Valkenburg, in the heart of the Limburg hills, is a hotbed of cycling. The men’s and women’s Amstel Gold Race has long finished atop its famous Cauberg, the World Championships have been held here five times (1938, 1948, 1979, 1998 and 2012), the women’s Tour of the EEC visited here three times (1990, 1991 and 1993) and the town’s Parkhotel gave its name to a professional team it backed! So it’s hardly surprising that the Tour de France stopped here in 1992, when Gilles Delion was the victor, and again in 2006, when Matthias Kessler won. Now it’s the women’s turn!
- Main town in the municipality of Valkenburg aan de Geul (Netherlands)
- Population: 6,000; 16,500 within the municipality of Valkenburg aan de Geul; 1,120,000 within the province of Limburg