In 1978, the famous Dutch artist Ramses Shaffy scored a hit in The Netherlands with his song "Laat me" (Let Me). In the first couplet he sang:
Ik ken de kroegen, kathedralen
van Amsterdam, tot aan Maastricht
toch zal ik elke dag verdwalen
dat houd de boel in evenwicht
Which means:
I know the pubs and cathedrals
between Amsterdam and Maastricht
yet will i get lost everyday
which keeps i...
Read moreIn 1978, the famous Dutch artist Ramses Shaffy scored a hit in The Netherlands with his song "Laat me" (Let Me). In the first couplet he sang:
Ik ken de kroegen, kathedralen
van Amsterdam, tot aan Maastricht
toch zal ik elke dag verdwalen
dat houd de boel in evenwicht
Which means:
I know the pubs and cathedrals
between Amsterdam and Maastricht
yet will i get lost everyday
which keeps it all natural
Ramses passed away december 2009. The Netherlands were in mourning, because Ramses was one of the greatest artists The Netherlands had ever known.
"Van Amstrerdam tot aan Maastricht" became some sort of legendary way to describe The Netherlands. Amsterdam-Maastricht is officially not a tour in honour of Ramses, but many people use this course to commemorate him.
The race starts in Amsterdam, in front of the Westerkerk, (the western church), and continues to Utrecht, where it passes the Sint-Catharinakathedraal (The Saint-Catharina Cathedral), and the Dom of Utrecht, which is a former Cathedral and the highest church in The Netherlands. The next stop is Breda, which is the home of the Sint-Antoniuskathedraal (Saint Antony's Cathedral). After Breda, The Peloton will head east, to Roermond with its Sint-Christoffelkathedraal. When they leave Roermond, the riders have only 50 kilometres to go till Maastricht, where they will enjoy an ice cold beer in a pub.
