For a cool cycling holiday, you don't have to go far away at all. The book 'Omstreken' out by Merijn Heijne and Esther de Lange. We have already seen a preview and it is a gem. Especially for the lover of just a little bit different. Later this period, we will do a fun series in collaboration with both authors. For now, we draw from our own inspiration. Because Netherlands Cycling country is gorgeous. The Salland Ridge is a must-see place. This national park is a must for almost every cyclist. Combined with the nearby Lemelerberg, this stretch of Overijssel pure enjoyment. We take you on a tour.
Salland Ridge
Puffing and sweating
In late 2020, a number of cycling enthusiasts, including Cyclingdestination's own Sander, had the idea of cycling over 200 kilometres for charity. Nothing like it. The theme was energy and the name was Energy4Energy Challenge. Even for the practised event organiser, there was something to learn in the end. Because game tip 1 when organising a simple cycling event: start and finish in the same place. We knew that. Nevertheless, the explained route was one to write home about. Because when do you ride past Amerongse Berg, Radio Kootwijk, the bridge over the IJssel near Zwolle as well as Lemelerberg and Holterberg? The answer is: never!
Woody climb
In our route, we had thought of riding a nice stretch through the Vecht valley, in the direction of Ommen. From Zwolle, you first ride along the IJsseldijk, and then take some short cuts to reach the Overijsselse Vecht. In terms of scenery, the route is insanely beautiful. There is always something magical about the water and when you drive between the fields with a herd of cows or other animals on the left and right, that really is typically Dutch. The only downside is that this is a fairly narrow route, which means that as a group of road cyclists you have to ride behind each other a bit more often and sometimes apply the brakes a bit more than you'd like. Acceptance is the code word.
Turnaround
The main thing is not to end up in Ommen. Not because Ommen is not a nice destination, but because you can only cross the Vecht at one point on the way to Lemelerberg. That's just a busy point and is fine for a stop. In transit, it's all not convenient. So, a U-turn, but then diverging below towards Lemelerberg. The route to the mountain has several options. Of course, you can approach the west side via Archemerberg. Although the word mountain is not necessarily applicable, but you really do have a magnificent view of the heath and the surrounding area. We ended up driving ourselves via a zig zag route over long straight roads towards the foot of Lemelerberg.
(c) Komoot.co.uk (c) Komoot.co.uk
Lemelerberg
Lemelerberg is often snowed under in all the Dutch 'climbing violence'. For runners it is a well-known mountain, also because events are often organised on it. For cyclists it is less well-known. But in the 1200-metre climb you gain 20 altimeters. With a maximum of 3% you won't break down completely. It is a nice sprint climb in the woods. After the descent, which is fairly straightforward, we turn right towards the next calf bite.
Spacer
The stretch between Lemelerberg and the Sallandse Heuvelrug National Park can be done in various ways. We choose to include the Sanatoriumlaan climb. This is a winding, undulating approach to a short climb of a few hundred metres. The maximum is about 5%, but it is still a nice calf bite.
Sallandse Heuvelrug National Park
Holterberg
Once you reach the Sallandse Heuvelrug National Park, you have a lot of opportunities not only to take in altitude metres, but also to enjoy beautiful views. We opt for a route via the village of Haarle, where we grab some water at WR Bikes, a nice shop, and prepare ourselves for the climbs to come. It really is a bit more painful than previous challenges. So the mountain road from Haarle is a nice warm-up for the final 'deep hell', which you also have to overcome. It's heading 10% towards Holten here.
All in all, this is a beautiful area, where you can have a good time, whether on a racer or a gravel bike. Certainly the trails on and around the national park offer plenty of relief. The Bergweg from Haarle has a dirt track next to the asphalt. Also on the north side of the park you have some nice 'strade bianche' strips. Around Lemelerberg, you can also 'go into the woods' nicely. So the Sallandse Heuvelrug is really a place where you must have been
