An ambitious plan is being considered to bring the 2020 World Road Race Championships to the flat Dutch province of Drenthe, which would involve developing a purpose-built hill for the circuit. The plan would be to build the hill near the motor racing circuit in Assen.
Former sports journalist Dick Heuvelman is the man leading the plan. He said, “The hill has to be about eighty metres high, and the gradient would be about seven or eight percent.”
“I was thinking of a business model which is similar to the Cauberg.” Cyclists visit the climb in the south of the country, which is used in Amstel Gold, year-round. “In addition, you could create a viewpoint which offers a view of the entire region.”
Heuvelman has even more plans for the man-made hill, “In the space created under the mountain, one would create parking and on the mountain for example, you could make a ski jump, or a kind of adventure park. Such a mountain offers enormous opportunities for different parties.”
It will be interesting to see if the local authorities give the green light for the plan.
