Alternative Dutch 11-City Tour on sea ice near Luleå (Sweden) cancelled after all
Cancelled: Luleå (Swedish Lapland), the last stronghold, has dropped out as a destination for an Alternative Dutch 11-City Tour as well. The cause? The government's advice not to travel abroad until mid-March.
Alternative Dutch 11-City Tour
An Alternative Dutch 11-City Tour is a race or tour ride abroad, 200 kilometres on natural ice. Such tours are organised both in Austria and in Sweden .
The best-known alternative to the 11-City Tour is the Weissensee Alternative Dutch 11-City Tour in Carinthia (Austria). That one was already cancelledat the end of October, as was the edition on the Lake Runn near Falun (Sweden).
The Alternative Dutch 11-City Tour on sea ice near Luleå looked set to go ahead ‘as normal’. But then prime minister Mark Rutte suddenly named ‘mid-March’ as the provisional end date for ‘his’ negative travel advisory.
The government's travel advice
The government's travel advice reads as follows: do not travel abroad and do not book for the period up to mid-March. The whole world on orange.
Cancelled: the statement from Skating Luleå
“Please note: the tour ride on 19 February 2021 unfortunately will not take place”, reports Skating Luleå, adding a statement: “After a long internal discussion, we feel we cannot ignore the travel advisory issued on 14 December 2020.”
An Alternative Dutch 11-City Tour at the end of March after all?
- The organisation has moved the races to the end of March, subject to corona and travel advisories. “An update on this will follow in January.”
There is a glimmer of hope for recreational skaters too:
- “Should that update turn out positive, it means we may also be able to organise a tour ride / Alternative Dutch 11-City Tour at the end of March. This is not certain yet, however, and we will give an update on it in January as well.”
Safety and health first
The organisation further stresses that during the programme they are taking account of corona.
“We would point out that, together with the municipality of Luleå, we are doing everything we can to organise the races and events in as corona-proof a way as possible. Safety and health first.”
Will Dutch skaters be out on the Gulf of Bothnia in Swedish Lapland at the end of March after all?
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