The Hills have Bikes

The Netherlands is famously flat, so The Hills have Bikes goes looking for climbing elsewhere: from a café in the village of Amerongen the route heads east across the border into Germany in search of hills, and most of it runs off-road.

It is a fully self-supported bikepacking race in the classic mould: riders carry what they need, use only what is open to everyone along the way, follow a provided GPS tracker and police the rules themselves. Pairs may ride together, and the welcome waits at the same café, De Proloog, where it all began.

Adventure Bike Racing, the Dutch outfit behind Race around the Netherlands, keeps the event deliberately low-key and sponsor-light. Its support programme lets riders anonymously help cover someone else's entry, with the stated long-term goal of one day running its races without an entry fee.