Every year in April, South Limburg becomes the epicenter of the Dutch cycling scene for one weekend. For decades, the Amstel Gold Race has been held there. The best that South Limburg I used to go on holiday here often, in the area around Eys and the notorious Eyserbosweg. Near Gulpen and the Gulpenerberg. In Slenaken, at the bottom of the Loorberg, lies a complete family history. Not to mention the Keuterberg (now out of the running) and the Cauberg. Stories are endless. I’ll take you through a few of the beautiful climbs, with a few personal anecdotes.
text: Sander Kolsloot
Camerig
It must have been 1992 when I first got to know the Camerig. As a family, we never went on very long vacations, so this was a serious challenge for me. From Epen we drive up the mountain and I will never forget that beautiful hairpin bend. The view over the valley is also beautiful. I still hear my parents saying: ‘Having a house here is amazing’. That never happened. What else will I remember? The ice at the Wingbergerhoeve remains a family favorite. What do you want? At the time, it cost 2.50 for five (!) cones. The climb itself is over 150 kilometers from the finish, so it probably won’t be decisive. With a length of 4.7 kilometers and a few tricky sections, it’s not a easy climb.
Cauberg
Despite the fact that the Cauberg is not the steepest, longest, or most difficult climb, this stretch from the town offers some of the most spectacular views in the country. Valkenburg A status almost mythical. For the Belgians, this is ‘Gilbert territory’. Jan Raas also loved coming here. The Kneet fell into the arms of De Mart on the top of the Cauberg. For me, the Cauberg is one of two stories. My first experience on a bike was one to quickly forget. It was uphill. I never thought about where to accelerate. It was up. My other experience? Yes, that from 1998. Torrential rain. World Championships in Valkenburg. The tall figure of Herman Wijffels. A furious mother and the rest is history. (read it here!) Enjoying the moment and screaming for Michael Boogerd. The Italians behind us who were shouting ‘Michele!’ The orange Rabo sea. What a bizarrely beautiful memory.
Loorberg
As mentioned earlier. Here lies family history. In 1993, my niece got married in the church in Slenaken. Year after year, we would come to this village, sometimes for a holiday, sometimes for a day out. The Cafetaria ’t Brugske, at the bottom of the Loorberg, was a regular stop. In 2016, I rode the Volta Limburg Classic with my brother. I didn’t expect to have to push him up that hill. The Loorberg is a wonderful hill to run on. It’s really a training climb. So it’s great for a team to take a break from time to time. This year, in 2022, things have changed, so we have to be careful, because they will then head for the King of Spain, towards the Gulperberg. That will be a tough climb.
Bemelerberg
The 1998 World Championships run as a constant thread through my cycling fan life. We were in this area for four days. On the Bemelerberg, during the women’s competition, we were at a cafe. ‘Our Leontien’ came by there. What a cacophony of noise when she passed by! The road race and the time trial were bizarre in that respect. ‘Tinus’ won gold and silver. The café went crazy. We did too, even without the sponsor’s beer. With an average of 5%.4 km per kilometer and a maximum of 7.4%, this is certainly not a difficult climb. But given its location in the race, it’s not to be missed.
Eyserbosweg
For many years from 1995 to 2005, I stood here. At the top of Eyserbosweg. We made a sport of seeing the course at as many places as possible during the many loops of the Amstel Gold Race. If you did your best, you could see the course six to seven times. The last place was then Eyserbosweg, sometimes with a sprint race towards Maastricht. Where ‘Boogie’ Lance won in that famous sprint. I remember especially that we took a detour from Ubachsberg, and then parked the car in the field. Race to the top. Right at the point where the road slightly flattened out, that’s where we stood. And that’s where they came, and Boogerd always rode in front. These memories are fantastic. A kilometer at almost 10 percent with outliers towards 17.5 percent. This is the real hard-core and sharpest rider.
Keutenberg
Should we still talk about this hump? The steepest meters in the Netherlands, at 22%. Everyone is climbing up here. So this is never a good thing. It’s not in the final loop, but you might be able to separate the wheat from the chaff here. It’s only 1200 meters long, but the first 400 meters are the most difficult and the heaviest.
AGR route
The Amstel Gold Race route can be found below. It will be a beautiful journey.
The REAL Amstel Gold Race, which you should also want to cycle, can be found below. Inspired by Janco but with its own touch, such as Les Waides and Fromberg x2
Questions & tips
Do you have any questions about this route, or have you been there yourself? Share them here. We read everything and usually respond within a few days.