Holland Tourist Office
On July 4 and 5, the start of the 102nd Tour de France will be from the Dutch town of Utrecht, 40 km south of Amsterdam. A time trial stage will decide between the competitors, before the start of the long journey which will lead the peloton throughout the 3,360 km of the Tour. The opportunity to discover this city of the Netherlands, kingdom of cycling.

Utrecht, at the heart of the velocracy
No wonder Utrecht was chosen for the event; the bicycle has the right to city there more than anywhere else in the Netherlands, where there are 18 million bikes for a population of 17 million inhabitants, world record.

The bicycle is part of the Dutch DNA, children learn to ride on two wheels from an early age and even pass a cycling diploma in primary school.

A young and dynamic city with a large student population, Utrecht favors this mode of transport at the same time for reasons of ecology, energy saving and public health. At the town hall, 60 people are assigned to the bicycle traffic administration.

After having invented the concept of bicycle-stop – we take a pedestrian on his luggage rack -, the city already has 250 km of cycle paths and has just invested 50 million euros to build the largest bicycle garage in the world with a capacity of 12,500 bicycles.

No less than 100,000 Utrechtois use their bikes every day, either to commute to work or for leisure. To avoid the wild and unattractive parking of bikes, the city plans to create 33,000 additional parking spaces.

In the meantime, the new car park, adjoining the station, will make it possible to get to your place of work by bicycle in 2016 by paying an annual parking subscription of just € 75. Fully computerized, the three-story garage will indicate at the entrance where the free spaces are located and will include a shop for specialized equipment as well as a repair workshop.

The outside visitors may take advantage of these facilities out of the station and rent for 24 model of their choice: city bike, mountain bike, tandem bikes with trailers for children and, of course, electric bikes at prices quite attractive.

Cycling Utrecht
Since car traffic is relegated to the periphery, there is nothing like getting on a comfortable saddle. Wearing a helmet is not compulsory but recommended for children.

Utrecht conceals some curiosities which have nothing to envy to its neighbors: we will stop under the imposing Domtoren, this Gothic tower with openwork spire, the highest in the country, which rises to 112 m.

It is curiously separated from the nave of the church (Dom) since a storm collapsed in 1674 a part of it. The bravest will climb its 465 steps to enjoy a splendid panorama of the city.

Pride of the Dutch Catholic episcopate, the Gothic cathedral is also proud to have offered in 1522 to the Vatican its only Dutch pope: Adrien VI who was also the tutor of Charles V. You can see his beautiful Renaissance-style house behind the cathedral, which is also adorned with a monastic garden.

Let’s stay in the religious domain with the collections of Catherijne convent, a remarkable museum around a cloister, which paints a didactic panorama of the history of Christianity in the Netherlands. On the menu, magnificent polychrome medieval wooden statues, rich liturgical garments and a precious treasure made up of pieces of gold and silverware. Some paintings to remember also, from Motstaert to Rembrandt via Lucas Van Leyde.

With a few pedal strokes, taking the Lange Nieuwstraat, we will take a look at the greenhouses of the Oude Hortus, the University’s botanical garden. Art lovers will go to the Centraal Museum to contemplate the works of the school of painters in Utrecht, in particular the group portraits of Jan Van Scorel and that of the Dutch “caravagists”.

We also learn everything about the famous chair by Gerrit Rietveld, one of the pioneers of design, and the facetious Miffy, the little character with rabbit ears drawn by Dirk Bruna.

Our doorbell will ring the crowds of the shopping streets to head towards the Speelklok Museum which houses an incredible collection of barrel organs, mechanical and bastral musical instruments.

Cycling getaway in the suburbs
Then why not head for the quiet suburbs of Gerrit Rietveld’s Schröder house? Classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, it is inspired by the principles of the artistic movement “De Stijl” of which Mondrian was part.

This masterpiece of contemporary architecture is distinguished by a surprising modernity for the time (1924) by favoring the use of straight lines and primary colors. Another innovation: the modulation of living spaces through the use of mobile panels.

In a nearby radius, you will discover with delight the old Maliebaan station, where the Spoorwegmuseum is installed which covers 175 years of railway history in the Netherlands. To see: an imposing collection of rolling stock on rails and reconstructions of the Orient Express universe with streets of Istanbul and the beginnings of steam traction in the heart of a mining village in Wales.

For the start of the Tour de France, a temporary exhibition inside freight wagons summarizes the past exploits of Batavian riders during the Great Loop.

Channels and light shows
We then turn our handlebars towards the center to take a well-deserved rest and let ourselves slide on the canals, during a one-hour cruise.

It allows you to discover these incomparable quays built several centuries ago, the leaves of which hide warehouses located under the houses which line them above.

Nowadays, many of them are occupied by highly sought-after accommodation. Restaurants and bars with terraces brighten up the route. This is a great opportunity to locate the establishment where to dine in the evening.

At nightfall, moreover, these places are highlighted by light displays which highlight the superstructures of the bridges and give the decor a fantastic touch.

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