Dutch biking followers steal present within the lion’s den: ‘King Mathieu and Go Bauke’ | Biking

Dutch Fans Take Centre Stage at the World Cycling Championships
The World Biking Championships, which take place this week in the time trials in Knokke and Bruges and the highway race between Antwerp and Leuven on Saturday and Sunday, have captured the attention of Belgium for days. But this day, the gift has been taken by Dutch admirers. On a large asphalt strip on the Smeysberg in Leuven, the “heads” of Mathieu van der Poel and Bauke Mollema are shown with phrases such as “King Mathieu and Go Bauke.”
The World Biking Championships in Flanders organisers are urging participants to avoid making many laps around the route. They’ve implemented a number of eco-friendly initiatives, such as using the catchphrase “A true champion keeps it green,” to inspire supporters and visitors to be “green” and keep everything neat during the race. In order to help with this, about 450 people have been sent out, 1,300 trash cans have been installed, and the promotion caravan—which often gives out handfuls of gadgets and trinkets to bikers—has been removed.
Similar to this, the organisation provides technique to people who arrive by bicycle or public transit for the Grand Prix of the Netherlands in Formulation 1, which takes place in Zandvoort at the beginning of this month. Bicycle parking has been expanded to 10,000 spaces, and longer and more frequent trains now have 120,000 extra seats available. Much less obvious problems can also be given consideration. For example, the stage flowers are locally sourced, the rainbow jerseys are made from recycled PET bottles, and bogs utilise very little water.
The World Biking Championships’ “CO2 footprint” is being estimated for the first time, and the organisation believes that it will serve as a new standard for similar events in the future.