Wolvertem (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – In Imde, a small rural and quiet village in Wolvertem (Meise) in the municipality of Meise, located in the province of Flemish Brabant, a cycling race will take place next Sunday once again. There are different races for men and for women, remarkably: the person who organizes all of this is 21 years old.
In the village of Imde, rural and quiet in Wolvertem (Meise), the cycling race is going to be conducted once again next Sunday. There are various races, for men and for women and, remarkably. Such an organiser of all this is not even 21 years old, as reported by VRT.
Although many village and fairground racing events saw their annual stopovers being cut short in the past few years because of the scarcity of volunteers and sponsors, a cycling race will be resurfacing in Imde. Mats Van Hemelryck (21 years old), a resident of Imde himself, has founded the vzw ‘Imde Sport’ especially for this purpose.
“We want to make Imde a racing village again, not for 1 day, but as a lasting tradition. This should be a trampoline for further: more racing, more popular atmosphere, more experience”,
says Mats.
“I want a race with character and a heart for the region.”
The races in the programme are recognised by Cycling Vlaanderen, and they draw cyclists from the entire Flanders. The men’s race (U23, Elite 2 and 3) is 117 km long, the women’s race (U23 and Elite) is just under 100 km. The course is one lap of 8.3 kilometres, starting and finishing in the Barbieierstraat in Imde.
“What makes this race really special is the way the entire village gets behind the initiative. Our non-profit organisation is made possible with the help of dozens of volunteers and local sponsors. The village has been talking about it for months and on Sunday it will happen,”
Mats is already looking forward to it.
What is the history of cycling races in Imde, Wolvertem (Meise) region?
Imde, a sleeping village located in Wolvertem, Meise, is rich in cycling tradition that is associated with the larger Flanders, Belgium region, which is known for having a rich cycling heritage. The near region of Wolvertem has organized races like Imde-Wolvertem, with records indicating a race in 2015 won by Julien Van Den Brande. Flanders, a well-known destination for classic cycling races such as Gent–Wevelgem, a race that started in 1934 and to date is held annually in the Flemish region near towns involved.
Gent–Wevelgem has gained its international status since 2011, becoming a part of the UCI World Tour, attracting international stars and turning from an amateur race to a professional one.
The cycling culture in this region is marked by a strong tradition of both men’s and women’s races, with challenging routes that test riders’ endurance and skill. Prior events in Belgian cycling involve fatal accidents in amateur cycle races in other parts of Belgium, reminding people of what a dangerous sport it is in that part of Europe.
