Attention! Unpaved roads!

Last updated March 3, 2019: Unpaved bike paths along the Groote Peel have been incorporated into the route, meaning access to the route to Neerkant is no longer available. Additionally, the passage through the Leudal has been changed, as the Lange Pad cutting through the Leudal is not suitable for racing bikes under all weather conditions (like after a long dry period, when the path partly consists of loose sand). Furthermore, the route has been modified between Neer and Buggenum due to the Wijnaerden project, the urban development plan between Neer and Buggenum.

In Midden-Limburg, there are many unpaved paths made of gravel/packed earth (in contrast to Southeast Brabant, where unpaved roads are much more often genuine sand paths), which makes these routes extremely suitable for a Strade Bianche (a bike tour over partly unpaved roads, but also suitable for MTB, gravel bikes, or cross bikes).

The route starts in Asten-Heusden and leads towards the nature reserve De Groote Peel. Via the unpaved (gravel) bike path over the Mussenbaan and predominantly unpaved roads and bike paths along the southern edge of the Groote Peel, you head towards Meijel. After Meijel, you go towards the canal of Deurne: along this canal, there are unpaved sections, and the tree strips along the canal form a nature corridor in the landscape. Many more unpaved sections follow, among others along the wastewater canal, in the Gruise Epper, through the nature reserve Bovensbos and Keuperheide, along the Maas at Buggenum (the elevated riverbank near the village of Neer is also beautiful!), and through the nature reserve Leudal, along the nature reserve Brookberg, through the nature reserve Waterbloem and the nature reserve Asbroekerheide, through the nature reserve die Grote Moost and along the canals Noordervaart and Zuid-Willemsvaart. The last 6 kilometers are on paved roads back to the starting point Asten-Heusden.

The proportion of unpaved roads is 41% of the total distance. Practically all unpaved paths can be well traveled with a racing bike equipped with tires at least 25 mm wide and puncture resistant. After a rainy period or after intensive use of the roads by agricultural vehicles, some paths on the route may be less suitable for racing bikes. This is especially true for part of the unpaved path along the Noordervaart and the bike path through the Mussenberg (that is the last part of the bike path along the wastewater canal before it flows into the Maas).