I would say my 45 km cycle ride today was the best of the year so far.
What makes it the ‘best’….?
Fabulous weather, stunning scenery, very challenging ascents and descents, plus the satisfaction of completing the planned route, which I knew beforehand would be quite difficult for me.
Slenaken was the halfway point in my ride and I paused for a while near the St Remigus church which dates back to 1793.
My road out of the village started with a 1.5 km climb, exceeding 16% in places and creating an elevation gain of 76 metres.
About 8 km further on, near the summit of Gulperberg I came across a steel monument to the Dutch cycling commentator, Jean Nelissen who died in 2010.
The views from Gulperberg were amazing even with the early afternoon heat haze.
Today’s photographs don’t really do justice to the South Limburg scenery or the truly fabulous cycling roads but at least I have a record of a great cycle ride.
