Cycling jersey collector Ton Merckx not only collects cycling jerseys, but has also been organizing cycling tours in the Eindhoven region since 2016. There is no better expert on the roads and paths of our region that are suitable for cycling tours. As co-organizer, he will of course also organize the tours for 2024.
Ton organizes a few beautiful tours (50/70/100 km) through the De Groote Heide nature border park towards Belgium and back. Departure is at the well-known Eindhoven Cycling Café De Cyklist, this year there is a beautiful stopping place, namely the reopened Achelse Kluis, a beautiful abbey with an active brewery with delicious special beers. It Nature border park De Groote Heide includes nature reserves in the municipalities of Cranendonck, Eindhoven, Hamont-Achel, Heeze-Leende, Pelt and Valkenswaard.
The fully mapped out cycling tours walk on cycle paths through forests and heathlands, beautiful nature and countryside. With little or no car traffic. Participants can choose from tours of 45, 70 or 100 kilometers. By staggered departures during the morning we avoid it becoming too busy. The fully marked routes run along the same paths. GPX files and PDF descriptions can be downloaded by participants in the week before the event.
The tour starts at cycling café the Cyklist on the NRE site in Eindhoven and goes via Genneperparken - the gateway to the nature of De Groote Heide - and via the Dommeldal towards Valkenswaard. The tour then goes via the Klankenbos and De Malpie with extensive heathlands, fens and forests to the Plateaux Hageven nature reserve, where you cross the Belgian border almost unnoticed. Then to the Abbey (and brewery) stopping place 'The Achelse Vault', just after the Dutch border. Take a seat at the original Abbey tables of the monks for a snack or drink; for example the 'broederplank', a delicious piece of Limburg pie with coffee or an abbey beer from the own brewery.
The tour continues via the other side of Valkenswaard through Valkenshorst and via the Dommeldal back to the Cycling café De Cyklist. There is plenty to do there on Sunday, June 23, check it out the program.
You can already explore the tour on Saturday, June 22. On Sunday, June 23, the participants will leave at two times:
- 10:00 am – start retro enthusiasts
Participants must wear a retro cycling jersey but do not have to ride a steel racing bike. - 10:30 – start retro cyclists
Cyclists must wear a retro outfit and ride a steel racing bike from before 1990
The route is completely mapped out, but a GPX file is also sent to each participant in advance by e-mail. In short, a beautiful bike tour through the nature of De Groote Heide in retro style, set out by the expert of bike tours through the Eindhoven region - Ton Merckx ( TonMerckxWielershirts.nl ).
