Since May 2023, adventurers have found a new playground in the rolling hills of South Limburg, where both gravel bikers and mountain bikers can truly test their mettle. Enter the Limburg200 MTB and Gravel Challenge, offering cyclists the longest marked MTB route in the Netherlands.
For those seeking a gravel adventure, only a GPS track will guide their way. Meanwhile, the MTB route combines South Limburg’s official MTB trails, while the gravel bike route blazes a completely new trail. Whether you choose to conquer it in 1, 2, or 3 days, the challenge awaits.
The announcement of a 200 km MTB route in the works for South Limburg immediately piqued my interest. Now, having completed the Limburg200 challenge in a single day, I’m here to share my insights and experiences of the route and the endurance test it presented.
Table of Contents
How does it work?
Although the MTB route of the Limburg200 is fully signposted, it’s essential to purchase a starting ticket. This not only grants you access to the route but also qualifies you to receive the finisher medal. This is achievable only by completing the route in 1, 2, or 3 days and passing through the various stamp locations along the route with your stamp card.
You may already be familiar with this concept from various Stoneman routes. The principle is essentially the same, albeit with a slightly different backdrop.
Starter Pack
To officially participate in this MTB or gravel challenge, you must purchase a starter pack through the Limburg200 website. The handlebar plate and stamp card/brevet can be collected from the Shimano Experience Center in Valkenburg. This location also serves as a starting point for the challenge and houses one of the stamp locations.
Upon purchasing a starter pack, priced at €32.50, you will receive the GPX file of the MTB or gravel route, a handlebar plate, and stamp card (brevet). Once you’ve completed the route and collected all the stamps (perforations), you can exchange the brevet for the medal. Additionally, for an additional €5, you can purchase the unique Limburg200 t-shirt.
If you’ve purchased a starter pack, you can also take advantage of the locker service, washing area, and shower facilities at the Shimano Experience Center. Additionally, you’ll be treated to coffee and pie.
Everything You Need to Know About the MTB & Gravel Challenge
The Limburg200 challenge is an initiative of Mountainbike Ontwikkeling Zuid-Limburg (MOZL). MOZL is a non-profit organization dedicated to developing and supporting mountain bike infrastructure in this region. This project is based on three key pillars: sports and physical activity, nature and countryside, and recreation and economic development.
The new Limburg200 project is not for profit, and a significant portion of the proceeds from the starting packages are reinvested into the development and maintenance of MTB routes in South Limburg and the preservation of the Limburg200 project.
The routes
Limburg200 consists of two distinct routes: an MTB route and a route specifically designed for gravel biking. Both routes are lengthy, covering distances exceeding 200 km. The MTB route, which connects the official routes of South Limburg, is the longest at approximately 209 km. The gravel route is 6 km shorter and was developed in collaboration with various municipalities in South Limburg. Both routes feature significant elevation gains, with approximately 2766 meters (MTB) and 2377 meters (gravel), respectively.
Both the interconnected MTB route and the brand-new gravel route were developed by Lars Toma on behalf of MOZL. The MTB route has been signposted by a team of 25 volunteers, with over 1800 route signs installed. The gravel route is navigable only via GPX and is not signposted.
The starting package can be collected at the Shimano Experience Center. From there, you can theoretically begin the route wherever you choose. While not mandatory, it is recommended to complete the route within a maximum of 3 consecutive days.
Along the route, you’ll find various stamp locations, typically located at hospitality establishments. This setup is convenient as it allows for rest breaks or pauses as desired. The stamp units for perforating your brevet are also accessible outside the opening hours of the respective hospitality establishments.
At each stamp location, you’ll also find some tools available for performing minor bike repairs. Of course, it’s wise to carry the necessary equipment with you as well…
1, 2, or 3 days?
Agreements have been made with participating municipalities and nature conservation authorities that the Limburg200 routes may only be ridden AFTER sunrise and BEFORE sunset. If you plan to complete the route in one day, some careful planning is required.
If the distance seems daunting, you can also tackle this challenge over 2 or 3 days. To make it easier for yourself, you can opt to stay at one of Limburg200’s accommodation partners. Accommodation options include hotels, campgrounds, bed and breakfasts, as well as participating vacation homes or villas.
My Epic Journey Along the Limburg200 MTB Route
had been searching for the perfect moment to tackle the Limburg200 MTB ultra route since early June… However, the unsettled weather throughout the summer kept pushing it onto the back burner. One thing that was certain was my decision to ride the route in one day. Finally, in early September, the conditions aligned, with the weather forecast looking splendid, although the predicted 30°C was perhaps a bit warmer than ideal…
I planned to start from the official starting point. This way, the distances shown on the stamp locations (listed on the brevet) would match up. This would allow me to quickly know when to look out for a stamp location and thereby minimize time wasted. Given that it was going to be quite a long day, this seemed like a wise approach.
My alarm went off around 5 am as I needed to make my way to Valkenburg, which is about an hour’s drive for me. There was ample (paid) parking right across from the Shimano Experience Center, my starting and finishing location for the day. It was tempting to perforate a hole in the stamp card right away at the Shimano Experience Center, but I wanted to reserve this stamp to neatly complete the adventure after the full 200+ km of the Limburg200…
Ready, Set, Go…
At 7:15 am, I set off on the 200 km journey from the Shimano Experience Center. After a brief warm-up, I was soon presented with some unpaved paths and singletracks. A playful section was followed by a very long and beautiful singletrack. The newly risen sun made it all the more breathtaking, a delightful way to start the ride.
After this breathtaking passage, the terrain transitioned into the more characteristic trails of this region. Wider paths with challenging climbs and thrilling (swift) descents awaited, interspersed with necessary stretches of road connections.
Checkpoint 1
The first checkpoint awaited at 53 km from the start, and to my own surprise, I reached it rather swiftly. As I was unfamiliar with the area, I took a moment to carefully navigate to the exact location of this checkpoint. True to form, it was around the 53 km mark when a grand gate caught my eye to the left, adorned with the name “Landal” catching my attention. This was the spot. Finding the stamping point thereafter was a breeze…
One down, three to go… and I was still feeling optimistic, especially with my average speed still hovering above 20 km/h. But that was about to change quickly…
Gulpen, Vijlen, Epen
After the first checkpoint, the route veered towards Gulpen, Epen, and Vijlen. I was somewhat familiar with this area, having visited recently before this ride. So, I had a sense of what awaited me here. The first climb after the Landal checkpoint was still on the road, but it felt immediately tougher than all the previous ascents…
Here, the route mostly traversed wider paths, both uphill and downhill. It required a bit of caution with loose stones, roots, and worn-out ruts here and there. Occasionally, I found myself unintentionally on the wrong trail, but nothing too serious. The climbs were starting to take their toll, but apart from a few, I ascended smoothly. I paced myself well, mindful of the considerable distance ahead, and avoided pushing too hard… It worked fairly well.
Checkpoint 2
Upon reaching checkpoint 2, you’re already past the halfway point of the Limburg200. It’s an ideal moment to refresh yourself on the terrace of Herberg de Bernardushoeve, where the second checkpoint is located, after perforating your stamp card.
What’s great is that you can safely park your bike on the premises near the terrace, so you can relax without worrying about it.
I asked the friendly staff if it was possible to refill my bottles with fresh tap water. That was no problem at all. Fortunately, as the temperature was creeping towards 30°C, and my drink supply was running low.
Part 3; Heerlen, Brunssum, and Landgraaf
The winding lines on the stamp card and the GPX file already hinted at what awaited me in the third part of the Limburg200… Twisting singletracks, almost non-stop… But first, I had a chance to recover a bit. The approach to this part of the Limburg200 seemed quite long and mainly went along the road.
Although the Landgraaf and Brunssum routes had long been on my to-do list, I had never been there until now. What a revelation it was! These routes are incredibly scenic and offer a high level of MTB excitement. Flowing singletracks alternate with challenging climbs and sometimes quite technical descents, featuring various drop-offs.
A few climbs were just a bit too steep for me to conquer entirely. But that didn’t dampen my spirits. Along the way, I stumbled upon a water point, which brought me immense joy. Here, I could refill my bottles and the Hydrapak water reservoir of my USWE MTB Hydro with refreshing cold water.
With my water supply replenished, I felt confident I could make it to the end of this Limburg200 journey. But first, I had to navigate further through these winding South Limburg MTB routes.
I must admit, this section seemed to stretch on forever. Perhaps a bit too long even for an ultra MTB marathon. It was a constant whirl of twists and turns, accelerations, and above all, maintaining intense focus… The latter wasn’t always easy, especially as the odometer crept towards the 160 km mark.
If you still have some energy left, you can also indulge yourself in the Bikepark you pass by as you gradually head towards checkpoint three. The climb to the bike park was no easy feat, even on foot…
I wisely decided to continue following the Limburg200 route. And although you don’t traverse the entire bike park, you still encounter some awesome trails along the way…
Checkpoint 3: Snowworld Landgraaf
Before reaching the third stamp point, you get to ride through the Landgraaf trails and climb steeply alongside the Snowworld building. After a technical descent, you reach the third checkpoint at Snowworld. Unfortunately, the famous half-pipe descent is not part of the Limburg200 route… So, I’ll have to come back for that another time.
In hindsight, I should have taken a moment to sit down on the terrace and gulp down a Coke. Even though there were “only” 30 km left after this checkpoint, I had already been cycling for about 9 hours and, with all the breaks included, even longer. The many energy bars and gels, combined with the heat, had upset my stomach a bit. But you have to push through, and so I did…
The Final Stretch
The twisting and turning were behind me, and the cross-country nature quickly subsided to make way for wider paths, longer climbs, and fast descents. But before that, there was a rather dull stretch along busy roads. Whether I was exactly on track here, I still don’t know. There were no signs to be seen, so I had to rely on the GPX file. There’s a lot to be said about the signposting, but I’ll come back to that later.
After the connecting section, the route alternated between ups and downs, with some challenging climbs here and there. My legs were surprisingly fresh, but as my stomach started to grumble, I had to slow down the pace a bit. The last 30 km went slower than I had hoped.
As determined as I am, I refused to shorten the route because, in the final section, you can take a sort of shortcut since the paths are close together. You go down a few times only to cycle back up via the adjacent path. Something tells me this was necessary to reach the 200 km mark truly…
After the very last climb, followed by a fast descent, the route leads back to the starting point at the Shimano Experience Center via the road, where the last symbol on the stamp card can be perforated…
After 203.95 km, 3195 meters of elevation gain, 11 hours and 32 minutes of cycling, and a total duration of just under 13 hours, my Limburg200 adventure was over. All in all, the fatigue wasn’t too bad, and the stomach issues were quickly resolved when I gulped down a coke that had heated up in the car.
Limburg200 Review
Below are some general impressions, thoughts, tips, and a bit of constructive criticism regarding the Limburg200.
Practicality
Cycling 200 km with over 3000 meters of elevation gain in one day is quite a challenge. Of course, you can also spread it out over several days, and I think that’s actually the intention of the Limburg200. If you want to complete this adventure entirely “by the rules,” it’s not very practical to do it in one day. It’s nearly impossible to pick up your bib and brevet, ride the route, and collect your medal within the opening hours of the Shimano Experience Center.
I picked up my brevet and bib a few days before this ride. I even combined it with a nice walk with my girlfriend, so it wasn’t entirely for nothing to head to Valkenburg in advance. Since I was on the road for almost 13 hours in total, I haven’t picked up the finisher’s medal yet as I write this review, so I’ll have to make another trip to Valkenburg…
That’s why it seems more practical to cycle the Limburg200 route over several days unless you’re a local.
The Route
Regarding the route itself, I can be brief. You cycle through beautiful surroundings all day long and encounter a very diverse course. However, you do need to take into account the quite numerous, inevitable connecting sections. This type of route suits me perfectly, so I’m a fan. The 40 to 50 km of winding trails in Brunssum and Landgraaf might have been a bit too much of a good thing, but of course, it’s great for mountain biking!
Signage & GPX
Picturing a 200 km route is, of course, not simple. On the Limburg200 website, you can read that approximately 25 people placed around 1800 signs along the entire route. All respect for those who put their time into this.
Unfortunately, I didn’t find the signage to be very good. It was excellent in some places, especially at the beginning. On the first winding singletrack in Valkenburg, there was one sign after another, with almost no alternative path. At that moment, I thought, “Wow, this is really well signposted…”
I understand that you can’t put a new pole in the ground for every arrow, especially on a 200 km route. Therefore, existing poles and obstacles along the paths are mainly used. And unfortunately, that’s where it often goes wrong…
Many of the poles are so short that they are now overgrown by bushes and plants, making it almost impossible to see the arrows. Additionally, I found the placement often very poor. The arrows were frequently positioned just before, at, or sometimes even after a turn.
In various parts of the route, the arrows were suddenly missing altogether. Here and there, I also spotted an arrow pointing in the opposite direction from the GPX. When I followed such arrows, unfortunately, I didn’t encounter any new ones…
The GPX file, which you receive upon registration, also frequently deviated from the signage.
Considering you pay €32.5 to ride this route, I believe the signage could have been much better. I sincerely hope that they will use some of these earnings in the future to improve the signage. In my opinion, the GPX file also needs to be reviewed and adjusted.
Of course, it often went well too. Except for some sections and the connections, the Limburg200 route overlaps with existing routes. In many cases, if there is no Limburg200 arrow visible, you can follow the other arrows, and usually, you will encounter the correct arrow afterward…
Stamp Locations
If they are open at the various stamp locations, you can always get a drink, which is certainly a plus. The stamp card indicates the locations where you can get a stamp, with the name specified. Sometimes, it was a bit challenging for me to locate exactly where the puncher to perforate the card was, but in the end, I found all four.
I found having only four checkpoints to be a bit low, especially considering the considerable distances between them. You’re already cycling for a few hours before encountering a checkpoint. For example, with the Stoneman Arduenna, the checkpoints are about 20 to 30 km apart, making dividing the ride into smaller segments easier.
Final Thoughts
The concept of Limburg200 is not entirely novel, but I think it’s great that it exists. Whether you tackle the route in 1, 2, or 3 days, it’s undoubtedly a challenging adventure suitable for anyone looking to push their limits. Enthusiasts of MTB (ultra) marathons and long distances, like myself, will undoubtedly be thrilled with this route.
The scenery along the route is stunning, especially in the summer when it’s at its best for riding. While some spots are perpetually damp, they are usually easy to navigate. However, the main issue remains the signage. Considering the significant investment required to ride this route officially, the signage (and the GPX) could certainly be improved. Hopefully, this is an area that will receive further attention in the future.
Despite the occasional challenge with the placement of the signs, the route is largely rideable, especially with the assistance of the GPX, albeit it occasionally deviates. The combination of signs and GPX ultimately guide you through the entire route.
If you’re up for a challenging ride or a multi-day MTB trip in South Limburg, I highly recommend this route. While it was tough at times, I ultimately enjoyed it, especially in hindsight… If you’re planning to ride the Limburg200 or have already done so, be sure to share your adventure experiences.
