About the Eleven Cities Bicycle Tour

Medal

Completing the Fietselfstedentocht is quite an achievement. Participants who complete the tour will therefore receive a unique commemorative medal. Participants who complete the tour 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 and even 65 times in a row will receive a ‘special memento’. Here you will find a list of participants who have cycled the tour 50, 60 and 65 times.

Who is it for?

The Fietselfstedentocht is intended for everyone who loves cycling, challenge and conviviality. Participants are both fanatic athletes and recreational cyclists, young (min. 16 years) and old. Good preparation is important, because 235 kilometers in one day is quite an achievement!

When is it?

The Fietselfstedentocht takes place annually on Whit Monday. On that day, Friesland turns yellow and is buzzing with cyclists who experience the Fietselfstedentocht adventure!

History of the Fietselfstedentocht

The first Fietselfstedentocht was organised in 1912. Since 1947, participants have been able to cycle the tour every year. In 2001, the organisation cancelled the cycle tour to prevent the spread of foot-and-mouth disease and in 2020 because of the Corona crisis. As an alternative to the tour in 2021, it was possible to cycle with a specially developed app.

In the thirties and from 1947 to 1958, the Fietselfstedentocht was organised as a competition. There were two different tours at the time, a competition for cyclists on racing bikes and a competition for cyclists on regular bikes, a so-called skills ride. The competition element ensured that the organisation involved fairly high costs. Reason for the board at the time to stop the competitions and only organise a touring bike tour.

The interest in the tour was not nearly as great in the early years as it is now. Up until 1965, approximately 300 participants cycled the tour each year. It was not until 1966 that a period of growth began and in 1972 no fewer than 1,568 participants registered for the Fietselfstedentocht. The number of participants only increased after that and in 1978 more than 10,000 cyclists registered.

From 1979 onwards, the tour had a maximum number of participants because the interest in the tour became too great. From then on, a maximum of 12,000 cyclists could participate in the tour and the organization still had to disappoint a few thousand cyclists.

In the years that followed, the organization received approximately 16,000 registrations. With the help of many volunteers and various organizations such as the Red Cross and police officers, the organization was given permission in 1987 to start with 15,000 participants. That maximum still applies today.

We don't do it alone!

The organization of the Fietselfstedentocht requires a huge effort from all those involved. The board of the Fietselfstedentocht receives help from hundreds of volunteers before, during and after the event.

About the Fietselfstedentocht

The Fietselfstedentocht is a unique 235-kilometre tour along the eleven cities of Friesland. Thousands of enthusiastic cyclists have been getting on board since 1912 to take on this sporting challenge. The route starts and ends in Bolsward and takes participants through the characteristic Frisian landscape, past historic towns and pleasant stamping posts.

A tradition on the bike
The tour is not a competition, but a recreational performance tour with a rich history and a strong sense of community. Along the way, participants pass all eleven cities, plus checkpoints. The tour is ridden by bike with a special atmosphere and bond between cyclists, volunteers and the public.

Some participants also turn their outfit into a real ‘sport’ and cycle the tour on a ‘normal’ bike in the most colourful and sometimes hilarious costumes. 15,000 cyclists who cycle one after the other through the Frisian landscape, each at their own speed. This makes for an impressive image but also requires a lot of discipline from the participants. Participants must give each other space and take into account the speed of others.

Some of the participants also turn their outfits into a real ‘sport’ and they ride the tour in the most colourful and at times hilarious costumes.

The organization

The Fietselfstedentocht is organized by Stichting De Friese Elfsteden Rijwieltocht. The organization consists largely of volunteers, who together ensure a safe, well-organized and atmospheric event. A maximum of 15,000 participants are allowed to participate each year. In case of great interest, registration takes place via a lottery system.

If you are selected as a participant for the tour, you will receive a starting card with a group number.

Participants start in 23 different groups, in the morning between 05:00 and 08:00 in the center of Bolsward. Every 8 minutes a group of approximately 650 participants starts. In order to complete the tour, participants must collect 15 stamps at various posts and be at the last finish check in Bolsward no later than midnight.