What happens when a climate awareness ride is disrupted by extreme heat? One Backroads employee shares her experience cycling the Climate Classic in the Netherlands.
When I joined Backroads last year, one of the first projects I helped coordinate was our sponsorship of the Climate Classic, a cycling event organized by the nonprofit Cycling 4 Climate. As someone who has always loved being on a bike and cares deeply about environmental action, it felt like a perfect intersection of my personal passions.
Living in the Netherlands, cycling is an integral part of daily life. It’s more than a mode of transportation or recreation; it’s a way to clear my head, connect with friends and family and experience the countryside.
So when Backroads renewed its sponsorship of the Climate Classic this year, I was excited to take part alongside my colleagues.
A Ride with a Purpose
On an early summer day in June, I gathered with 13 of my Backroads Utrecht colleagues to participate in the annual Climate Classic cycling event. Many of us had spent weeks training together, looking forward to tackling a 100-km route. But the weather had other plans. Instead of the 100 km we trained for, our route was shortened to 65 km. The reason? Ironically, extreme heat.
Our “early summer” day was the first day of an unusually early heat wave with temperatures surging well beyond seasonal norms. Organizers were forced to shorten the routes and open the event hours earlier than planned to help participants avoid temperatures exacerbated by the climate crisis. It was the awareness event they wished they didn’t need.
The Coastline of the Future
A country world famous for its water management system of dikes, windmills and endless polders, the Netherlands already has over a quarter of its territory under sea level. Another 35 percent of its territory is at high risk of floods in case of severe storms or sea level changes. Climate change isn’t a distant concept here, but something Dutch communities, scientists and planners are actively preparing for every day.
That reality is what inspired the Climate Classic. Since its founding in 2020, the event invites cyclists to follow sections of a 375-km route that marks where the Dutch coastline could exist if sea levels continue to rise. Starting and finishing at the Royal Meteorological Institute just outside of Utrecht, we pedaled through places that people currently consider inland. It’s climate change made visible in the landscape and communities it will affect. What began in Utrecht has steadily expanded across Europe, with rides now taking place in Belgium, France, Poland, Italy and Switzerland.
Cycling for Climate Action
So on that morning in June, fourteen enthusiastic amateur cyclists from Backroads rolled out, ready to beat the heat and raise awareness about climate change. We rode alongside hundreds of cyclists taking the road wearing the signature striped Climate Classic jerseys, showing the progression in average temperatures from cool blues to deep red. Since the start of the event in 2020, they’ve added a new, darker red to represent the most recent years.
As an active travel company, Backroads believes in the power of bicycles. We know cycling is not only fun and healthy; it’s also one of the most climate friendly ways to explore the world. That’s why Backroads is a proud sponsor of the Climate Classic event in the Netherlands and supports Cycling 4 Climate’s mission to raise awareness about the realities of climate change.
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