A NATO summit with Donald Trump next June is putting at risk a big chunk of the cycling season in the bike-crazy Netherlands.
The Hague will host heads of state and government of the 32-member organization amid intense security measures at the World Forum from June 24-26.
The Dutch cycling federation said this week that, because of the police deployment required, less forces than usual are temporarily available for other tasks until the end of the summer.
“The impact of the NATO summit on the 2025 cycling calendar is disastrous,” the federation said. “From Jan. 1, 2025 to Aug. 31, 2025, there will be no capacity available for motorcycle police to supervise cycling races.”
The federation says races organized in the Netherlands have been under pressure for several years because of a lack of specialized motorbike police officers whose expertise is needed to supervise cycling races on public roads.
Over the past five years, the number of competitions which required police escorts has been reduced. To make up for the lack of police officers, the Dutch cycling federation is working on a new scheme that would allow in the future the deployment of civilian motorcycle traffic controllers at races.
“It is bitter and disappointing to have to conclude that the two-day NATO summit results in an absence of motorcycle officers at cycling races for a period of no less than eight months, which is almost the entire cycling season,” said Maurice Leeser, the federation director.
Leeser added the federation will continue to work on a solution to allow the 2025 races, including the famed Amstel Gold Race spring classic, to take place.
“In this respect, it is crucial to make progress in the accelerated deployment of civilian motorcycle traffic controllers,” he said. “We hereby make an urgent appeal to the ministries to make the necessary resources available as soon as possible to have a national guideline for civilian motorcycle traffic controllers developed.”
The Amstel Gold Race is one of the blue-ribbon single-day road races. Its winners include five-time Tour de France champion Eddy Merckx, Tadej Pogacar, Mathieu van der Poel and former Olympic road race champion Marianne Vos. The next edition is scheduled for April 20.
