For cycling fans around the world, few spots in the Tour de France carry the same legendary reputation as Corner Seven on Alpe d’Huez, better known worldwide as Dutch Corner. Every year when the world’s most prestigious cycling race climbs this iconic Alpine mountain, tens of thousands of visitors deck head to toe in the Netherlands’ signature bright orange flood the bend, turning the high-altitude stretch into a days-long, alcohol-fueled celebration that stands out even among the Tour’s most famous mountain pass gatherings. As the 113th edition of the Grande Boucle prepares to tackle Alpe d’Huez’s 21 winding hairpins this Friday, many loyal Dutch supporters have already staked out their spot at Dutch Corner, arriving days early to blast Europop tracks and ready themselves to cheer on their compatriots when the peloton rolls through.
No other nationality has claimed more Tour de France stage victories on Alpe d’Huez than Dutch riders — a record that even outpaces race host France, turning the climb into something of a personal home mountain for Dutch competitors in this year’s race. For many of these riders, the stretch carries deep personal nostalgia that stretches back to their childhoods, making the upcoming stage an especially emotional milestone.
“It’s a super special mountain, of course, Dutch Mountain and the famous corner seven,” 26-year-old Thymen Arensman, a Netcompany Ineos rider who claimed two Tour stages in 2023, shared ahead of this year’s race. Arensman is no stranger to Dutch Corner, both from training rides and long before he turned pro. “I have super special memories of this climb because when I was a little kid, like so many other Dutch people, I went there with my parents on holiday,” he explained. “I was really keen and eager as a little child to do this climb also as fast as possible. So (I have) really good memories there from my childhood.”
Arensman and his teammates already got a head start on preparation, tackling Alpe d’Huez’s hairpins in training before the Tour kicked off. “We did the climb a few times, but the climb is still just as hard as I remember as a little kid,” he added. “The famous corner seven will be amazing.”
Just reaching Alpe d’Huez in this year’s grueling Tour is already a major accomplishment for riders. The 113th edition has already made history as one of the most challenging in the race’s legacy: a blistering, record-breaking heatwave baked riders through the first 10 stages, while consistently fast average speeds across the race have left competitors more exhausted than ever. The race organizers have saved the most demanding terrain for the final week, with three back-to-back uphill Alpine finishes before the traditional ceremonial procession into Paris this Sunday.
For many riders, simply crossing the finish line of the Alpe d’Huez stage within the official time limit is the primary goal. “The corner will be nice, the rest of the climb I’m not so sure,” Frank van den Broek, competing in his third Tour, told Agence France-Presse. “It will depend on how the legs feel and how tight the time limit will be that day. But for sure, the corner, I’m looking forward to (it).”
First-time Tour rider Daan Hoole, a member of the Decathlon CMA CGM team racing alongside teenage French standout Paul Seixas, echoed that mix of anticipation and dread. “It’s a hard stage but it’s special with all the Dutch fans there so that will be for sure nice to see,” he said. Hoole grew up watching the Tour with his brother back in the Netherlands, and the pair would reenact the mountain stages as children after watching the race on television. “I dreamed always of the Tour. When I was watching it when I was younger with my brother, the next day we would play on the bike that we are one of these climbers and do like a small race,” he recalled. “Once you’re in it, in your head you can romanticise it a lot, (but) when you’re riding, it’s also just a lot of suffering.”
Now standing nearly two meters tall and weighing over 80 kilograms, Hoole grew out of the slim build required to be an elite climber, and he has since made his name as a two-time Dutch national time trial champion. But as a child, he dreamed of following in the footsteps of Luxembourg’s famous Schleck brothers, who carved their own legacy into Alpe d’Huez’s history. Frank Schleck claimed a stage win at the summit of Alpe d’Huez in 2006, while younger brother Andy wore the race leader’s yellow jersey when he climbed the mountain in 2011. “When I was starting watching cycling… Andy Schleck was doing really well and my brother was also cycling,” Hoole said. “So, on the bike, you act a bit (like) you’re the Schleck brothers. But once I became a cyclist, I realised quickly I wasn’t a climber.”
Even for non-climbers like Hoole, though, rolling through the orange-clad crowds of Dutch Corner remains a bucket-list moment years in the making, a chance to turn childhood dreams into reality amid one of cycling’s most iconic celebrations.