Iris’ Rivers and Polders on Road
Iris originates from the beautiful old village of Ouderkerk aan den IJssel, just on the outside of Rotterdam, departure city of the Tour de France in 2010. From here you will be riding with Iris into the scenic countryside just between three of the biggest Dutch rivers that lead to the port of Rotterdam.
It will be a gorgeous ride out, where you may take small river ferries here and there to explore different variations of countryside and scenic roads. You will finish again in Iris’ hometown, where you will definitely want to wander around for a bit longer after your ride.
What Iris says about her old hometown ride; “We ride through a water-rich environment, between the rivers Lek and IJssel and along the beautiful and unknown Vlist. This a true Dutch polder landscape with its challenges of strong winds, but it is also an environment with many historical places. Haastrecht, Oudewater, Schoonhoven and also the very nearby Kinderdijk are must-see places on our ride. Although the Tour de France started in Rotterdam and it soon might do again, the region has no international cycling classics, but it is nevertheless a real sports region with well-attended criteriums such as the Ronde van Lekkerkerk. And if you like skating (on natural ice), this is where the short track cracks from our country come from! During our ride and stops I can talk passionately about the development of cycling and how you can make an impact as an athlete within your sport. And also about the exciting and scary parts when you finish your career as a pro athlete, but also the opportunities it offers. A fun fact: we will meet at a cafe named after one of the heroes in cycling, and then we can make a stopover at a cafe named after his biggest rival.”
