[from a press release]

Issue: Typically Dutch – Cycling
Date of issue: 4 April 2022
Appearance: sheet of six stamps in six identical designs
Item number: 420461
Design: Claire Bedon and Edwin van Praet (Total Design), Amsterdam

On 4 April 2022, PostNL will publish the Typically Dutch – cycling stamp sheet. This issue is the third in the Typically Dutch series this year. In 2022, the multi-annual series is dedicated to five sports in which the Dutch excel. Earlier this year, stamps featuring ice skating (3 January) and hockey (21 March) were published as part of this series. Later this year, PostNL will publish stamps featuring the typically Dutch sports of sailing (9 May) and football (15 August).

There’s nothing more Dutch than a bicycle. The Netherlands is home to more bicycles (22.9 million) than people. With all those bicycles, we travel some 17.4 billion kilometres per year, which is around 1,000km per person, with an average speed of 15.6km/hour. Relatively, the most kilometres are covered by the 36,000 cyclists who are members of the over 370 cycling clubs in the Netherlands. Their interests are protected by the Koninklijke Nederlandsche Wielren Unie (KNWU, ‘Royal Dutch Cycling Union’), which was founded in 1928. Besides road cycling, there are many other cycling disciplines: BMX, track cycling, cyclocross, mountain biking, beach racing, para-cycling and artistic cycling.

The Netherlands has produced many famous cyclists, including big names such as Jan Jansen (Tour de France winner), Hennie Kuiper (gold medallist at the Olympic Games), Joop Zoetemelk (Tour de France and Vuelta de España winner) and Tom Dumoulin (Giro d’Italia winner). The Dutch are often also world leaders in disciplines such as track cycling (Jeffrey Hoogland, Harrie Lavreysen) and cyclocross (Lars Boom, Matthieu van der Poel). The achievements of Dutch female cyclists are even more impressive. Especially over the past few decades, Dutch women have dominated global cycling. Well-known champions are Leontien van Moorsel (four Olympic gold medals, Tour de France Féminin winner; shown on the right), Marianne Vos (one Olympic gold medal, twice World Championships winner in road cycling, three times Giro Rosa winner), Anna van der Breggen (one Olympic gold medal, twice World Championships winner in road cycling, once World Championships winner in time trial, four times Giro Rosa winner) and Annemiek van Vleuten (one Olympic gold medal, once World Championships winner in road cycling, twice World Championships winner in time trial, twice Giro Rosa winner).

The stamps on the Typical Dutch – cycling stamp sheet feature an illustration of a cyclist gaining momentum by getting out of the saddle and pushing the bicycle to the left. In the bottom right-hand corner, three diagonal lines can be seen in the background, representing the lines on a cycle track and on public roads. At the bottom of each stamp is a white strip with the sorting hook, the year 2022, the country (Netherlands) and the denomination 1. The tyre of the front wheel continues onto the strip a little way. The same is happening with the bicycle helmet in the white strip at the top. The logo for the Typically Dutch series is printed above each stamp, with a folded Dutch banner on the left and right. The picture is repeated in enlarged form on the edge of the sheet. The dominant colour blue continues on the two tabs on the right. The Typically Dutch logo appears once more on the top edge of the sheet, while the bottom edge features a short explanatory text.

The mood of the Typically Dutch – cycling stamps is created by the colour blue in the background, with orange (helmet, front fork), red (cycling shirt), yellow (face, arms, legs) and black (glasses, bib shorts, handlebars, cycling shoes, front wheel, pedals and bottom bracket) as contrasting colours. Van Praet: ‘All five issues this year include the colours of the Dutch flag. In the right order: first red, then white, then blue and finally two kinds of orange. Diversity was essential. The series features two female athletes, two male athletes including the cyclist, and one neutral figure.’

Technical Specifications:
Postage stamp dimensions: 30 x 40 mm:
Sheet size: 170 x 122 mm
Paper: normal with phosphor print
Gum: gummed
Printing technique: offset
Printing colours: cyan, magenta, yellow, black and orange
Print run: 75,000 sheets
Appearance: sheet of 6 stamps in 6 identical designs
Design: Edwin van Praet and Claire Bedon, Total Design, Amsterdam
Printing company: Cartor Security Printers, Meaucé-La Loupe, France
Item number: 420461