Gravel on the Veluwe. It almost sounds like religion. As Erwin Sikkens, mastermind behind the 300-kilometer-long green divide, When you see a social ride like that, you know it’s going to be great. In the spring of 2022, during the Strade Bianche, this route-master, in collaboration with Komoot, is organizing the #stradekomoot. The ride is a tribute to the Strade Bianche and has its own climb at the Piazza del Campo, aka the Bosweg. Djowin Meijerink set off on this journey and, with his report in hand, it’s clear. This gravel route on the Veluwe is something you have to do at least once. With or without Erwin Sikkens…
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Text: Djowin Meijerink, photos: Erwin Sikkens // www.erwinsikkens.com
Nice start from Nelson
The day (and with it this gravel route) starts at Restaurant Cafe Nelson with coffee and an introduction to other gravel enthusiasts. We are lucky; the weather is cooperating. It is cool but sunny. After a brief introduction, we get on our bikes and make our way through the city towards the green. After about three kilometers, we approach the first gravel section called the Warnsborn gravel path. It is a wide gravel path that takes us Veluwe On a 'party pace', everyone gets to know each other. Everyone has a great story to tell. Erwin talks about his first ultra experience on Gran Canaria, and Julien talks about his trip through the Alps.
Read also: TIPS FOR YOUR FIRST GRAVEL ADVENTURE
Italy!
The group is approaching the Italian road. It is a curved road with beautiful curves that descends steeply. We see others climbing with sweat on their foreheads, but fortunately we are allowed to go down. After a short stretch of asphalt, we arrive at the driveway of Estate Duno. On both sides of the road it is covered with Taxus trees and you already feel like you are in Tuscany. At the end of the driveway we approach a junction with an old ANWB sign in the middle. We turn left and continue our journey westwards, parallel to the Nederrijn river.
Wambuis shelves
Through the Renkum heath we reach the Planken Wambuis nature reserve. A combination of heath and forest is what makes this area so beautiful, and that is also evident in the number of recreational visitors. I am cycling alongside a woman from Belgium. She tells me about her bikepacking Adventures in Belgium and how crazy people are about cycling there. It is cool and inspiring to hear stories from others. We cycle past Terlet Airport and the enthusiast knows that you then drive through a very beautiful part of the Veluwe. In the middle of the meadow on a kilometer-long gravel road there are two dead trees on both sides of the road. Erwin crowns it as ’the national gravel monument”. For every gravel enthusiast, the Deelerwoud with the gravel monument as a landmark is a must. This is what makes gravel in the Veluwe so beautiful.
Loenermark
We cross the 80th kilometer and arrive at the Loenermark. It is a high-lying area on the eastern flank of the Veluwe dam. The highest point here is 85 meters above sea level. So climbing… Some people already have their legs shaking and then the Piazza del Campo in Arnhem has to come along. We roll off the hill and the last stretch is driven back to the city with the wind in our backs. Erwin tells us what awaits us: ‘We cycle into a valley, then we go downhill in a straight line, then we go right twice and then the Piazza del Campo in Arnhem follows.’.
Final
The Bosweg… It’s a climb that starts quite calmly, but ends with a good 10% incline. Would the winner of Strade Bianche also be able to pedal hard here? At least for us, the acid is really kicking in. I look down and see that my water bottles are also empty. Time to slowly start rolling into the city and have another drink at Cafe Nelson. The nice thing is that everyone always has great stories after such a ride. It’s a fun atmosphere, drinks are flowing, and everyone is excited for the next adventure! Gravel on the Veluwe is highly recommended.
Questions & tips
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