Sportives are an integral part of cycling in the Netherlands. Every year thousands of fanatics jump on their bikes to ride their favourite cycling classic. Whether with friends, colleagues, the whole family or alone and whether young, old, trained or untrained. Whether you are looking for a day out or a weekend break with the whole family and your tent, the choice is enormous.

One problem – the date of your favourite classic is fixed, but your legs aren’t ready. You don’t want to be left behind by your overpacked but better trained friends, right? Of course, it’s the taking part that counts, but what if it starts pouring down? Oops, maybe you happen to have misplaced your entrance ticket...

You can’t make excuses for the routes in this Collection because you decide when, with whom, and how you ride your classic. With komoot’s navigation, you don’t need signposts or organised supply points. Of course, it’s a shame that the helpers along the way and medals are missing, but with a little imagination, you can still enjoy a heroic finish on the top of the Cauberg. So choose your favourite classic, set a date, get training your legs, invite your cycling mates and set your sight on eternal glory.

In this Collection, you'll find a selection of the best-known, biggest, and funnest sportives in the Netherlands. Each Tour has its own character: Ride the Amstel Gold Race over the dreaded South Limburg hills; take on the continuous wind during the Elfstedentocht in flat Friesland; cycle over the oldest and most beautiful dike in the Netherlands on the Ronde van de WEstfriese Omringdijk; pay homage to your favourite cycling hero on the Jan Janssen Classic through the Utrechtse Heuvelrug and Veluwe; or follow in the tyre tracks of Joop Zoetemelk on the Joop Zoetemelk Classic through the Groene Hart region, the so-called “Green Heart” of the Netherlands.

For each Tour, I’ve described the most popular route variant and included a link to a shorter alternative. Oh, and why not sign up for the organised event too. A lot of events have been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic so the organisation would be grateful for your support. Just make sure you don’t make any excuses...