Pietertocht Extreme

Pietertocht Extreme begins in Pieterburen, in the far north of the Netherlands, and takes mountain bikers to the Sint-Pietersberg in the south. The start is Saturday at 18:00, with riders aiming to cover approximately 510 km and over 2,500 meters of elevation gain within 24 hours. It is based on the concept of completing the full Pieterpad in one go, but by bicycle and at a scale that makes it a demanding endurance challenge rather than a standard tour. Entry is limited to 150 participants, resulting in a small field for an event covering such a long route. The route first heads to the Wadden Sea, then proceeds south across the flat Groninger landscape, passing Groningen and entering the Drentsche A river valley. It ascends the VAM mountain in Drenthe, continues through the Sallandse Heuvels, the Achterhoek, and Montferland, briefly enters Germany, and then returns through the Rijk van Nijmegen and Maasduinen National Park. After Venlo and Roermond, the most challenging final section starts in South Limburg, featuring several of the route’s 17 climbs late in the ride. Close to the finish, participants briefly enter Belgium to approach the Sint-Pietersberg from the south before reaching the end.