Vaals. Local politics also benefits from leaders and a course plan, as became clear on Monday evening during a quite inimitable council meeting in Vaals. The discussion about municipal cycling policy degenerated into barely comprehensible chaos surrounding a proposal that no one actually wanted.
In recent weeks it seemed that Vaals would ban all major tours for recreational cycling (five thousand to fifteen thousand) within the municipality. It was part of a stricter policy of the municipality, which believes that too many and too large cycling events harm the quality of life for its residents, nature, the management of agricultural companies and “the core tourist qualities of the region” (peace, quiet, silence, landscape).
Towards Monday evening’s meeting, at which this proposal was to be discussed, there seemed to be more room for major tours. All three major events in this area, the amateur version of the Amstel Gold Race in April, Limburgs Mooiste in May and the Mergelheuvelland 2-day event in September, have different routes with varying lengths. Only the longest of these visit the territory of the municipality of Vaals. And only the amateur version of the Gold Race exceeds the set limit of five thousand with nine thousand of the fifteen thousand participants. An exception could then be made for this.
But during a tumultuous city council meeting on Monday evening, with packed public galleries and in front of a battery of TV cameras, just about everything seemed to be going wrong. Councilor Jean-Paul Kompier (Local!, Tourism and Events) said that with his proposal he wanted to make the best possible translation of a council decision from last summer. But the Vaals representative did not think so. She said that she only wanted to limit the number of medium-sized trips and the inconvenience to certain centers and areas. Why the party leaders had not stopped the alderman’s proposal for the meeting remained unclear on Monday evening.
Concerns about the recreational pressure on the Limburgse Heuvelland have existed for some time. This not only concerns the nuisance of organized tours, but also the cyclists and motorcyclists who visit the rugged and beautiful region – whether or not in groups – at other times.
In September 2013, the Dutch municipalities signed Valkenburg aan de Geul. Eijsden-Margraten, Gulpen-Wittem, Voerendaal and Vaals and the Belgian Voeren already have an agreement to keep things in balance as far as cyclists are concerned. This already discussed a maximum number of trips, coordination of local regulations, one application form for a permit for all municipalities at the same time for event organizers and a central coordination point. Huub Broers, mayor of Voeren at the time, spoke NRC at the time of “a phenomenal nuisance”.
Six speakers emphasized the economic importance of the major tours on Monday evening before the council meeting in Vaals. “After Valkenburg, we are the municipality with relatively the highest number of people working in the catering industry,” said Monique Troc, chairman of Koninklijke Horeca Nederland, Vaals department. “The days surrounding the tours are the heyday, the ups to compensate for the downs.” Former cyclist Tom Dumoulin pointed out the recruiting power of the Amstel Gold Race: “That race planted the seed for cycling in me and it can also do the same for today’s children.” Race director Leo van Vliet of the Amstel Gold Race warned that banning the touring version would endanger the cycling classic of the same name, “and thus put a top event and sixty years of cycling history at risk.”
With a motion adopted by a majority of the municipal council at the end of the debate, last summer’s council decision was repeated again. However, it has now been clearly established when a tour is large (only the number of participants who drive through Vaals territory counts) and that one large event must remain possible.
A council majority also adopted a motion of regret towards the municipal council. Group chairman Alain Hamaekers of Nuj Lies Vroemen said he was “displeased” with the way in which this file was handled. The council has not been able to incorporate the council’s opinion into a proposal. This led to a series of misunderstandings, enormous media fuss and negative publicity for the municipality of Vaals.”