What once started with one cycling fanatic and a good dose of guts has become one of the largest cycling criteria in the Netherlands. The organization of the day after the Tour has succeeded in bringing Boxmeer in the biggest names for years. Something that does not happen automatically, says chairman Pierre Hermans. He even travels to France for it. “A number of riders cannot be missing,” says Pierre Hermans chairman.
It was in the 1970s when Ad Rijnen, fanatic cycling enthusiast and entrepreneur, put on the bad shoes. He wanted to organize a cycling round in his own place of residence to support the first Boxmeerse professional cyclist. “He succeeded in tricks big names,” says the chairman.
“He had the guts to hold the competition on the day after the Tour,” says Hermans admiringly. In the meantime, the 49th edition of the cycling criterion is coming and the current organization is still chasing Rijnen’s ambitions. “We still want to get all the big names to Boxmeer.”
Only the sun goes up for nothing, because whoever thinks riders come to Boxmeer before the honor, is wrong. “Sometimes you pay tens of thousands of euros per rider. Bringing in the Tour winner can just cost an average average annual income.”
“That’s why we are going to Montpellier for a few days,” continues Hermans. Together with co -board member and five -time Tour participant Twan Poels, he will travel to France this weekend. “There we will try on the day of rest to inspire the cyclists to come to us.”
For this edition, which takes place on July 28, both gentlemen already have an idea of which riders they would like to get. “We have a big budget, but we have to handle that carefully. It also depends on their performance what they will eventually cost. Although there are a few names that cannot be missing.”
For example, Mathieu van der Poel from Hoogerheide is at the top of the organization’s wish list. “Everything falls or falls with the arrival of Van der Poel. If he doesn’t start, we’ll have a lot of budget,” says co -board member Poels. “And of course we also want many others of the Dutch participants in the Tour.”
Recently, before the gentlemen travel to France, there has been some preliminary work to get Van der Poel. “There has already been contact with some riders. They ultimately decide for themselves if they want to come. But Mathieu van der Poel has not yet promised. That is just as exciting.”
“We are also very proud of the more than two hundred volunteers from the neighborhood,” adds Hermans. “Building Boxmeer all the way. From putting on crush barriers and building stands to setting up the podium. Without them we could no longer organize this. They deserve the most compliments.”
The timing of the event, just after the tour, is worth gold according to the chairman. “The tour is still in people’s heads. It is very cool to be able to see the Vedettes close to the Vedettes. That gives us a boost for us, the sponsors, the riders and the viewers.”
And with the fiftieth edition in mind, the two next weekend will travel to France with extra ambition. “We want to get something extra, so we are already gently planting some seeds for next year.”