On the road to the Netherlands, another cycling nation where art meets sport

Some numbers are explicit and the Dutch stand out as some of the most active Europeans. Their favorite sport? Cycling. Though it seems more like a way of life than a sport, one statistic proves it: every resident of this small, slightly flatter country than France cycles over 1,000 km per year, and more than 50% of Dutch people ride a bike at least once a week.

You might say it’s just a little over 3 km per day… But how many of us actually do it? I must admit, if I ask around, very few will have achieved this feat.

And yet, in this game, France has many strengths—with its diverse and stunning landscapes, as well as the legendary Tour de France, the most prestigious cycling race in the world.

And yet, despite France’s dominance in cycling ( the most decorated nation in Olympic cycling ), the Netherlands does more than just stay on the wheel. It stands firmly in second place in the world championship rankings, just behind Belgium. This small country surpasses France in many ways, particularly in the development of sustainable mobility. Unlike France, where infrastructure is often adapted to meet future environmental and health challenges, Dutch cities and roads have been designed with cycling in mind from the start.

35,000 kilometers of cycling paths

That represents about a quarter of the country’s total, with approximately 140,000 km of roads designed for all types of traffic.

While France has nearly twice as many cycling paths—still less than 10% of its more than one million kilometers of roads in 2024—the comparison doesn’t account for the country’s size, as the Netherlands is 16 times smaller.

Nearly 3,000 registered cycling clubs

Cycling is a popular success in the Netherlands, as evidenced by the 3,000 clubs across the country.

Once again, France does better with nearly 3,500 clubs. But that doesn’t take into account that the Dutch population is just over 17 million—almost four times smaller than ours.

58% of weekly users

That means over 10 million regular users, whether for leisure, sports, or commuting.

In comparison, only 25% of French people use a bike weekly, according to a 2023 study on cycling in France. There’s still a long way to go.

For all these reasons, I won’t hide my pleasure at being contacted by Perry van Dijk, editor of Trappist magazine, which covers cycling for Dutch enthusiasts. For the first issue of 2025, I’m featured on the cover along with an article highlighting my work.

Thank you, Perry, for your trust! It’s always a pleasure to share my vision of sport with enthusiasts from around the world.