Some things are 'just right'. When I, Sander, come from Cycling Destination the social rides start planning, a DM note soon arrives from Jelle. 'Hey man, how about we organise one together?' Jelle and I have talked to each other mostly online. But we don't know each other. Yet there is the shared love of cycling that makes for a natural click. Location coordinated, route put together, a nice visual. Everything fits. The Rondje Westland with Cyclone is a success from the start, and then we haven't even ridden a metre. How was it in real life? I'll take you through.
Oh, oh, The Hague!
When the doors at Lola Bikes & Coffee open at the stroke of 10.00, the first participants are already pouring in. The atmosphere is good right away. People sneak a peek at each other's bikes and the coffee and cake are a good start. Host Jelle has made the route and, apart from the 'bits of city' in The Hague, there are some nice, long stretches in nature and along the water. The climb at the Maeslantkering is a must. After all, you don't have to be in Westland for altimeters.
Beautiful city behind the dunes
The Hague is a chic city. Or at least, it is a city with a chic heart and a raw edge. Because besides the Binnenhof, Noordeinde Palace, the many embassies,,, it is also where the Schilderswijk is not known for its pretty drawings on the wall, where Duindorp and Scheveningen are more often in the news negatively than positively, and where the football club is invariably mentioned in a sentence with 'risk match'. 'Oh oh, The Hague, beautiful city behind the dunes, the Schilderswijk, the Lange Poten and the Plein, Harry Klorkestein (Harry Jekkers) once sang. If you want to love The Hague, sometimes you have to try a little harder.
Between dunes and greenhouses lies a path
To get out of the city, you have to take some time out. Turning, turning, sometimes over beautiful cycle paths, sometimes over a somewhat dangerous road. The adage 'we are building the future' is fully lived out here. Just find a street that is not open. Once you reach the harbour, you can smell the sea and the watery sunshine that smiles at us makes us all smile. This is where the beautiful path begins. Between the dunes and next to the Westland greenhouses. The path that leads straight through beautiful nature. Which is busy on weekend days, but where everyone wants to cycle and walk together.
Sun, sea, sand
We roll aim 'the Corner', towards the mouth of the New Waterway. To our right, we can see the sea. It is relatively calm today, although there is a brisk breeze. The offshore wind might contribute to that. To our left, the first greenhouses soon loom. The land of green in glass, the Westland. Where one phrases how is it, rather as "pluk he already?". Here, everything is 'best'. Would the Kromme Jongens still perform? The path undulates up and down a bit. Could there be altimeters to be found here in the dunes after all? The group finds its rhythm and we talk about the love of cycling. About plans for new adventures and also about equipment. After all, it is still a hobby where N+1 is the rule of thumb.
England is there!
At Hook of Holland, we turn around the brand-new railway station, which was festively opened a few months back. We follow the Nieuwe Waterweg, on its way towards Rotterdam, where it will become 'the Maas'. We pass the Stenaline, where the boat to Harwich is waiting. England, 1 km, the sign says. That feels close, although the real distance is greater.
Maeslantkering
As of now, the wind is against us, but the sun has also started shining brightly. We are getting ready for the Maeslant barrier, the main hill in this area. As I ride ahead to shoot photos, the wind is blowing in my face in full force. Whew, no wonder Westland Wil Vooruit (the local cycling club) always produces good riders. Stoemp you will. The scene on this little hill is beautiful. Everyone gives their all and that against a backdrop of beautiful water, the sun and the almost idyllic giants of windmills. I miss a container ship as a backdrop.
Good joke Adriaan!
From here it is on to Maassluis, to the hometown of the duo Bassie and Adriaan. Brothers Bas and Aad van Toor captured many a child's heart as clowns and acrobats in the 70-80-90s. I still marvel sometimes at how ingeniously their series and programmes were put together.
As a child, I was totally absorbed in the story of the B&A boys, robot Robin, dog Lara, the villains (with B2, B100, the Baron, Handy Harry and, of course, Swiftie) and the wonderful adventures such as their journey across Europe.... Why a clown and an acrobat are chased around the world by three shady characters is still a mystery. The many expressions, the songs and the life lessons acrobat Adriaan invariably explains to Bassie have stuck. The duo has since quit for years and is now only in the news because of declining health.
Toy factory 2MOSO
Maassluis is also where we stop for a tour of the showroom of 2MOSO. The distributor of high-end brands such as Wahoo, Princeton CarbonWorks, Titici, Aftershokz and the power supply of Pure Power gladly opens its doors to us. People drool at PCW's Italian frames and wheels. The coffee tastes great, with a tasty snack on the side. With a well-filled back pocket and the new Wahoo Element Roam richer, we hit the road again.
Between the greenhouses
It is now turning and turning. Because our way back goes a bit more between the greenhouses. The infrastructure here is mainly geared to fast transport from greenhouse to auction. The car and especially the truck have the upper hand here. This has been solved for cyclists by a network of tunnels and side roads, but these often meander along, under and between everything else. It is no different.
Weather in the dunes
With 15 kilometres to go, we rejoin the dune road, which we rode on the way out. Now we have the wind blowing diagonally, which is hard work. The sun even starts to burn a little and at a short stop I take off my leggings. I look to my left and see the sea. I look to the right and see the dunes. The Hague looms in the distance. Actually, it's quite beautiful here. I begin to understand better and better, why this piece of land is so popular and land so screamingly expensive. To buy here, you have to have something in your pocket.
Final part
The group splits and with the last pick we ride back towards the start. In the city, we really have to pay attention, because other road users also have rights and make good use of them. At 500 metres from the finish, I narrowly avoid an opening door of a car. The 'Dutch reach' is not yet known to everyone.
Why go?
Then comes the question: why go cycling here? Well, quite simply: I find the dunes unique. It is beautiful and if you go at a good time (i.e. not at noon on a sunny Sunday) you have the kingdom all to yourself. If, like me, you love water, the Rondje Westland is a really nice one.
Round Westland with Cyclone - Route
See the route we drove here. For more routes and inspiration, also visit our komoot page.
