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De Gordel (
Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...
, pronounced , meaning "the belt") is a family
cycling Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from two ...
and
walking Walking (also known as ambulation) is one of the main gaits of terrestrial locomotion among legged animals. Walking is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined by an 'inverted pendulum' gait in which the body vaults o ...
event in the
Brussels Periphery The Brussels Periphery (, i.e. the "Brussels Rim", or ''Vlaamse Rand'', i.e. the "Flemish Rim", or just ''De Rand'', "the Rim"; ) refers to 19 Flemish municipalities that encircle the Brussels-Capital Region. The Brussels Region is an enclave of ...
of
Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
. The event is organised by
Bloso Sport Vlaanderen is the Flemish sports agency. Within Belgium, it is the Flemish counterpart of French-speaking ADEPS. Both agencies were founded in 1969 to succeed the state-founded national INEPS/NILOS. Until 2016 Sport Vlaanderen was called Blo ...
, each year since 1981 on the first Sunday of September. It is meant as a symbolic affirmation that the municipalities involved are part of
Flanders Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, ...
. It also expresses the solidarity of the entire Flemish community with the Flemings living in these villages. Depending on the weather, up to 100,000 participants (in 2005) attend, either cycling or walking. In 2008, bad weather resulted in the lower attendance number of 58,000. The 2010 edition saw more than 80,000 participants. While opinion on the event varies, some French-speakers see participation as a political move by those who choose to take part (including
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
Guy Verhofstadt Guy Maurice Marie Louise Verhofstadt (; ; born 11 April 1953) is a Belgian politician who was the leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe from 2009 to 2019, and has been a member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Belgium ...
in 2005). In 2006,
Minister-President of Flanders The Minister-President of Flanders ( nl, Minister-president van Vlaanderen) is the head of the Flemish Government, which is the executive branch of the Flemish Region and Flemish Community.See the communities, regions and language areas of Belgiu ...
Yves Leterme Yves Camille Désiré Leterme (; born 6 October 1960 in Wervik) is a Belgian politician, a leader of the Christian Democratic and Flemish party (CD&V). He was the prime minister of Belgium, from November 2009 to December 2011. Leterme was the ...
said: "The Gordel is a pleasant way to say that we want to keep the villages around Brussels Flemish.". As Prime Minister, Yves Leterme did not participate in 2008. So close to Brussels, and passing through several Flemish towns with French-speaking majorities in some areas, this sports event gains wide television coverage through news reports and serves as a very visual reminder that linguistic and political divisions among neighbouring regions and even neighbours themselves remain alive in the area immediately surrounding Brussels.


Incidents

De Gordel has fallen victim to sabotage actions several times in the past. During the 2006 event, local police caught a well-known French-speaking lawyer, Sébastien Courtoy, and another person throwing
thumbtack A drawing pin (in British English) or thumb tack (in North American English) is a short nail or pin used to fasten items to a wall or board for display and intended to be inserted by hand, usually using the thumb. A variety of names is used t ...
s on the road. In 2008 and 2010 an increase in thumbtack throwing was noted.


Gordelroute permanent cycle route

The ''Gordelroute'' is a permanent cycle route encircling Brussels, based on De Gordel. It does not follow the same route as that used in the event, mainly following quieter roads and cycle paths, but is approximately the same distance (100 km).


See also

*
Municipalities with language facilities There are 27 municipalities with language facilities ( nl, faciliteitengemeenten; french: communes à facilités; german: Fazilitäten-Gemeinden) in Belgium which must offer linguistic services to residents in Dutch, French, or German in additio ...
*
Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde The area within Belgium known as Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde encompasses the bilingual— French and Dutch—Brussels-Capital Region, which coincides with the arrondissement of Brussels-Capital and the surrounding Dutch-speaking area of Halle-Vilvo ...


References


External links


Welkom bij Lightville

Official page
in Dutch {{DEFAULTSORT:Gordel Recurring events established in 1981 Politics of Belgium Cycling in Belgium Walking