Outdoors Passion The Velosvedettes tour Luxembourg

4 minutes

Speedy squad, great friendship

They are the “Spice Girls” of Luxembourg’s cycling world. While not beginners by any means, the group does prioritise fun and a sense of community over performance.

It’s early summer. Ten o’clock on a Saturday morning. Six Velosvedettes are getting ready at the car park in Ettelbruck. Bikes are checked, shoes changed, helmets and sunglasses adjusted. A quick chat: how was your week, what’s new, where are we heading today?

And off they go. Today’s route: a 40 km circuit. These active women always meet on weekends. Sometimes they participate in recreational cycling races. There are many in Luxembourg, such as the 24h Vëlo Wëntger, La Charly Gaul and the Schleck Gran Fondo. This small country is full of cycling aficionados.

Vëlosummer

Summer 2020 initiated the reign of the bicycle! Over the summer holidays, now Vëlosummer, road closures are set up to connect national cycle paths allowing cyclists to explore new routes across the country, unimpeded by traffic.

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Luxembourg, nation of cycling enthusiasts

Already during the first stop, the women rave about their home country: Luxembourg is a terrific country for cycling holidays, offering a rich variety of terrain from north to south. Today, the Velosvedettes cycle along Luxembourg’s Ardennes, an undulating, mountainous landscape with gorgeous panoramic views. They pant and chat riding uphill, stop for a quick cooling break with a view over Bourscheid castle, dart in tandem down narrow tree-lined streets and calmly cruise around small villages.

“At the beginning, we just wanted to ride together,” says Liz Van Rijswijck. “But it’s really grown into friendship and mutual support.” In 2018, Liz officially co-founded the Velosvedettes along with Tamara Jung and Xenia Pfeiffer as a group for women who enjoy touring Luxembourg together by bike. The women, who are between 25 and 65, don’t see themselves as feminists but at times do consider their group a “movement”.

Biking tour with the Velosvedetten through the countryside — © Oliver Raatz

Luxembourg’s Ardennes offer panoramic views across an undulating, mountainous landscape.

Find out more about the Éislek region

“We empower each other!”

“We empower each other,” says Noémie Colletin who handles the cheerful and diverse group’s social media. “If one of us is off her game, the others simply adjust their pace. I love that.” Noémie bought her first bike only three years ago. “Today, I can’t even imagine my life without cycling,” she says, laughing.

„Mir maan eng Rees, mir maan eng Rees!“

These women know exactly what they are doing, what they want and where the fun stops. Biking without a helmet, for example. “Too dangerous. We don’t take along anyone without a helmet, much less if they’re a guest,” says Liz. Men are welcome too but only if they don’t try to push the tempo. “Women call the shots here,” says Noémie and laughs.

The Velosvedettes get along so well, they vacation together once a year. They also sing together to distract themselves on particularly steep slopes. “Mir maan eng Rees, mir maan eng Rees!”, which means we’re taking a trip in Luxembourgish. It’s a good thing that the squad has so many routes and destinations to choose from.

Want to head out on your own? Find information on cycle paths and tours at Lëtzebuerger Velos-Initiativ.

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Outdoors Passion The Velosvedettes tour Luxembourg

Speedy squad, great friendship

Vëlosummer

Luxembourg, nation of cycling enthusiasts

“We empower each other!”

„Mir maan eng Rees, mir maan eng Rees!“

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