Fiets in Beeld (English)
Brevet Randonneur Mondieux (BRM)
Delft
vrijdag 13 mei 2022
What is a BRM?
A Brevet Randonneur Mondieux or BRM is a bicycle tour that is ridden all over the world. These are available in the distances 200; 300; 400; 600 and 1,000 km which are homologated after completion by the Audax Club Parisien (ACP). There are controls along the way and there are time limits per distance. The time limit for these 1,000 km is 75 hours. The participants must complete the tour on their own. And they decide for themselves where they stop, eat, drink and / or sleep along the way. It is not a race and therefore no classification is made based on time.
Route Fiets in Beeld.
This BRM starts in Delft in the WestCord Hotel, Olof Palmestraat 2. The route consists of 3 loops, which come back to Delft every time. The participant has the opportunity to arrange his accomodation in Delft to make this a comfortable ride. Of course you could stay in the hotel. But also Camping Delftse Hout is just 1km away. And Delft is a real Tourist City. So there are many more options available.
The name of the tour has 2 different meanings in Dutch:
- Bicycle in the picture
- Bicycle in statue
Loop 1 (360,3 km)
From Delftse Hout you now go through the Balijbos to Zoetermeer. We reach Woerden through the Reeuwijkse plassen. Here is a statue in honor of Arie van Vliet. This track cyclist has been both Olympic and World Champion. You can also see his handprint on the sidewalk in front of the statue. After De Haar castle you enter the accompanying Haarzuilens. Together this is a protected village view. “T Wapen van Haarzuilens offers in Corona time the possibility to order a coffee to go including pastry and biscuits. Then you go round Utrecht along some defenses. After quite a straightforward stretch, straight across the Utrechtse Heuvelrug, the Lunterse beek again gives a refreshing picture. As long as part of the Grebbelinie you cycle a defense work, where Holland would be protected by flooding part of the land. After Bos en Heide we arrive at the highest point of the tour, the Posbank. Next to the Pavilion we receive a royal reception. The Queen on the Bicycle is the statue of our current Princess Beatrix. Fortunately, the other side of Arnhem is not too far after the IJssel. After the Rhine, another Snelbinder follows. This goes over the Maas to Nijmegen. The MaasWaalpad is a new fast bicycle connection between Nijmegen and Cuijk, including a new bicycle bridge. This path was put into use on September 26, 2020. In Boekel in Brabant there is a statue for Leontien van Moorsel. Castle Heeswijk, with a history since 1080, has received competition from new castles in Engelen. We enter Slot Haverleij from the rear. Take a look back when you exit through the large gate. The old fortified town of Heusden offers a beautiful view from the cycle path on the rampart. The comment “Best cyclist of all time” at Leontien was a challenge for Marianne Vos. She has both a Golden bicycle in Babyloniënbroek and a roundabout in Meeuwen. From Gorinchem we follow the Merwede to Ridderkerk. On the dike, you can see the convergence of the North, the Lek and the Maas. It is back to Delft via the van Brienenoord bridge
Loop 2 (362.4km):
From Delft you will pass the RWV de Spartaan race course. Through the Westland, the greenhouse area of the Netherlands, you go to the final part of the Delta Works. On top of a hill you have a view of the Maeslantkering. In Hoek van Holland there is a signpost to all directions and then you take a detour to ‘s-Gravenzande to take a picture of a statue of a cyclist. Through the dunes you come to well-known seaside resorts such as Scheveningen, Katwijk, Noordwijk and Zandvoort. The Zandvoort circuit remains hidden, but then you come to Gerrie Knetemann’s training area. As a tribute, a replica of the letterbox has been placed on top of the Kopje van Bloemendaal with its image indicating the top. However, you now descend via the other side and you pass the Ruins of Brederode. You can transfer the ferry in IJmuiden for free when wearing a mouth mask. You cycle to Schoorl along the edge of the Noord Hollands Duinreservaat and Schoorlse Duinen. In 1988 a pub owner in Warmenhuizen painted his café in the colors of the polka dot jersey of the Tour de France. Because fellow villager Steven Rooks won the mountain classification. It is a sporty village with, among others, an old Eleven Cities winner. So as a compromise an image has been made for the Warmentuutse Athletes, also your control. You go back to the coast to reach the northernmost point of Den Helder along the beach at hotel Land’s End. Past the former Marine shipyard Willemsoord we come to the statue de Wervianen. (Dockworkers)
You leave the city and follow the Noord Hollands canal. After Van Ewijcksluis you descend along the Waard canal, which ends in the “Pishoek” (=Piss corner) (km 214) and then flows further. You will eventually reach Hoorn along Polders and dikes. Because there are not only leaders in a peloton. We take a picture of the water carrier. You will arrive in Edam along the Markermeer / IJmeer. Normally it is nice to slalom along the dike of Volendam between the tourists. But it is now more sensible to take the shorter route to Monnickendam. There is also renovation work on the dike between Uitdam and Durgerdam, so you now go land inward to the Schellingwouderbrug. The flood defense path goes between Nieuw Diep and the Amsterdam Rhine Canal and then it crosses Amsterdam on the Kruislaan (= Cross Lane) in 1 straight line to the Amstel. We meander south along the Amstel to the Toll booth lock. Via Leimuiden it is a bit over the Ringvaart to finally arrive over the Joop Zoetemelkpad in Rijpwetering. Joop Zoetemelk grew up in this village and the statue is the next check. Along the Vliet you cycle from Leiden to Leidschendam and then go to the village of the first Dutch Tour winner, the spectacled Nootdorper, Jan Janssen. From now on it is still a short distance to the end of the first loop in Delft.
Loop 3 (277,2km):
In Delft you go under the Oostpoort and you enter the TU district (Technical University). Here is a statue made from old Fiat parts. At the Benelux tunnel you go through the diversion tube on the way there so that you can cycle through it without getting off. Via Pernis and Rhoon you arrive at the Oude Maas. Via the Heijenoord you reach the other side of the bank. After the Kilt Tunnel it is southward to get to the monument of the Moerdijk Bridge. A street and monument have been placed in Sint Willibrord in honor of Wim van Est. Famous for the advertising slogan after his fall in a ravine of the Aubisque as a yellow jersey wearer in the Tour: “I fell seventy meters deep, my heart stood still, but my Pontiac ran ….” But his honors list is impressive. A little further in the village street are tiles with the names of Dutch Yellow Jersey winners. The finish line of the Tour’s arrival in 1978 was also at this height. In Oudenbosch is a replica of the St. Peter’s basilica from Vatican City in a scale of 1:16. After the Philipsdam and Grevelingendam, a Zeeland mussel is waiting for you in Bruinisse. After the Zeeland Bridge we arrive at Noord Beveland and keep the Oosterschelde on your right. There is an Honorary scaffold on the Oosterscheldekering near the work island of Neeltje Jans. So that you can have a picture with 2 Zeeland girls. This was posted here following the finish of a TdF stage. Every year, the NK Headwind Bikes are organized at Sturm throughout the Oosterscheldekering. After rounding the Plompetoren you then cross the Brouwersdam and Haringvlietdam to Hellevoetsluis. From Oudenhoorn you follow the old tram track to Spijkenisse. Eventually you will arrive at the Benelux tunnel again. If you now take the bicycle tunnel from South. You can go down with the escalator or elevator, then you can read the poem “Lieve Ari” in the tunnel that guides you through the entire tunnel. A piece of poetry by Jules Deelder. You cycle north along the Vlaardingervaart to get to the end of this tour in Delft.
Important information about the tour:
You can only participate by pre-registration.
Start time on Friday morning between 5:30 and 8 am. Time limit is 75 hours.
The controls are digital. Your bicycle and frame plate must be visible during the photo checks.
The photos and GPX or Fitt file can be uploaded to myBrevet afterwards.
Participation is at your own risk and all traffic rules, health regulations, etc. must be observed.
The sun rises at 5:53 AM and sets at 21:25 PM. Provide well-functioning lighting during twilight and in the dark. During this period, a reflective vest ensures that you are more visible to other road users.
Ask:
If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact:
Xander Hensing
email: xander.hensing@gmail.com
Tel: +31 6 12301974
