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On the Road ... Tour de France



Wednesday, July 05, 2006

The biking capital 

VALKENBURG, Netherlands — It's about as hard to find someone in Holland who doesn't ride a bike as it is to find someone in France who doesn't smoke. Constant Nuytens, mayor of this tourist city of 18,000, stopped by the press room of the sports hall here early Tuesday, several hours before entourage of the Tour de France was scheduled to arrive. He wasn't here to tout cycling over smoking. It's not necessary. When the 93rd Tour arrived in the country for the last portion of stage 3, Holland's passion for cycling was immediately and overtly apparent. Bike lanes are everywhere. Families were out pedaling to their way around town and searching for a good perch to watch the race's late afternoon finish. Cycling is an integral component of daily life. Valkenburg's city slogan is "World Capital of Cycling." It's hosted the World Cycling Championships four times. And Tuesday, the Tour de France returned to the city for the first time since 1992, the year Nuytens was appointed mayor of by Holland's queen. Nuytens, tall, thin, white-haired and fit-looking, planned to spend Tuesday shaking hands and hosting Tour dignitaries. "When something goes wrong today, they will come to me," he said with a sly smile. Nuytens mentioned in passing he'll be retiring soon, when he turns age 65. His plans then? More time on his bike, of course. — James Raia at the Tour de France

posted by dave kellogg at 4:32 PM

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James Raia

Get right up close to the peloton, as Herald correspondent James Raia follows the Tour de France. James can be reached at james@byjamesraia.com.

Jeremiah Oshan

Follow Herald sports copy editor Jeremiah Oshan to Germany as he cheers on the U.S. soccer team at the World Cup. Jeremiah can be reached at joshan@montereyherald.com.

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