page_title: Elfstedentocht
section_title: Fietselfstedentocht (Eleven towns by bicycle)
hierarchical_section_title: Elfstedentocht / Fietselfstedentocht (Eleven towns by bicycle)
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Warten auf den Start in den Straßen von Bolsward. English: Departure of the Elfstedentocht cycling tour in 2006. Nederlands: In de straten van Bolsward, wachtend op het vertreksein. Polski: Elfstedentocht w 2006. Türkçe: 2006' daki bisiklet turu.
context_page_description: The Elfstedentocht is a long-distance tour skating event, almost 200 kilometres long, which is held both as a speed skating competition and a leisure tour. It is held in the province of Friesland in the north of the Netherlands, leading past all eleven historical cities of the province. The tour is held at most once a year, only when the natural ice along the entire course is at least 15 centimetres thick; sometimes on consecutive years, other times with gaps that may exceed 20 years. When the ice is suitable, the tour is announced and starts within 48 hours.
context_section_description: The eleven towns cycle race was first held in 1912 and developed in parallel with its skating counterpart, but unlike the skating race, has taken place on almost every year - apart from the 2001 event which was cancelled due to foot and mouth disease, it has taken place on Whit Monday every year since 1947. The event has become immensely popular and as a safety precaution it ceased to be a race but has become a tour with a maximum average speed of 25 km/h between checkpoints.
  The tour, which starts and ends in Bolsward rather than Leeuwarden, is currently limited to 15,000 entrants.  Between 05:00 and 08:00, entrants leave Bolsward every eight minutes in batches of about 600 and those who complete the 240 km course before midnight receive medals.
  In 2013 the organisers banned Velomobiles from the event by limiting the event to two-wheeled vehicles propelled by human power.
caption: Departure of the Elfstedentocht cycling tour in 2006
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