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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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