The Dutch Cyclists’ Union (Fietsersbond) announced which cities and municipalities have signed up for the competition to become the best Cycle City of the Netherlands (Fietsstad) 2014 and take over that title from current Best Cycle City ’s-Hertogenbosch. My home town was awarded the title late 2011.
The motto of this year’s competition is “Fietsen zonder Hindernissen” or “Cycling without barriers”. The Dutch word ‘Hindernissen’ has a whole range of meanings from barriers to impediments, hindrances, handicaps and obstacles.
Project leader Jaap Kamminga of the Cyclists’ Union (Fietsersbond) explains: “It makes quite a lot of difference if you can cycle comfortably on wide smooth asphalt cycle paths directly from A to B or if you have to wait for red traffic lights constantly on bumpy tiled cycle paths. That difference can be an important reason for people to take the bike or to leave it at home. ”
The list of 19 municipalities shows 10 cities that I have portrayed in the past. So here is the full list with links to previous posts about those cities and to the portraits I made of the finalists.
- The Hague (504.260 inhabitants)
- Eindhoven (218.559 inhabitants) FINALIST
- Almere (195.019 inhabitants) FINALIST
- Breda (178.280 inhabitants)
- Nijmegen (165.253 inhabitants)
- Enschede (158.741 inhabitants) FINALIST
- Zoetermeer (122.968 inhabitants)
- Zwolle (122.415 inhabitants) FINALIST
- Dordrecht (118.587 inhabitants)
- Helmond (88.958 inhabitants)
- Velsen (67.142 inhabitants) FINALIST
- Nieuwegein (60.878 inhabitants)
- Heerhugowaard (52.780 inhabitants)
- Pijnacker-Nootdorp (50.677 inhabitants)
- Woerden (50.361 inhabitants)
- Middelburg (47.511 inhabitants)
- Overbetuwe (46.486 inhabitants)
- Harderwijk (45.638 inhabitants)
- Goes (36.980 inhabitants)
BICYCLE DUTCH 
Another thing about cities not represented: I see none of the previous winners (Groningen, Houten, ‘s-Hertogenbosch) has applied. Any special reason for that?
Previous winners keep the right to their title (with the year) so it would be a bit strange to have multiple titles.
Amsterdam clearly doesn’t qualify, nor do its cyclists as demonstrated in this very short clip by Thomas Schlijper: http://schlijper.nl/130731-00-cyclists-amsterdam.photo
(he drives around in a small Smart car)
🙂
It must have to do with the principle of “Goede wijn behoeft geen krans”
People from the north do not like boasting.
I can only speak for Drenthe and Groningen which have absolutely no reason to join the competition as they are far ahead of the rest, without boasting about it. And calling Limburg backward is a typical symptom of Amsterdamitis, a very nasty disease.
There are three other provinces very absent too: Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe. So that is 4 out of 12 provinces that have no entry at all. The extreme North and South. The reasons are unclear. Municipalities can enter the competition as they please. There is no central registration. So it will be a coincidence.
Is there any reason why there is no city from the province Limburg represented? Still determined to remain backward?