone thought it was time to respond.
The latest edition of Paris-Roubaix proved that it’s not always the early bird that get’s caught. Sometimes it walks away with the flowers. The bird in question, Johan Vansummeren (Garmin-Cervelo), was safely tucked away in the peloton. As were the likes of Robert Gesink (Rabobank), Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto), Fabian Cancellara (Leopard-Trek), Frank Schleck (Leopard-Trek), Sergei Ivanov (Katusha) and Danilo Di Luca (Katusha).
It was Philippe Gilbert, last year’s winner, that put a couple of men in front. Until Rabobank decided it was time to unleash it’s fury. One of the casualties was Tour de France-ace Andy Schleck (Leopard-Trek). At least a hundred other riders were put behind by Rabo’s coup d’etat. It appeared Rabo just wanted to flex it’s muscles; a lot of riders fought their way back into the bunch.
On the climb towards Sibbe, the four in front knew it was all over. Luis Léon Sanchez was the first of the favorites to make the jump. It was his teammember Carlos Barredo however that got ahead with De Negri and Degand, the only remnants of the early breakaway. Davy Commeyne (Landbouwkrediet) completed the new quartet in front.

With 35 kilometers to go, the pack was complete. And off course, then trouble started. Dominik Nerz (Liquigas-Cannondale) crashed hard on one of the narrow roads and was taken to the hospital. Fabian Cancellara and Frank Schleck were the next to hit the asphalt. They struggled to get back, but achieved their goal.
With only 15 kilometers to go, the big guns got to the front. About 25 riders, among them all the favorites, made their way towards Valkenburg.
Surprisingly it was Andy Schleck that made a desperate attempt to join his brother Frank in winning the Amstel Gold Race, but he was caught with the finish in sight.
Philippe Gilbert thinks his second win in the Amstel Gold Race is a result of a team effort and a perfect strategy.
,,This is the most important week of my season. My mates worked real hard and I didn’t have to chase or attack once before the final. Only when Andy Schleck took 16 seconds I was forced to get up front.”

You’re said to be the best classic-rider ever. The big favorite for Liege-Bastogne-Liege and the World Championships in Limburg (2012).
,,Let’s wait until my career is over. I’m definitely the most all-round rider at this moment. I’ve won the Amstel Gold Race twice, won the Tour of Lombardia and got close to the win in Milaan-Sanremo and the Tour of Flanders. LBL is going to be tough.

Texts: www.amstelgoldrace.nl
 

Everything points to the Maastricht region; a compact city set in splendid countryside; a culinary capital; the heart of Europe - these are just some of the words used to describe the southernmost city of the Netherlands. One thing is clear: Maastricht is a dynamic city where the focus is on quality of life.

Maastricht naturally gained world fame in 1992, thanks to the Treaty that gave birth to the European Union. Its geographical location has made it a crossroads of different cultures. A quarter of its inhabitants come from abroad. Almost half of Maastricht’s residents are younger than 35. All these things have a tangible impact on the city. With the river Meuse coursing right through its heart, it's no wonder that people often compare Maastricht to Europe’s capitals.

The city has a unique ambiance. You will recognise its Dutch character in the free and open-minded attitude of its people. Its joie de vivre will remind you of France and Belgium. Its attention to quality resembles that of Germany, and the 11,000+ students who use English as their language of communication complete its European profile. Europe is within easy reach at this crossroads of the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium, which welcomes more than a million visitors a year.

Maastricht has a long tradition in sports. The Amstel Gold Race has started in Maastricht numerous times. Maastricht’s many hotels have long served as a home base for cycling teams competing in such classic races as the Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Jumping Indoor Maastricht is an ‘equestrian classic’ - an international dressage and show-jumping competition held annually at the Maastricht Exhibition and Congress Centre. And the international tennis world has discovered Maastricht as well with regular Davis Cup matches.

The world’s leading art and antiques fair, TEFAF, is held in Maastricht every year. TEFAF shows off Maastricht’s strengths and the quality of the Province of Limburg to best advantage. Combining an historic city centre, good hotels, fine restaurants and other entertainment venues, and being easy to reach, Maastricht offers events, both sporting and cultural, an ideal setting in which to flourish!

Maastricht is a candidate for European Capital of Culture in 2018. It is competing for the title in cooperation with its partner cities in the Euroregion – Aachen (Germany), Hasselt and Liège (Belgium) and Heerlen and Sittard-Geleen (Netherlands) – and the provinces Dutch and Belgian Limburg, and Liège. Maastricht’s candidacy should produce a strong European and cultural profile and an increase in employment and the number of international visitors and expenditure. Maastricht sees the UCI Road World Championships 2012 as the prelude to its title as European Capital of Culture 2018.

Valkenburg is looking more and more like “Valkenburg aan de Amstel”! The building of the finish line on the Cauberg is progressing at full speed.

For example, Wednesday saw the construction of the stand near the finish line, as shown in the photo above. The other temporary accommodation such as the press center and start and finish buildings are also in place, ready for the Tour version on Saturday. Tens of thousands of spectators will line the route of the Cauberg on Sunday at around 16.50 to witness the final climb and to see who will win the 46th edition of the Dutch classic. There will also be millions of television viewers around the world watching from their living rooms. It is expected that around 300,000 people will watch the race live from somewhere along the route on Sunday.

The 2014 Road World Championships will be held in Ponferrada, Spain.

The International Cycling Union (UCI) announced yesterday that the Spanish city would be the only one recommended to the Management Committee this fall. 


The Worlds will be held in Copenhagen/Rudersdal, Denmark in 2011, Limburg, The Netherlands in 2012, Florence, Italy in 2013. 


As for the 2015 UCI Road World Championships, the Sultanate of Oman and the city of Richmond, Virginia (United States), have already presented their candidatures. It should be recalled that the UCI Management Committee announced that only candidatures from outside Europe would be accepted for the 2015 edition of the Road World Championships in order to acknowledge the increasing interest of non-European countries in hosting this prestigious event.
 

The Provinces of Limburg, North Brabant and Zeeland launched a bike route planner for the southern part of the Netherlands.

Using this route planner, cyclists - just as motorists – could plan their route by the Internet. The provinces hope that this new system helps people quickly opt for the bike. The address of the website is www.fietsrouteplanner-zuid.nl.

Bert Kersten deputy of the Province of Limburg: Limburg, North Brabant and Zeeland have shared the goal to strengthen the use and image of cycling."
 

The Dutch track cycling team and the track cycling World Championship organisation can look back on the five-day world title races at the Omnisport Complex in Apeldoorn with a great deal of satisfaction.

The Dutch achieved an excellent standing among the top countries and ended up with a total of five medals: one gold (Marianne Vos in the scratch race), one silver (Teun Mulder in the time trial) and three bronze (Kirsten Wild in the Omnium event, Teun Mulder in the Keirin and the duo Peter Schep/Theo Bos in the Madison race).

The championships were a great success from an organisational perspective as well. Over 17,000 spectators attended the World Championship and witnessed the many sportive highlights. “I heard almost no complaints,” says Director Martin de Kok. “The conclusion you can draw from this is that the performance of everyone involved in this World Championship was first class. You’d almost be tempted to say let’s do it again.

”The event’s ambassador, former cyclist Leontien van Moorsel, had the highest praise for the City of Apeldoorn, which in her view made a ‘phenomenal effort’. “Wonderful how the city took up the challenge. And I am therefore more than pleased to see the city rewarded with five days of such top sporting events, topped off with five medals for the Dutch team. Hats off to everyone! ”Australia on the final day once again made off with the largest number of medals. Thanks to the gold won by the pair Cameron Meyer/Leigh Howard in the Madison race and the triumphant sprint by Anne Meares in the finals of the Keirin event, the Aussies left for Down Under with eight rainbow jerseys. In total the Australians captured eleven medals, the best result ever achieved at the track cycling World Championship. Anne Meares turned out to be the leading gold digger. She dominated the sprint, repeated that feat with her teammate Kaarle McCulloch in the team sprint and finally triumphed in the nineteenth and last event of the World Championships: the Keirin.

The Dutch team rewarded its enthusiastic fans in the stands - after the gold captured by Vos and the bronze by Mulder on Saturday - with yet another three spots on the podium. For most of the race it looked like Teun Mulder was going to extend his world title for the kilometre time trial, but in the final lap came up just short behind the German Nimke. Kirsten Wild's two-day effort was rewarded with a bronze medal at the podium. The duo Peter Schep and Theo Bos managed to secure third place in the very last sprint of the Madison race via a clever plan of attack. The Netherlands as a result ended up in sixth place in the medal count.

Text and photo's: www.worldchamptrackcycling.com
 

The Dutch world champion of 1964, Jan Janssen (70), became ambassador of the Foundation UCI Road World Championships 2012.

The former world champion and winner of the Vuelta Espana in 1967 and Tour de France in 1968 will fulfil his job as a promoter of the event. “I hope I will be able to add a positive input to the World Championships 2012 in Limburg” quoted a proud Jan Janssen.

In 1964 in Sallanches, Jan Janssen vanquished fellow sprinters Vittorio Adorni and Raymond Poulidor in a legendary final sprint. Jan is still very proud of his rainbow jersey “Pure nostalgia, a jersey that has kind of yellowed, but the winners pride and shine has never faded away.” He has always had a special and intense relationship with the Province Limburg. As youngster, in the starting years of his career, Jan Janssen first conquered in Wijnandsrade in the Province Limburg.

For the former world champion, the approval of the UCI Road World Championships 2012 to the Province Limburg is a very positive development for the Dutch cycling sport. “the hilly countryside guarantees a beautiful and exciting race and a great winner. 260 Kilometres cycling on this race track is not an easy task for the cyclists.” Of course Jan Janssen hopes that a Dutch cyclist will gain the victory in 2012. “To cycle a world championship for your own audience, is always something special. And we have quite a number of very talented cyclists in our small country. A Dutch victory in the Netherlands would be an enormous promotion for the cycling sport, for the Province Limburg and for the Netherlands. With pleasure I will do the best that I can to contribute to this success. 

The province of Limburg plays an important role in the history of the strive for the World Champion’s title. So far, 5 World Championships have been cycled in the Province of Limburg; Valkenburg 1938, 1948, 1979 and 1998 and Heerlen 1967. In Heerlen, in 1967, Jan Janssen was very close to the victory but was beaten in the final sprint by Campionissimo Eddy Merckx.

The UCI Road World Championships 2012 will be organised from 15 to 23 September. This will be the first year that  the UCI Road World Championships will be organised according to a new structure. The most important changes are the increase of the number of race days spread over 2 instead of 1 weekend, the new Team Time Trial for UCI sponsor teams (men and women) , a “ladies day”, and diverse recreational events (for all ages).

Seven local communities and governments will fulfil a task as starting or finishing for the professional or recreational events of the UCI Road World Championships 2012. The governments involved are: the Province Limburg, Maastricht community, Heerlen community, Valkenburg community, Sittard-Geleen community, Landgraaf community and Eijsden-Margraten community.

A video portrait of ambassador Jan Janssen has been created, the video contains new and never shown scenes of his victory in Sallanches in 1964: http://tinyurl.com/6j9b6x5. 
 

A number of Limburg’s cycling municipalities introduce themselves in the next weeks through this website. This week, the municipality of Heerlen.

This is the first time in the history of the UCI Road World Championships that a cycling region has putting itself forward as a candidate. Six Limburg ‘cycle towns’ and the Dutch Province of Limburg (also known as Maastricht Region) are involved in the UCI Road World Championships Limburg 2012 as start, finish and recreation points. It involves Maastricht, Valkenburg, Heerlen, Sittard-Geleen, Landgraaf and Eijsden-Margraten.

Municipality of Heerlen
Heerlen lies in the splendid surroundings of the Limburg downs. Known as the greenest town of the Netherlands, greater Heerlen – known as Parkstad Limburg – is situated on the German border and the neighbouring German city of Aachen. 

Heerlen is a flourishing city of almost 90,000 inhabitants, rising like a phoenix from the ashes of the past with a new cultural identity and renewed self-confidence. Heerlen is experiencing its ‘Cultural Spring’. It has regained its pride – grass-roots pride that comes from the local population. The motto ‘We are Heerlen’ shows that they have regained their enjoyment, their belief in their own ability, and their desire for quality.

Heerlen is a modern city that offers space for experimentation and innovation. Its innovative appeal can be seen in its architecture and, in economic terms, in its focus on New Energy (environmentally friendly fuels) and databases/ICT.  A top sports event like the UCI Road World Championships 2012 is entirely in keeping with the local sense of progress, optimism and pride! 

Cycling has a home in Heerlen. To begin with, Heerlen is a non-nonsense kind of place, a city of hard-working, honest labourers with roots in the coal mining industry. It was a period in which Heerlen flourished, became wealthy in many senses, and in which its people were industrious, felt solidarity and worked together. A time when they worked hard, plugging away – a ‘head down’ in cycling terms.
Heerlen also has a long and respectable cycling tradition, with many highlights, among them: the Dutch National Cycling Championships on 27 and 28 June 2009; de UCI Road World Championships in 1967, when Eddy Merckx finished first; a frequent starting location for the Amstel Gold Race; the European U23 Cycling Championships in 2006; the Dutch National Juniors Championships in 2008; various final stages of the Holland Ladies Tour; the Juniors European Indoor Cycling Championships; the annual Heerlen criterium race, immediately following the Tour de France; and the Heerlen International Cyclocross Race at the start of the year.

Cycling is important to Heerlen. The city invests heavily in the sport, but it also invests in recreational sport in general. The people of Heerlen are encouraged to take more exercise and play sport, for health, social and economic reasons.

Besides sport, Heerlen’s new identity of innovation, energy and pride can also be seen in the city’s cultural scene and its economy. Heerlen has decided to emphasise ‘urban culture’ because it is a product of the city itself. Urban culture has a very broad basis here, with many initiatives focusing on the creative industries, for example festivals and events. International artists and performers are attracted to Heerlen’s fantastic urban setting and its many different performing arts venues.

There’s a new reality in Heerlen – a feeling that ‘we can make things happen here’. These are the perfect ingredients for the UCI Road World Championships in 2012.

Aanstaande zondag, 13 februari, is het weer zo ver en razen diverse wereldtoppers, onder wie de kersverse wereldkampioenen Zdenek Stybar (wereldkampioen eliterenners) en Lars van der Haar (wereldkampioen beloften), door het Heerlense Hellegat.

Heerlen heeft de afgelopen jaren een goede naam opgebouwd in de wereld van de CycloCross. Een mooi, maar vooral selectief parcours (2.500 meter), een prima organisatie en goede faciliteiten voor pers en toeschouwers hebben bijgedragen aan dit succes. Zowel de KNWU als de UCI heeft regelmatig aangegeven trots te zijn op de kwaliteiten van Heerlen als lid van de internationale CycloCross-familie.

Kijk voor meer informatie op www.cyclocrossheerlen.nl.

Foto: Roosenboom Fotografie

The New Year gets off to an exciting start this month with the first UCI World Championships of 2011: for the cyclo-cross discipline.

The world’s best cyclo-cross athletes will converge on St Wendel, Germany, at the end of January for the 2011 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships. The picturesque town in the south-west of Germany, bordering France and Luxemburg, is no stranger to hosting major cycling events: it welcomed the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in 2005 and the UCI Mountain Bike Marathon World Championships in 2010.
 
Four rainbow jerseys will be for the taking over the two days of competition (January 29th and 30th). The competition schedule is as follows:

Saturday 29th January 2011
Juniors Men - 11am                                              
Under-23 Men - 2pm
 
Sunday 30th January 2011
Women - 11am                            
Elite Men - 2pm
 
For further information, you can consult the information guide on the UCI website, www.uci.ch.

Jacques Huberts, former director of NedCar, WML (the Limburgian Water Supply company), NedTrain and NS Travellers (Dutch Railways), will be the new president of the Board of directors of the UCI World Championships Limburg 2012.

Pé Diederen, former Municipal councillor of the Heerlen Municipality and current member of the board of the Limburg 2012 Foundation, will become a member of the board of directors and will co-operate in the daily state of affairs.

The Foundation Road World Championships 2012 will continue with a new organisational structure.

Odile Wolfs, deputy Sports of the Province Limburg, decided she will no longer be part of the Board of Trustees and Ton van de Wiel will finish his task as Chief Executive Officer. The current President of the Board, Clémence Ross, will fulfil another task within the foundation. Joop Atsma withdraw from the Board of Trustees in an earlier stage because of his job as state secretary for Infrastructure and Environment. At this moment the foundation is working on a new structure with a new Board and Board of Trustees.

The current structure of the foundation Road World Championships 2012 with a Board, a Chief Executive Officer and a Board of trustees, is no longer considered to be functional. Therefore the Foundation decided to modify the statutes. The current Board and Board of Trustees are combined and Miss Clémence Ross will factually be part of the Board of Trustees from now. Ton van de Wiel withdraw from the organisation after consideration with the Board. Evaluation pointed out that Ton van de Wiel fulfilled his role as CEO very well. A phase with many operational tasks will follow and these tasks demand full time stake.

The question of much bikers and cyclist can be answered from Tuesday 14th of December with yes!

From this date the route of the Amstel Gold Race can be biked for 365 days each year in Limburg.
 
To celebrate this memorable happening there will be a party Tuesday 14th of December from 1.15 pm. Old winner of the Amstel Gold Race will be present for this opening! For every lover of cycling there will be a Meet and Greet with Fränk Schleck in the Amstel Gold Race Xperience (Plenkertstraat 50, 6301 GM Valkenburg ) from 2.15 p.m.

No quiz, but access for every lover of cycling! Come for more information about 365 days Amstel Gold Race and the Meet and Greet with Fränk Schleck to the Amstel Gold Race Xperience, Tuesday 14th of December.

Cyclocross isn't a very big sport in the Netherlands yet, but in Valkenburg (Limburg) they started to organise a new cycocross event.

It will happen next year on Saturday, February 19th at the legendary and world famous hill the Cauberg where Adrie van der Poel in the park of Holland Casino mapped out a trail of 2.7 km.

More information at www.caubergcyclocross.com.

Tekst: Marc van Landeghem
Foto: Roosenboon Fotografie

A number of Limburg’s cycling municipalities introduce themselves in the next weeks through this website. This week, the municipality of Valkenburg.

This is the first time in the history of the UCI Road World Championships that a cycling region has putting itself forward as a candidate. Six Limburg ‘cycle towns’ and the Dutch Province of Limburg (also known as Maastricht Region) are involved in the UCI Road World Championships Limburg 2012 as start, finish and recreation points. It involves Maastricht, Valkenburg, Heerlen, Sittard-Geleen, Landgraaf and Eijsden-Margraten.

Municipality of Valkenburg
Nestled in the loveliest landscape in the Netherlands is a special town, tucked away amidst rolling green meadows and colourful orchards. Valkenburg, a picturesque, historic town with an international appeal, is the most important magnet of the region, welcoming 1.2 million overnight guests and several million day visitors a year.

City of Natural Beauty
Valkenburg lies in the Geul Valley, an oasis of calm and space with a rich variety of flora and fauna. Its ‘five-star landscape’ is an ecological, cultural and historical treasure, unique and full of recreational opportunities. It is the ideal place to walk and cycle and an international magnet for cycling enthusiasts, with the infamous Cauberg Hill representing a genuine physical and mental challenge. Thanks to the extensive network of cycling and walking trails, everyone can set their own route and distance. The rolling hills around Valkenburg afford splendid views, sunken trails, imposing castles, authentic half-timbered farmhouses and picturesque villages, surrounded by extensive woods and meadows and criss-crossed by the babbling, meandering river Geul.

City of History
The warm, golden glow of marl, the local stone used in many of the older buildings in Valkenburg, illustrates the warm hospitality for which the municipality is famous. It is the only former fortified town with a hilltop castle. Much work has been done in recent years to restore the town’s historic structures and buildings, for example the medieval Berkel Gate, the town walls, and the lovely quays along the Geul. The projects have included highly successful renovations, such as that of Château St. Gerlach, renowned around the world for hosting various summit meetings attended by world leaders.

City of Leisure & Wellness
A museum, a top casino, caverns, tourist attractions, inviting outdoor cafes and shops, splendid castles and gardens, fine hotels and welcoming family-run B+Bs: Valkenburg has it all and more. Those who enjoy a whirlpool and sauna can visit Thermae 2000, the first health resort in the Netherlands, situated at the top of Cauberg Hill.  This is one of the few places in the Netherlands where hot, healthy thermal water is pumped directly to the surface.

City of Cycling
Valkenburg is famous around the world as a World Cycling City. The UCI Road World Championships have been held here no less than four times (in 1938, 1948, 1979, 1998) and Valkenburg has twice hosted stages of the Tour de France (in 1992 and 2006). As regards national cycling events, Valkenburg has often been the location for national championships and arrivals in stage races.  Since 2003, the Amstel Gold Race has finished at the top of Cauberg Hill.
 

Texts: Municipality of Valkenburg
Photo: Roosenboom Fotografie

Joop Atsma, CDA-Tweede Kamerlid en RvT-lid van de Stichting WK Wielrennen Limburg 2012, maakt na twaalf jaar de overstap van het parlement naar het kabinet. Hij wordt staatssecretaris van Infrastructuur en Milieu.

Atsma is een oudgediende uit de CDA-fractie in de Tweede Kamer, waar hij sinds 1998 in zit. Hij verwierf vooral bekendheid als woordvoerder mediazaken en hij is voorzitter van de vaste Kamercommissie voor Landbouw. Voordat hij in de Kamer kwam zat Atsma in de Provinciale Staten van Friesland. Hij maakt zich verder sterk voor het wielrennen; zo zit hij in het hoofdbestuur van de internationale wielerunie UCI en is hij lid van de Raad van Toezicht van de Stichting die verantwoordelijk is voor de organisatie van het WK wielrennen in 2012.

A number of Limburg’s cycling municipalities introduce themselves in the next weeks through this website. This week, the municipality of Sittard-Geleen.

This is the first time in the history of the UCI Road World Championships that a cycling region has putting itself forward as a candidate. Six Limburg ‘cycle towns’ and the Dutch Province of Limburg (also known as Maastricht Region) are involved in the UCI Road World Championships Limburg 2012 as start, finish and recreation points. It involves Maastricht, Valkenburg, Heerlen, Sittard-Geleen, Landgraaf and Eijsden-Margraten.

Municipality of Sittard-Geleen
The Province of Limburg and the combined towns of South Limburg have chosen Sittard-Geleen as the obvious centre for innovative developments in sport. International training facilities, sports instruction (amateur and pro), and sports innovation will be concentrated in Sittard-Geleen to form the Limburg Sport Zone.

The heart of Limburg
Sittard-Geleen is located in the narrowest part of the Netherlands. The municipality links North Limburg and South Limburg and shares its borders with both Belgium and Germany. With more than 95,000 inhabitants, it is the second largest municipality in the province. Cities such as Maastricht, Aachen (Germany) and Liège (Belgium) are right in the vicinity.

Sittard-Geleen has almost 4,000 companies and more than 1,400 ha of industrial estate, making it an important part of the national economic backbone. More than a sixth of Limburg’s industrial estates are located in Sittard-Geleen. It is the centre of many innovative economic activities, serving a worldwide market.

Collaboration with NOC*NSF
Sittard-Geleen has many excellent sports facilities and superb training facilities for cyclists. It is also the home base for various training and professional sports centres certified by the Netherlands Olympic Committee/Netherlands Sports Federation (NOC*NSF), for example for triathlon and pole vaulting. Sittard-Geleen is also the location of the Limburg Olympic Office, part of the NOC*NSF’s Dutch Olympic Network.

Limburg Sport Zone
The Province of Limburg and the combined towns of South Limburg have selected Sittard-Geleen as the heart of the Limburg Sport Zone. In 2010, the area around Fortuna Football Stadium will be transformed into the Limburg Sport Campus, a place where talented sportsmen and women can train their bodies and minds. There will be training facilities and competition venues that satisfy all relevant international requirements. The Limburg Sport Campus will also be the main location for regional and national training centres.

Illustrious cycling history
The future sport zone will assign sports with historical roots in Limburg – like cycling – an important role. Cycling stars Danny Nelissen, Jan Krekels and Jan Nolten were all born in Sittard-Geleen. Various stages of the former Tour of The Netherlands race took place in Sittard-Geleen in the 1980s. Since 2002, Sittard’s splendid old town centre has been the setting for one of the stages of the ENECO Tour. Sittard-Geleen has also long been the site of the finish line for the Olympia’s Tour and, more recently, for the Ster Elektrotoer race. The municipality also hosts the annual national uphill criterium race for junior riders.

 

Text & Photo: Municipality of Sittard-Geleen

The last day of the UCI World Championships has offered a magnificent show to the enormous crowd which welcomed the peloton on the Geelong circuit, after the race had started a few hours earlier in the centre of Melbourne.

The most anticipated event of the week, which benefited from ideal conditions, was dominated by a five- rider breakaway. They attacked in the first few kilometres and took advantage of the lethargy of the chasing bunch to accumulate a 23-minute advantage.

After the first four of the 11 laps, for a total distance of 257 km, the main teams organised their reaction, and the Italian and Spanish squads drove the pace to gradually reduce the gap.

Thus, all the favourites – except for the Swiss rider Fabian Cancellara, winner of the time trial –  remained in the leading group coming into the last lap. And if we thought Philippe Gilbert’s attack  was the decisive move of the day, in reality the race had a lot more to offer still, for what proved to be the most exciting World Championship in recent years.

After they caught the Belgian rider, the chasing group split up several times, however none of these moves succeeded.

Finally the title was decided was decided in a bunch sprint. With all the power we could expect of him, Thor Hushovd crossed the line in front of Matti Breschel (DEN) and Allan Davis (AUS). Davis, along with Cadel Evans, won over the Australian crowd with their generosity during the most turbulent end heated parts of the race. Amongst the losers: the Italian Filippo Pozzato, 4th, the Spanish Oscar Freire, 6th, and the Russian Alexandr Kolobnev, 7th after a silver medal in Mendrisio.

It is the first time ever that a Norwegian rider wins a UCI World Road Championship, and Hushovd’s success is a fair reward for such a consistent athlete. Hushovd certainly deserves the rainbow jersey he conquered in Geelong. Scandinavian cycling has lived a memorable day in Australia as Breschel’s silver medal  also promotes ideally the 2011 UCI World Championships in Copenhagen. 
 
 

UCI Communication Services

The UCI Have released their full sets of registered riders for the 2010 UCI Road World Championships. Who will win the battle for the rainbow jersey in Melbourne, Australia?

Elite Men

Elite Women

Under 23 Men

The International Cycling Union (UCI) is constantly trying to open up new ways to offer cycling fans the best ways to follow their favourite sport. Besides television, internet, the social media Facebook and Twitter, and other communication methods, the UCI now proposes an iPhone application. It is one of the first International Sports Federations to offer this possibility.
 

The UCI application allows fans and followers to obtain the latest results, news and press releases for all cycling disciplines. In addition, videos of UCI events containing exciting moments, interviews and more will be available just a few hours after the end of the competitions in question.

The application is free of charge and can be downloaded from the iTunes Apple Store.

With some 51 million iPhones already sold worldwide the UCI sees this new initiative as an important step in reaching out to cycling fans. As the sale of smart phones has increased by 24% in the last year, the UCI envisages offering the same service for other brands in the near future. 

Texts: UCI Communication Services
 

Op zaterdag 11 september 2010 wordt de derde editie van Boogie’s Extreme verreden in onder andere het Limburgse Heuvelland en gaat deels over het parcours van het WK Wielrennen Limburg 2012. De tocht is vernoemd naar oud-wielrenner en initiatiefnemer Michael Boogerd.

Deelnemers kunnen de keuze maken tussen vier verschillende afstanden (230, 160, 100 en 60 kilometer). Het parcours van de 4 toertochten is door Michael Boogerd zelf uitgestippeld met daarin de zwaarste beklimmingen uit zijn twee favoriete klassiekers, Luik-Bastenaken-Luik en Amstel Gold Race. Ook een deel van WK 2012-parcours is opgenomen in de derde editie van deze extreme tocht.

Michael Boogerd wordt zonder twijfel Nederlandse beste wielrenner van het afgelopen decennium genoemd. Vanaf 1996 tot zijn laatste seizoen behoorde de geboren Hagenaar tot de top van het internationale wielerpeloton. Met twee ritten in de Tour de France, de winst in de Amstel Gold Race in 1999 voor Lance Armstrong, drie nationale titels op de weg en zeges in semi-klassiekers als de Brabantse Pijl was hij misschien niet de grote winnaar, maar zijn podiumplaatsen en top-tien klasseringen in de allerzwaarste klassiekers typeren dat hij ruim tien jaar lang overal en steevast een van de smaakmakers was.

Veertien keer stond hij op het podium en liefst 36 maal behaalde hij een top-tien klassering in een van de grote eendagskoersen. In een periode van 14 jaar profrenner heeft hij veel betekend voor het Nederlandse wielrennen. Sinds de oprichting van de Rabobank-ploeg in 1996 was hij een van de boegbeelden van deze Nederlandse formatie. In 2007 nam Michael Boogerd afscheid van zijn profcarrière.

Deelnemers kunnen zich tot vrijdagochtend 10 september aanstaande inschrijven via de website www.boogiesextreme.nl . Daarna is inschrijven alleen nog mogelijk bij de startlocatie (Landal Kasteeldomein De Cauberg (Valkenburg). Inschrijven op locatie is mogelijk op vrijdag: 17.00 - 20.00 uur en op zaterdag: 06.30 - 10.00 uur. 
 

A number of Limburg’s cycling municipalities introduce themselves in the next weeks through this website. This week, the municipality of Landgraaf.

This is the first time in the history of the UCI Road World Championships that a cycling region has putting itself forward as a candidate. Six Limburg ‘cycle towns’ and the Dutch Province of Limburg (also known as Maastricht Region) are involved in the UCI Road World Championships Limburg 2012 as start, finish and recreation points. It involves Maastricht, Valkenburg, Heerlen, Sittard-Geleen, Landgraaf and Eijsden-Margraten.

Municipality of Landgraaf
With more than 38,000 inhabitants, Landgraaf is a young, dynamic municipality renowned for its many recreational and leisure attractions. Its picturesque village centres are living proof of its long history.

Business is big in Landgraaf. The efforts of the business community help make Landgraaf a dynamic, enterprising municipality. The tourist sector has really taken off in recent years, generating direct and indirect employment and giving both the town and the region a major economic boost.

Landgraaf is the recreational and leisure showcase of the region. Park Gravenrode, a nature area that covers much of the municipality, is a centre for large-scale recreational and leisure activity. This is the location of Mondo Verde World Gardens, the Landgraaf Sport & Leisure Park, and SnowWorld – the largest indoor winter sports resort in the world and the only FIS-licensed competitive indoor ski slope in the world.

Park Gravenrode is also the location of Megaland, an events site renowned as the venue for the popular annual festivals Pinkpop and Pinkpop Classic. In 2009, Bruce Springsteen, The Killers and Snow Patrol put on a thrilling three-day show there for an audience of 65,000. Top acts such as Robbie Williams, the Rolling Stones, Amy Winehouse, Pearl Jam and Metallica have also performed in Landgraaf. In other words, Landgraaf can easily absorb huge numbers of people.

Is Landgraaf a cycling town? Starting in 1996, Landgraaf was for many years the site of the finish line of the Tour of The Netherlands (later called the ENECO Tour); in 2002 it hosted The Ride for the Roses; it also hosts a highly popular criterium race, the ‘Night of Waubach’; in 2009 it hosted the Dutch National Cycling Championships; and one of its streets is named after Erik Dekker! Landgraaf is also the starting and finish location for ‘Limburg’s Best’, a cycling event that attracts an annual 13,000 recreational cyclists. In short - Landgraaf is definitely a cycling town!

The UCI Road World Championships 2012 will give the sports sector in Landgraaf a solid boost. The event will allow the municipality to promote itself even more vigorously as a cycling and events centre. The spectators will get to know Landgraaf as a place that offers many different recreational attractions for day excursions, and with the new hotel at SnowWorld, they will want to stay for longer. On top of that, the Pinkpop campsites can easily be converted into genuine UCI Road World Championship campsites.

Photo and text: municipality of Landgraaf

De Commissaris van de Koningin in Limburg, de heer Léon Frissen, zal op dinsdag 24 augustus 2010 het startschot lossen voor de Limburgse teams die meedoen aan de wielertocht Tour for Life 2010.

Tour for Life ondersteunt Artsen zonder Grenzen. De Tour for Life, van 29 augustus tot en met 5 september 2010, is een prestatieve wielertocht van Italië (nabij Turijn) naar de Cauberg in Valkenburg aan de Geul. Vijftig teams van tenminste zes wielrenners rijden daarbij in acht dagen gemiddeld 150 kilometer per dag, langs klassieke en hoge trajecten. De wielrenners brengen de nachten door in het Tour for Life tentenkamp, dat dagelijks door de organisatie wordt opgebouwd met hulp van tientallen begeleiders en vrijwilligers.

Elke ploeg brengt minstens € 15.000,- sponsorgeld in voor Artsen zonder Grenzen én voor al die mensen in nood, die deze organisatie wereldwijd helpt. Vanuit Limburg nemen twee teams deel aan deze monstertocht. Naast het ‘Cycling Team Grenzeloos Limburg’ van de personeelsvereniging van de Provincie Limburg neemt ook het team ‘Zitterd Sjittert’ (uit Sittard) deel. Ook gaat het Rode Kruis, afdeling Westelijke Mijnstreek, mee als EHBO-begeleiding voor alle wielerteams.

Het ‘Cycling Team Grenzeloos Limburg’ heeft al meer dan € 35.000,- bij elkaar gefietst. Bij het team van ‘Zitterd Sjittert’ staat de teller inmiddels op € 24.000,-.
Gouverneur Léon Frissen zal alle Limburgse deelnemers uitzwaaien op dinsdag 24 augustus om 17 uur vanaf het Gouvernement in Maastricht.
 

The 2010 Eneco Tour of Benelux will be the sixth edition of the Eneco Tour of Benelux cycling stage race. It will take place from 17 August to 24 August 2010 in the Benelux.

In this year edition are also two stages in the Dutch province of Limburg (also known as the Maastricht Region).

Like the previous years, parts of the Netherlands and Belgium will be covered. It is part of the UCI World Ranking. It begins with a short individual time trial in Steenwijk and ends with a longer one in Genk.

The full program:

Monday, 16-8 - Team presentation, Steenwijk (NL)

Tuesday, 17-8 - Prologue, Steenwijk (NL) 5 km

Wednesday, 18-8 - 1st stage, Steenwijk (NL) - Rhenen (NL) 177 km

Thursday, 19-8 - 2nd stage, Rucphen (NL) - Ardooie (B) 210 km
Friday, 20-8 - 3rd stage, Ronse (B) - Ronse (B) 187 km

Saturday, 21-8 - 4th stage, St-Lievens-Houtem (B) - Roermond (NL) 212 km

Sunday, 22-8 - 5th stage, Roermond (NL) - Sittard (NL) 208 km

Monday, 23-8 - 6th stage Bilzen (B) - Heers (B) 205 km

Tuesday, 24-8 - Individual Time Trial, Genk (B) - Genk (B) 16.5 km



More information about the Eneco Tour is available at www.enecotour.nl.
 

Foto: Roosenboom Fotografie

In September 2010, Melbourne will welcome the 77th UCI Road World Championships. This event will bring the best riders in the world to Australia

The popularity of the Tour de France in Australia and the excitement created by it will flow on to create unprecedented interest in the World Championships. The event will be held over 5 days of competition from 29th September to 3rd October and features Elite Men and Women competitors as well as Under 23 Men’s. Over 400 of the world’s best cyclists will descend on Melbourne to compete in Time Trial and Road Race events based in Geelong. In addition to the challenging courses set in Geelong for these competitors, for the first time in a World Championship, the Elite Men’s Road Race will begin in one city and finish in another with the start of the race in Melbourne, finishing with laps of the tough circuit in Geelong.

More information about the event at www.melbourne2010.com.au
 

Rotterdam welcomes the Tour de France teams and their cyclists. The theme of this festive opening is New Energy. It promises to be a grand spectacle with live entertainment.

On the stage all teams and their cyclists will presented to the public.

Come and experience this: an event that is worthy to come. The Tour de France is one of the greatest cycling events in the world and you will remember it for a long time. A more detailed program and the exact locations are available at the website www.tourdefrancerotterdam.nl.

Source: tourdefrancerotterdam.nl

Photo: Matthias Kessler won the third stage of the Tour de France to Valkenburg, Limburg (aslo known as Maastricht Region) in 2006.



The Event Management office, which is located on the Julianaweg in St. Geertruid (Maastricht Region), has expanded with an extra office unit.

On Wednesday morning June 23 a heavy 20-meter tall crane placed the office unit. The extra office capacity is necessary for organizing the UCI Road World Championships.  These Championships will be held in 2012 Limburg (also known as Maastricht Region).



The office unit is equipped with six workstations and will be made available mid July of this year. The front of the office will be painted in the official UCI colours and decorated with the logo of the Road World Championships.



The UCI Road World Championships in 2012 are from 15 until 23 September.

Fotograaf: Ger De Loo

The Road World Championships Limburg 2012 Foundation has announced the members of its Board: former Dutch State Secretary for Health, Welfare and Sport Clémence Ross, former president and CEO of the Schiphol Group Gerlach Cerfontaine, and former executive councillor for the City of Heerlen Pé Diederen.

Ross served in the Balkenende government from 2002 to 2007. She then became the managing director of The Netherlands Institute for Sport and Physical Activity (NISB). In addition to their vast experience in public administration at both national and local levels, all three members of the board have an affinity for cycling, the Maastricht Region and organising events.

The new Board has already appointed Ton van de Wiel (well known as the interim manager of the Dutch Olympic Committee/Dutch Sports Federation NOC*NSF) as the event’s project manager. Emiel Frambach, familiar as the organiser of the UCI ProTour classic Amstel Gold, will serve as operations manager for the project management team. Former pro cyclist, journalist and Tour delegate for the Netherlands Bennie Ceulen will act as the Board’s strategic adviser.

The Board will link the Road World Cycling Championships to other events in a variety of different fields. One example is collaboration with the Floriade World Horticulture show, also scheduled for 2012 in the Limburg city of Venlo. Regional branding and promotion will also be given due attention. In addition, efforts will be made to link the event with Maastricht’s pending candidacy for European Capital of Culture in 2018. Work is already under way on a cultural programme to accompany the road world cycling event.  Its impact will naturally be used to promote recreational sports and to encourage talented local cyclists. Finally, the organisers of the event will be highlighting the theme of ‘sustainability’.

In addition to the Board, which will be responsible for overall management, a five-member Supervisory Committee will monitor and offer guidance. The Province of Limburg has nominated Limburg’s Regional Minister for Sport, Odile Wolfs, and Dutch MP and UCI Road Commission President Joop Atsma to the  Supervisory Committee. The participating municipalities have nominated Jan Jongsma (acting on behalf of the Royal Dutch Cycling Federation, KNWU), Jan Schrijen (former mayor of Venlo and chairman of the Roer & Overmaas Water Board) and former mayor of Heerlen Jef Pleumeekers.

The notarial deed setting up the Road World Championships Limburg 2012 Foundation will be signed this evening at the Provincial Government Buildings in Maastricht in the presence of the nominee Board members, Supervisory Committee members and the management team.  

Photo's of the setting up of the Road World Championships Limburg 2012 Foundation.
 

Butcher Lebouille Valkenburg recently presented their new fleet of cars with the official logo of the UCI Road World Championship Limburg 2012.

Emiel Frambach, a member of the Core Team World Cup 2012 and organizer of the Amstel Gold Race, helped owner Ernest Lebouille with the unveiling of the new fleet

In the new logo, a flower is easily recognisable. In the first place, this flower symbolises the growth and prosperity of the Limburg region. Moreover, it relates to the natural surroundings of the region. The flower can as well be linked to the Floriade 2012 World Horticultural Expo which takes place in the same year in the north of the Province of Limburg. The new logo is a recognisable image with a strong link (tulip) to the country where the UCI Road World Championships will take place.
Furthermore, we chose for a cyclist who symbolises strength and speed by standing firmly on the pedals. The fan (flower) behind his back in the colours of the UCI rainbow emphasises this even stronger.

As cyclist Philippe Chevallier took part in the Amstel Gold Race twice. Since he was promoted last year September as director road racing of the UCI is the 48 year old Frenchmen one of the most important policy maker in the cycling world.

In this function he is more or less responsible for the ProTour, of which the only top classic of the Netherlands is part too.
For the occasion Chevallier will step in the saddle of his race bike during the Amstel Gold Race-weekend. On invitation of the World Championshops Limburg 2012 foundation, he will take part in the Tourversion Amstel Gold Race Saturday in company of former world champion Jan Janssen and the former professional cyclist Marc Lotz from Valkenburg.
 
Philippe Chevallier is a pure blood cyclist. He was once a very promising rider. At the juniors he belong to the top of the world. He became road champion of France and furthermore he won the national title of the team time trial and purchase. At the world championships for juniors he won two medals: silver on the team purchase and bronze in the individual purchase. “On the podium I was standing next to nobody less than Greg Lemond, who became second,” tells the present UCI-director road racing with proper pride.
 
He also was a topper as amateur in the same time as Laurent Fignon and Charly Mottet. It gained him a professional contact at the famous Renault-Gitane team of Bernhard Hinault. “In 1982 I started as pro at Renault-Gitane. Cycling for the great champion was something very special. Hinault was the patron of the last great cycling generation,” he praises his former leader.
 
Chevallier would only be helper of Hinault for two years, because the five time Tourwinner left the team of team manager Cyrille Guimard to start his own La Via Claire-equipe. In the meantime Philippe Chevallier had made a successful Tour debut. In the Tour de France of 1983 the young Frenchmen won the 9th stage Bordeaux-Pau. “It was the highlight of my ten year professional career.”
 
The expected breakthrough of Philippe Chevallier never came, eventhought he won a stage in the Tour de l’Avenir 1984 and was part of the formation around Laurent Fignon that won the team time trial in the Giro. At the end of 1991 he found the time ripe to stop his career at 30 years. Somewhat bitter he said farewell of the sport of which he had hoped so much. “The cycling did not bring what I expected a promising rider.
 
Chevallier became helikopterpilot. Until he was approached by Jean-Marie Leblanc in 1994 to start at the Société du Tour de France. ,,This way I became employee of the Tourorganisation.  At the best cycling organization of the world a learned the business. Until 2000 I worked at ASO with pleasure.”
With approval of Tourdirector Leblanc Chevallier quit, who lives in Leysin, a mountain village in the Haute-Savoie, over to the UCI to become coordinator road racing at the interrnational cycling union. At the UCI Chevallier has been throught a lot since then. ,,In those ten years cycling has evolved a lot. On that point cycling made a giant bend. When I started at UCI the cycling world didn’t have the best name. We have worked hard to turn the tide. Because of the numerous doping affairs, the discussion over the ProTour and the fight between UCI and ASO I experienced tumultuous years. Certainly about the doping question, a lot happened. Luckily we came in a stadium in which became clear that we are going the right way. Especially the youth is of great importance.”
 
Chevallier is clearly convinced that the current approach start to pay of. “We can see this clearly in the policy at the teams. The future looks bright,” is the conviction of the former cyclist who became UCI executive.
 
Last year September he was appointed director road racing by the main management of the UCI. Since then the Frenchman has the ProTourcyclus and the road worldchampionships under his wings. “Sportively I am responsible for everything that concerns road racing. Since short time track racing was added to my responsibilities.
 
Philippe Chevallier knows very well that cycling in the Netherlands is immense popular. ,,What surprised me in particular is the enormous drive to draw big cycling events to the Nethelands. With start of the Vuelta, Giro and Tour in succession and the acquisition of the World Championship 2012 in Limburg, the Netherlands deserves a big compliment.”
 
Chevallier praises the Amstel Gold Race. ,,The Dutch are very proud of the Amstel Gold Race, a successformula with the Tourversion. I witnessed last year with my own eyes how popular the Amstel Gold Race is. What attracted me the most is that everyone cycles with a lot of fun. All participants are threated with respect and admiration. Great to see how the Amstel Gold Race lices. Limburg is the only region in the world where I encounter this special respect for professionals and tour cyclists. A nice example. I am looking forward to experience that again.”

Text: Amstel Gold Race
 

Although he won last years’ Amstel Gold Race as outsider, nobody was surprised that the Russian Champion Sergei Ivanov left all the big names after him in an exciting final in the Dutch ProTourclassic.

Especially Ivanov wasn’t surprised. “Because I always cycled well in the Amstel Gold Race. I actually had to win this classic before”.
 
Sergei Ivanov won the 44th edition of the Amstel Gold Race by beating his Dutch felow escapist Karsten Kroon in the sprint. Robert Gesink, who had to let the two go on the final climb of the Cauberg, became third. The way like he won this first big classic, is in printed in my memory forever, underlines Ivanov. Just after the climb of the Keutenberg the race was decided. With ten kilometres to go, Rabobank rider Robert Gesink made the deciding escape. The clever Sergei Ivanov (Katusha) and the smart Karsten Kroon (Saxobank) completed the leading trio. When Ivanov turned up the pace on the foot of the Cauberg, Gesink had to let them go. Although Kroon can ride uphill fast, Ivanov had little difficulty beating the Dutch favourite before own crowd.
 
“The most beautiful victory in my career, even thought a won a stage in the Tour de France before and afterwards”, the 35 year old Ivanov defined his success in Valkenburg. “The Amstel Gold Race is my favourite classic and technically suits me well. Through the years a got a special relationship with the Amstel Gold Race. In Limburg I always ride well. I like the characteristics and the profile of the race. The entire day riding uphill, downhill, fighting for a good position, constantly nervous coursing, a lot of turning and twisting and pushing to stay in front is my thing. During the years I gained a lot of experience. Track experience is immense important. Although, last year it almost went wrong. A few times I almost missed a corner. Although I know the track inside out, you constantly need to be cautious. A wrong judgement in a corner can be fatal. That makes the Amstel Gold Race extra though.”
 
In his long career, Ivanov proved that he can play an important role in the Amstel Gold Race indeed. This resulted five times in a top ten classification, until last yeas, a second place in 2002 behind his teammate Michele Bartoli as best result until then. “I could have won earlier in the Amstel Gold Race. But there always was something that kept me from victory. The circumstances never were in my advantage. Like 2002 when I sacrificed my changes for Michele Bartoli. The Italian was my leader at Fassa Bortolo back then. Team manager Giancarlo Ferretti ordered me to sacrifice myself for Bartoli. Not that I had any problems with that, but I just want to say. You also need a little bit of luck. That year I was certainly as good as my leader. In the Dutch classic I coursed in a promising position. Until last year this only resulted in honourable places. Then finally bulls eye. What a magnificent feeling was that! After all, who doesn’t want to have such an important ProTourclassic on his victory list. The Amstel Gold Race now stands nicely on my victory list and I will cherish it forever,” explains the Katusha rider.  
 
The hungre of the, in the Belgian Molenstede near Diest living Ivanov still is not over. This spring the multiple Russian road champion has the Amstel Gold Race on top of his wish list. “I believe in my changes for a second success in Valkenburg. I am incredibly motivated. My preparation will be exactly the same as last year. I will go to Tenerife to train uphill in perfect cicumstances. Last year this preparation certainly paid of. Now I will be ready again for this big appointment. I now know that I will have to watch riders like Robert Gesink, the Schleck brothers, Damiano Cunego and Karsten Kroon. And Kroon will certainly be looking for revenge. I am even prepared to that.” 

Tekst: Amstel Gold Race
Foto: Cor Vos

The Queen’s Commissioner for the Province Limburg Léon Frissen will give the start shot Sundaymorning for the Amstel Gold Race.

On 10.15 AM Frissen will ‘shoot’ the bunch of 192 cyclists away on the Market in the capital of Limburg for a 257.8 kilometre race, that will take about six and a half hour. The finish on the Cauberg in Valkenburg is expected around 16.45 PM. Besides this, the Queen’s Commisioner Frissen, who is a great cycling enthusiast, will follow the Amstel Gold Race up close from a car in the race, the car of course director Leo van Vliet.

Op 15 april 2010 nodigt Team Grenzeloos Limburg wielerliefhebbers uit voor een ‘avondje Cauberg’.

Enthousiaste wielerliefhebbers, (ex-)wielrenners, donateurs en geïnteresseerden kunnen vanaf 19.30 uur in het Gouvernement aan de Maas in Maastricht luisteren naar boeiende wielerverhalen over onder andere de Cauberg. De presentatie van de avond is in handen van Raymond Kerckhoffs, Limburger en bekend wielerjournalist van De Telegraaf. Deze avond wordt georganiseerd naar aanleiding van de deelname van Team Grenzeloos Limburg, bestaande uit leden van de personeelsvereniging van de provincie Limburg, aan de sponsortocht Tour for Life. Deze tocht eindigt met de slotklim op de Cauberg en de totale opbrengst is bestemd voor Artsen zonder Grenzen. De entree is gratis, maar vrijwillige donaties voor Artsen zonder Grenzen worden zeer op prijs gesteld.

Het programma ziet er als volgt uit:

• Presentatie van het team Grenzeloos Limburg: de passie van liefhebbers;
• Verhalen en mythen van de Cauberg door Levien Spits: de ‘allesweter’ van de Cauberg met bekende en onbekende verhalen van de wielergeschiedenis van deze berg;
• Gene Janssen: medicus, inspanningsfysioloog en vooral ervaringsdeskundige over professioneel en cyclosportief fietsen: hoe bereik je het ‘grensverleggende’ niveau;
• Steven Rooks: over klimmen, voorbereiding, materiaal en omgevingsinvloeden; 
• Veiling van een gesigneerd Cervélo wielershirt (handtekening van o.a. Carlos Sastre, Thor Hushovd, Andreas Klier, Heinrich Hausler, Kirsten Wild, Regina Bruins).

Sponsortocht Tour for Life
Tour for Life is een sponsorwielertocht om geld in te zamelen voor Artsen zonder Grenzen. De tocht met als vertrekplaats het Noord Italiaanse Oulx, voert vanaf 29 augustus in 8 dagen over 1.200 km via onder andere de Alpe d’Huez, Col de la Croix de Fèr, Col de La Madeleine, verder via de Vogezen en de kuitenbijters van de Ardennen om uiteindelijk te finishen op de Limburgse Cauberg. Daar wacht de deelnemers een warm onthaal van vrienden, familie en collega’s. Deelname per team vereist een sponsorbedrag van minimaal € 17.500,-. Het geven van bekendheid aan dit initiatief is van belang om mensen te bewegen tot een (vrijwillige) donatie voor de Tour for Life.

De Cauberg
De Cauberg is al sinds de jaren dertig van de vorige eeuw een ‘scherprechter’ in het wielrennen. In Nederland staat deze helling als een heuse berg te boek waar al menigeen de ‘man met de hamer’ tegenkwam. Na vier wereldkampioenschappen, vele nationale kampioenschappen, Tour de France-aankomsten en Vueltapassages staat het volgende wereldkampioenschap in 2012 al weer voor de deur. Maar ook vele andere wedstrijden voor professionals en liefhebbers zijn op deze klim voorbijgetrokken. Absoluut noemenswaardig is de jaarlijkse wielerklassieker de Amstel Gold Race, met eveneens de aankomst op de Cauberg.

Geïnteresseerden kunnen zich vooraf aanmelden via cauberg@prvlimburg.nl.
 

The European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF) in Maastricht is one of worlds most influential fine art fair. The Province of Limburg uses TEFAF as an interesting meeting place for stakeholders to get together and to get acquainted with regional policy topics. In this way the gain is two-fold; leisure and learning.

The Province of Limburg organised Tuesday, March 16, 2010 a TEFAF meeting in the light of the ‘UCI Road World Championships Limburg 2012’. Speakers during this afternoon were amongst others, coach of the Dutch national team, Leo van Vliet, Jan Janssen (World Champion in 1964 and winner of the Tour de France 1968), Albert van Schendel (Researcher on the economic impact of sport events) and cycling historian Wiel Verheesen. Hostess of the day was regional executive Odile Wolfs.

An event like the World Championships Cycling emphasises Limburg as a European example region. A region that has often been the scene of national and international cycling events. Cycling in Limburg embodies cycling in an international setting. Include the beautiful scenery and natural surroundings, bustling tourism, lavish hospitality and excellent accessibility and one has, in a nutshell, the stage for a successful World Championships Cycling 2012. 

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Photo caption: Former world champion and former winner of the Tour de France shares his experiences with the audience during the TEFAF meeting in Maastricht (Photographer: Frits Widdershoven)

Op 26 en 27 juni van dit jaar wordt sinds lange tijd het NK wielrennen weer gehouden in en rondom de gemeentes Beek, Stein en Meerssen. Met, hoe kan het ook anders, de Adsteeg als scherprechter.
 

In nauwe samenwerking met de provincie Limburg hebben voornoemde gemeentes de organisatie van dit grootse evenement, voor 2010, op zich genomen. Hiertoe is een lokale stichting in het leven geroepen. Start en finish zullen plaatsvinden in Beek.

Het belangrijkste wielerevenement van Nederland zal oude tijden doen herleven. Grote namen als: Henk Lubberding (‘78), Fedor den Hertog (‘77) en in een nog verder verleden: Evert Dolman (’68), Gerben Karstens (’66) en Jo de Roo (’65 en ’64) wisten deze wielerklassieker aan hun palmares toe te voegen.

Op zaterdag 26 juni strijden de ‘beloften’ en de ‘dames’ om de Nederlandse titel en op zondag 27 juni is het de beurt aan de ‘eliterenners’.

Foto: Cor Vos

De start van de individuele tijdritten Dames junioren (onder voorbehoud) en Heren espoirs vindt tijdens het Wereldkampioenschap Wielrennen in 2012 niet meer plaats in het Limburgse Beek, maar in de Limburgse gemeente Landgraaf.

De Landgraafse gemeenteraad heeft ingestemd met het voorstel om de extra onderdelen over te nemen van de gemeente Beek. De gemeenteraad van Beek heeft aangegeven geen geld te willen uittrekken voor het Wereldkampioenschap Wielrennen Limburg 2012.

Burgemeester Bert Janssen en gedeputeerde Odile Wolfs zijn blij met het besluit van de gemeente Landgraaf: “De gemeente kan zich nog nadrukkelijker profileren als wieler- en evenementenstad. Landgraaf heeft namelijk al sinds 1996 jaarlijks een wielerevent binnen haar gemeentegrenzen en is sinds 1988 al gastgemeente van Europa’s oudste Popfestival, Pinkpop. De bezoekers zullen Landgraaf leren kennen als een stad met vele recreatiemogelijkheden”, aldus burgemeester Janssen. De betreffende wedstrijdonderdelen zullen starten in de Landgraafse wijk Schaesberg. De organisatie van het WK 2012 moet nu alleen nog een voorstel tot wijziging indienen bij de Internationale Wielerunie, de UCI. Daarna moet de UCI nog een definitieve goedkeuring verlenen.
 
Wethouder Thijs van Es van de gemeente Beek geeft aan dat hij het jammer vindt dat Beek niet meer deelneemt aan het WK. “In 2012 is het de eerste keer in de geschiedenis van het WK Wielrennen op de weg dat niet één gemeente, maar een hele regio een dergelijk wielerevenement organiseert. Maar liefst 14 Limburgse wielergemeenten worden op de een of ander manier betrokken bij het Wereldkampioenschap Wielrennen. Jammer dat de gemeente Beek daar geen onderdeel meer van uitmaakt.”
 
Liefst zeven zogenaamde Limburgse wielergemeenten worden als start-, finish- of breedtesportlocatie bij de Wereldkampioenschappen Wielrennen Limburg 2012 betrokken. Dit alles in het kader van het Limburgs Wielerplan. Het betreft Maastricht, Valkenburg, Heerlen, Sittard-Geleen, Landgraaf, Margraten en Eijsden. Daarnaast worden nog eens zeven Limburgse wielergemeenten als doorkomstplaatsen opgenomen in de parcoursen van de diverse wedstrijdonderdelen. De eindstreep bevindt zich telkens in de gemeente Valkenburg aan de Geul, ter hoogte van de grens Vilt-Berg en Terblijt. Op het centrale 16,5 km lange parcours zijn de Cauberg (Valkenburg) en Bemelerberg (Margraten) de scherprechters. De Wereldkampioenschappen Wielrennen 2012 worden van 15 tot en met 23 september gehouden.
 

Foto: Landgraaf is al sinds 1988 gastgemeente van Europa’s oudste Popfestival Pinkpop.

De Limburgse wielercoryfee van weleer Jan Nolten vierde woensdag 20 januari zijn 80e verjaardag. Enkele dagen later werd dit bijzondere feit op gepaste wijze gevierd in de brouwerij van Brand in Wijlré.

Daarbij gaven Noltens vroegere ploegmakkers in de Tour de France, Henk Faanhof, Piet Haan, Sjefke Janssen en Henk Steevens, acte de présence. Janssen en Steevens zijn woonplaatsgenoten van Elsloonaar Nolten. Jan Nolten maakte begin jaren vijftig furore in de Tour de France door twee etappes te winnen, maar vooral door met de Italiaanse campionnissimo Fausto Coppi te duelleren op de flanken van de Puy de Dôme. Pas in de laatste 200 meter van deze steile reus in de Auvergne diende Nolten het onderspit voor Coppi te delven. Jan Nolten schreef met zijn heroïsche prestaties Limburgse geschiedenis in de Ronde van Frankrijk. Bij zijn tachtigste verjaardsfeest in Wijlré werd hij behalve eerder genoemde vroegere Tourhelden ook geëerd door de Limburgse oud-profrenners Jan Hugens, Jan Krekels, Ben Koken, Mart van der Borgh, Bennie Ceulen, Huub, Jan en Ger Harings, Gène Beckers en Leo Knops.

Ook namens de Stichting Wereldkampioenschappen Wielrennen Limburg i.o. en de Provincie Limburg ontving de vroegere Limburgse Tourheld felicitaties en een geschenk. Op de foto Jan Nolten in gesprek met zijn vroegere Tourploegmakker Henk Faanhof (rechts).
 

Hooglede-Gits zag het WK wielrennen 2012 met lede ogen naar het Nederlandse Zuid-Limburg gaan, maar mikt nu met hernieuwde moed op de editie 2013 of 2014. Dat schrijft Het Laatste Nieuws.

'We investeerden te veel om alles zomaar te laten schieten', zegt organisator Rik Debeaussart in Het Laatste Nieuws. 'In tegenstelling tot ons eerste dossier komen we straks niet naar buiten als Oostende-Hooglede, maar als "Provincie West-Vlaanderen". Net zoals Nederlands Limburg het aanpakte voor 2012.'

Debeaussart hoopt het betere lobbywerk te kunnen genieten van onder meer prelmier Leterme, EU-president Van Rompuy en IOC-voorzitter Jacques Rogge.

'De steun van de Belgische wielerbond hebben we sowieso. Alle hulp is welkom, want Italië en Spanje zijn ook kandidaat.'

Ook het parcours werd hertekend in functie van de nieuwe kandidatuur.

'We opteren nu voor een plaatselijk circuit in het Heuvelland. De Monteberg kan een geschikte scherprechter zijn. De Kemmelberg niet, want kasseien mogen niet. De aankomst ligt mogelijk in Ieper of Poperinge.'

De datum van de generale repetitie ligt al vast. In 2011 ontvangt Hooglede-Gits immers het Belgisch kampioenschap.

Tekst: De Standaard - Foto: Paul Orbons, Provincie Limburg

UCI president Pat McQuaid told the camera of sportchannellimburg.nl why the UCI Road World Championship in 2012 must be organized by Limburg.

The president of the International Cycling Union was impressed by the fantastic presentation of the Limburg delegation led by Provincial Executive Councillor for Sport, Odile Wolfs. "They have shown us that it will be an event of high quality. We expect a broad support for the UCI Road World Championship, both the (local) authorities and the cycling public. It will be a big cycling party in Limburg (also known as the Maastricht Region). Watch the whole interview via http://vimeo.com/7430562.

De spanning tijdens het onlangs gehouden WK-wielrennen in het Zwitserse Mendrisio is niet alleen tijdens de wedstrijden te snijden. Pat McQuaid, voorzitter van de UCI, de internationale wielrenunie, staat op het punt bekend te maken aan welk land het WK wielrennen in 2012 wordt toegewezen.
 

Welke van de overgebleven drie landen wordt het: België, Italië of Nederland? Als McQuaid 'LIMBURG - THE NETHERLANDS' uitspreekt, barst bij de Nederlandse delegatie een spontaan gejuich los. Het bestuur van de internationale wielrenunie UCI wijst de wereldtitelstrijd toe aan de provincie Limburg!
 
De in Mendrisio aanwezige Limburgse gedeputeerde Odile Wolfs, 'eerste vrouw' van de Limburgse delegatie glimt van trots. Het WK-wielrennen komt over drie jaar immers naar háár provincie. Een jaar lang intensief onderhandelen en voorbereiden hebben hun vruchten afgeworpen. Odile Wolfs (PvdA): ,,Geweldig dat we in onze opzet zijn geslaagd, dit evenement zet de regio Zuid-Limburg op de kaart. De wielersport is een van de belangrijkste speerpunten in het provinciale sportbeleid. Limburg herbergt alle kwaliteiten om er een groots en onvergetelijk evenement van te maken. Het samenwerkingsverband tussen de provincie Limburg, de deelnemende Zuid-Limburgse gemeenten, VVV Zuid-Limburg, het Ministerie van Volksgezondheid, Welzijn en Sport, KNWU (de nationale wielerunie) en NOC*NSF (om vóór de Olympische Spelen in 2028 zoveel mogelijk internationale evenementen naar Nederland te halen) is uitstekend geslaagd."

Het WK-wielrennen wordt op 15 september 2012 ingeluid met een cultureel openingsevenement op het Vrijthof in Maastricht en op 23 september afgesloten met een slotmanifestatie in Valkenburg. Liefst acht zogenaamde Limburgse wielergemeenten zijn, in het kader van het Limburgs wielerplan, als start-, finish- of breedtesportlocatie bij het wereldkampioenschap in 2012 gepresenteerd. Het betreft Maastricht, Valkenburg, Heerlen, Sittard-Geleen, Landgraaf, Margraten, Eijsden en Beek. Daarnaast worden nog eens zes Limburgse wielergemeenten als doorkomstplaatsen opgenomen in de parcoursen van de diverse wedstrijdonderdelen. De eindstreep bevindt zich telkens op de Cauberg in Valkenburg aan de Geul. Op het centrale 16,5 km lange parcours zijn de Cauberg (Valkenburg) en de Bemelerberg (Margraten) de scherprechters, net als bij de Amstel Gold Race. Belangrijke vernieuwingen voor het WK 2012 zijn de uitbreiding van het aantal wedstrijddagen over twee weekeinden, een uitbreiding van meerdere start- en finishgemeentes, het invoeren van breedtesport-evenementen (onder meer een toerversie van de WK-wegwedstrijd) én de invoering van een ploegentijdrit voor sponsorteams.

Bidbook
Aan de hand van geslaagde voorgesprekken en onderzoeken presenteert Odile Wolfs de UCI, een van oudsher mannenbolwerk, een gedetailleerd én aansprekend bidbook. De gedreven gedeputeerde: ,,Daar was haast mee, want er werd bij de UCI voor het eerst volgens andere richtlijnen en gedragsregels gewerkt. Om een zo eerlijk mogelijke kans te maken, heb ik vooraf bedongen dat er voor alle deelnemende landen een vast bedrag (fixed price) bij de bieding moest zijn. Uit ervaring weet ik dat een land als Italië andere landen vaak in financieel opzicht met miljoenen euro's overbiedt." Odile Wolfs en haar medewerkers onderhandelen vooraf succesvol met de acht deelnemende wielergemeentes over faciliteiten en financiën, maar ook met de provincie Limburg (de voornaamste geldgever) en het ministerie van Volksgezondheid, Welzijn en Sport. Voormalig profcoureur en journalist Bennie Ceulen, tevens officiële Nederlandse vertegenwoordiger van ASO (organisator van de Tour de France, Luik-Bastenaken-Luik, Parijs-Roubaix en andere wielerklassiekers) en Emiel Frambach (de rechterhand van directeur Leo van Vliet in de Amstel Gold Race en kenner bij uitstek van het Zuid-Limburgse wegennet) fungeren als belangrijke adviseurs. Odile Wolfs: ,,Ik heb vanwege hun kennis, ervaring, vakmanschap én relaties grote steun gehad aan Bennie Ceulen en Emiel Frambach, twee geweldige Limburgse ambassadeurs in de internationale wielerwereld." 
 
OdileWolfs gaat ervan uit dat het WK wielrennen in 2012 Limburg ruim 40 miljoen euro oplevert. Ervaringscijfers uit Stuttgart en het Italiaanse Varese, eerdere organisatoren van het WK-wielrennen, staven die schatting. De kosten gaan echter ook in Limburg voor de baat uit. Het internationaal aansprekende evenement gaat volgens de begroting in totaal 9,7 miljoen euro kosten. Daarvan komt tweederde voor rekening van de overheden. Het grootste deel (3 miljoen euro) wordt door de provincie Limburg opgehoest, het ministerie van Volksgezondheid, Welzijn en Sport neemt anderhalf miljoen euro voor haar rekening en ook de acht deelnemende Zuid-Limburgse gemeentes staan garant voor anderhalf miljoen euro. Maastricht en Valkenburg nemen daarvan het grootste deel voor hun rekening. De tussensom van 6 miljoen moet worden aangevuld door 3,7 miljoen euro aan sponsoropbrengsten. Ook dat bedrag moet, gezien ervaringen met andere nationale en internationale wielerevenementen, haalbaar zijn.
 
Wereldrecord
Het wereldkampioenschap wielrennen werd vijf keer eerder in Limburg gehouden. In 1998 was Valkenburg aan de Geul (wereldkampioen Oscar Camenzind), in samenwerking met Maastricht en Margraten, de laatste stad die het WK organiseerde. Valkenburg schreef dat jaar reeds geschiedenis als WK-gemeente aangezien voor de vierde keer een wereldkampioenschap op het Cauberg-parcours werd verreden. Een wereldrecord. In 1938 (Marcel Kint), 1948 (Briek Schotte) en 1979 (Jan Raas) waren in Valkenburg voordien aan de beurt. Tussendoor organiseerde de gemeente Heerlen in 1967 het WK-wielrennen, waarbij Eddy Merckx de regenboogtrui veroverde.

Tekst Hans Maaskant – Foto Provincie Limburg

Foto: Van links naar rechts: Gies Biemans, Odile Wolfs, Vincent van der Stouwe, Bennie Ceulen, Emiel Frambach, Jan Smeelen, John Wauben, Joep van de Voort, Paul Orbons en Wim Fredrix.

Heerlen is alsnog bereid om twee ton te betalen om als gastgemeente deel te nemen aan het WK Wielrennen in 2012. Aanvankelijk, in de afgelopen zomer, wilde de gemeente niet verder dan 50.000 euro gaan.

In ruil voor die twee ton krijgt Heerlen de start van de tijdrit en is doorkomstgemeente van de wegwedstrijd voor de profs.

Verantwoordelijk wethouder Duijf heeft goed hoop dat de plaatselijke ondernemers op de een of ander manier ook een bijdrage zullen leveren om tijdens het WK alles uit de kast te halen om Heerlen te laten bruisen.

(Bron: Dagblad de Limburger)
 

For more than 20 years the Province of Limburg awards the Limburgse Sportprijzen (‘Limburg Sport Awards’). As in previous years, this year the best athletes of Limburg in 2009 will be honoured with the Provinciale Sportprijs Limburg.

The prize will be awarded during the Sport Gala Limburg 2009, which takes place December 14,  in the Parkstad Limburg theatre in Heerlen.

The ceremonies take place during a live TV broadcast provided by L1 Radio & Television. Prizes will be awarded for best athlete(s) in the categories: male, female, team, talent and disabled. Besides the honouring of the athletes, also the sports highlights of 2009 will be under the attention during the evening. One of the highlights in 2009 was that during the UCI Road World Championships in Mendrisio, Switzerland, Limburg was awarded with the organisation of the UCI Road World Championships in 2012.

Live broadcast will start at 8.30 pm at www.l1.nl.

The Sport Gala Limburg 2009 is a shared initiative of the Province of Limburg, Huis voor de Sport Limburg, Topsport Limburg, L1 Radio & Television, Limburgs Dagblad en Dagblad de Limburger.

For more information on the Limburgse Sportprijzen please visit: www.sportprijslimburg.nl
 

Twitter is the most recent social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read messages known as tweets. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters to give notice of what you are currently working on.

By following Twitter users you remain updated on what keeps them busy. Twitter will be used to keep followers updated on the latest state of affairs with regard to the organisation of the UCI Road World Championships 2012  in Limburg. Have a look at twitter.com/limburg2012!

The UCI Road World Championship will be held in the Dutch Province of Limburg in 2012. The announcement was made this afternoon by UCI president Pat McQuaid.

The president of the International Cycling Union made the news public at the end of the UCI conference in the Swiss city of Lugano in the presence of the Limburg delegation led by governor Léon Frissen and Provincial Executive Councillor for Sport, Odile Wolfs. Limburg came out on top against the other bidders, Italy (Genoa) and Belgium (Hooglede). Russia (Sochi) dropped out at an earlier stage.

Governor Frissen and councillor Wolfs are very happy with the award. “By capturing a major international event like the Road World Championships 2012, we have achieved an important objective. This is a very good thing for Limburg, good for the Netherlands and good for cycling,” said Limburg’s governor.

“It’s fantastic that we have succeeded in our plan. We’ve been working hard for this for a whole year. I’ve been very confident about our bid since my visit to last year’s world championships in Varese. Cycling is one of the main sports spearheading the province’s sport policy. Limburg has all the qualities needed to make the world championships in 2012 a spectacular and unforgettable event. It will undoubtedly be a fantastic celebration of cycling,” was Odile Wolfs’ enthusiastic response.

The Road World Championships 2012 will be held from 15 to 23 September inclusive. That year, the world championships will for the first time be organised within a completely new structure. Limburg will be the first to host it. The main new features will be an increase in the number of race days spread over two weekends instead of one, the introduction of a world championship team time trial for sponsored teams (both men and women), the organisation of a tour version and various recreational sporting activities. The Road World Championships 2012 will be ushered in on Saturday 15 September with a cultural opening event on the Vrijthof in Maastricht and concluded with a closing ceremony in Valkenburg on Sunday 23 September.

No less than eight Limburg “cycle towns” will be involved in the Road World Championships Limburg 2012 as start, finish and recreation points. This is all part of Limburg’s cycle plan. It involves Maastricht, Valkenburg, Heerlen, Sittard-Geleen, Landgraaf, Margraten, Eijsden and Beek. In addition, a further six Limburg cycle towns will be on the routes of the various races. Maastricht, Valkenburg, Heerlen, Sittard-Geleen, Landgraaf, Margraten, Eijsden and Beek will alternate as starting points. The finishing line for each race will be in the municipality of Valkenburg aan de Geul at the Vilt – Berg en Terblijt boundary. On the main 16.5 km route, the inclines at Cauberg (Valkenburg) and Bemelerberg (Margraten) will sort out the sheep from the goats.

The Road World Championships have been held in Limburg on five previous occasions. In 1998, Valkenburg aan de Geul (world champion Oscar Camenzind), in association with Maastricht and Margraten, was the last town to organise the world championships. That year, Valkenburg had already gone down in history as a world championship town as it was the fourth time that a world championship had been run on the Cauberg route. A world record. It was previously Valkenburg’s turn in 1938 (Marcel Kint), 1948 (Briek Schotte) and 1979 (Jan Raas). In between times, the municipality of Heerlen organised the world championships in 1967. That year, Eddy Merckx won the world title in Heerlen.

Of the twelve Dutch provinces, Limburg is the most European. Limburg has a longer border with Belgium and Germany than it has with the rest of the Netherlands and is the country’s most southerly province.

Op maandag 13 juli heeft gedeputeerde Odile Wolfs, Pat McQuaid, President van de UCI, het officiële bidboek voor het WK Wielrennen in 2012 overhandigd en voorzien van een toelichting.

De Provincie Limburg is samen met acht Limburgse gemeenten één van de drie kandidaten voor dit WK naast de gemeenten Genua in Italië en Hooglede in Vlaanderen, België. De gemeenten Maastricht, Sittard-Geleen, Heerlen, Landgraaf, Beek, Valkenburg aan de Geul, Margraten en Eijsden kandideren samen met de Provincie.

Het bidboek is als zeer professioneel ervaren. Odile Wolfs benadrukte tijdens het gesprek dat de professionaliteit niet alleen in de lay-out en de teksten te zien is, maar dat die ook in de daadwerkelijke organisatie gewaarborgd zal zijn. Tijdens de Limburgse presentatie werd het speciale karakter – een gezamenlijk en breed gedragen initiatief én de combinatie van cultuur, sport en economie – nogmaals onderstreept. De UCI stelt deze visie bijzonder op prijs.

Bij monde van President McQuaid werd het Bidboek en de daaraan gekoppelde begroting als uitmuntend bestempeld. In een goede sfeer werden nog enkele vragen beantwoord en werd gesproken over de door de UCI te volgen procedure. Daarbij gaf de UCI aan dat kwaliteit van de organisatie, de combinatie van een zeer breed pakket en een uitdagend parcours de belangrijkste criteria voor de besluitvorming zullen zijn.

Gedeputeerde Wolfs zegt het gevoel te hebben dat de kansen van Limburg, zeker na de presentatie van het bidboek en de toelichting daarop, aanmerkelijk gestegen zijn.

De UCI benadrukte dat het besluit pas valt op 23 september 2009 tijdens het WK Wielrennen in Mendrisio in Zwitserland.