Under the spell of the Special Forces
Roosendaal, Rucphen, Sprundel
Are you cut from the right cloth? This is what the Korps Commandotroepen (KCT) is all about. The origins of this special unit of the Royal Army can be traced directly back to World War II. On 22 March 1942, the oldest Command unit was established under the name No. 2 (Dutch) Troop, as part of the British No.10 (Inter-Allied) Command. To this day, the task of this unit is to carry out special operations deemed too complex and dangerous for regular troops. Naturally, only the very best can be part of this elite group. This is why the training of the Special Forces is both mentally and physically the toughest and most feared training within the Dutch armed forces. Of the candidates who start with the Elementary Command Training (ECO), about 20 per cent reach the finish line. Regularly, none of the trainees reach the finish line. For decades, part of the ECO has taken place from a tented camp in the woods of Rucphen. A piece of this 1,200-hectare nature reserve belongs to the Ministry of Defence, which uses the area as a military training ground. Besides the tent camp, the site also houses the Arnhem obstacle course. During an eight-week training course, aspiring commandos are trained to operate under the harshest conditions. The trainees never know what missions will follow and how long the leaden tasks will last. The finish line or finish of the ECO is at the Engelbrecht van Nassau Barracks in Roosendaal, where the corps has been based since 1949. This is where the Special Forces' march ends, a long walk with weighted packs. Those who enter through the so-called tear gate may receive the green command beret. This green beret allows participation in the Continuing Command Training. This allows candidates to specialise as, for example, sniper, demolition specialist, liaison specialist or medical officer. If this phase is also successfully completed, the Commando is assigned to a squad. Many exercises and squad specialisations follow, such as parachuting or operating in wetlands or mountainous areas. Some missions where the KCT has been deployed in recent decades: Dutch East Indies, Market Garden, the flood disaster, New Guinea, Bosnia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Iraq and Afghanistan. This cycle route will take you past a number of places that play an important role for the Dutch Commando. And who knows, you might even come across a Commando somewhere in the woods. Do you dare? This premium route was compiled by our editor: Elwin
| Directions | Distance | Total distance | |
|
Start: Meerven , 4715 SL Rucphen | 33.2 KM | |
|
From
61
to
97
|
4551 M | 4.6 KM | |
| Head north | 4 M | ||
| Turn left | 306 M | ||
| Turn right | 26 M | ||
| Continue onto Kromme Elleboog | 189 M | ||
| Turn left | 440 M | ||
| Continue onto Schietbaan | 766 M | ||
| Continue onto de Schietbaan | 755 M | ||
| Turn left onto Zeepestraat | 330 M | ||
| Keep left onto Zeepestraat | 395 M | ||
| Turn right onto Roosendaalsebaan | 638 M | ||
| Turn right onto Roosendaalsebaan | 465 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Roosendaalsebaan | 6 M | ||
| Continue onto Langendijksestraat | 189 M | ||
| Turn left onto Krampenloop | 42 M | ||
| You are now at section 97 | 0 M | ||
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From
97
to
96
|
958 M | 1 KM | |
| Head southwest on Hoge Langendijk | 419 M | ||
| Continue onto Zundertseweg | 7 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Zundertseweg | 532 M | ||
| You are now at section 96 | 0 M | ||
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From
96
to
99
|
2904 M | 2.9 KM | |
| Head northwest on Zundertseweg | 300 M | ||
| Turn left onto Vierhoevenpad | 902 M | ||
| Turn left | 675 M | ||
| Continue onto Willem Dreesweg | 199 M | ||
| Turn right | 58 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto President Kennedylaan | 253 M | ||
| Turn left | 7 M | ||
| Continue onto De Genestetlaan | 500 M | ||
| Make a slight left | 10 M | ||
| You are now at section 99 | 0 M | ||
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From
99
to
5
|
275 M | 0.3 KM | |
| Head west on Molenbeekpad | 275 M | ||
| You are now at section 05 | 0 M | ||
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From
5
to
3
|
2133 M | 2.1 KM | |
| Head north | 289 M | ||
| Continue onto Molenbeekpad | 133 M | ||
| Continue straight | 164 M | ||
| Continue onto Chaletberg | 99 M | ||
| Turn left onto Champetterberg | 144 M | ||
| Continue straight | 239 M | ||
| Turn right onto Willem Dreesweg | 161 M | ||
| Continue straight | 102 M | ||
| Turn right | 5 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Laan van Brabant | 3 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Laan van Brabant | 32 M | ||
| Turn left | 3 M | ||
| Turn right onto Laan van Brabant | 759 M | ||
| You are now at section 03 | 0 M | ||
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From
3
to
2
|
862 M | 0.9 KM | |
| Head north on Stationsstraat | 862 M | ||
| You are now at section 02 | 0 M | ||
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From
2
to
4
|
4762 M | 4.8 KM | |
| Head southeast on Brugstraat | 462 M | ||
| Continue onto Boulevard (RING) | 93 M | ||
| Make a slight right to stay on Boulevard | 28 M | ||
| Turn right | 24 M | ||
| Make a slight left | 32 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Van Beethovenlaan | 1.4 KM | ||
| Turn left onto Majoppepad | 58 M | ||
| Continue straight | 101 M | ||
| Turn right onto Ettenseweg | 135 M | ||
| Turn left onto Rucphensebaan | 1.2 KM | ||
| Turn right to stay on Rucphensebaan | 1.2 KM | ||
| You are now at section 04 | 0 M | ||
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From
4
to
72
|
688 M | 0.7 KM | |
| Head northeast on Hellemonsdreef | 688 M | ||
| You are now at section 72 | 0 M | ||
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From
72
to
74
|
1951 M | 2 KM | |
| Head east on Heimolendreef | 1.7 KM | ||
| Turn right onto Gastelsebaan | 73 M | ||
| Make a slight left to stay on Gastelsebaan | 170 M | ||
| You are now at section 74 | 0 M | ||
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From
74
to
73
|
1423 M | 1.4 KM | |
| Head east on Gastelsebaan | 23 M | ||
| Turn left onto Rucphenseweg | 1.4 KM | ||
| You are now at section 73 | 0 M | ||
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From
73
to
75
|
2112 M | 2.1 KM | |
| Head east | 19 M | ||
| Turn right onto Pastoor van Breugelstraat | 262 M | ||
| Turn left | 1.1 KM | ||
| Make a slight left onto Oude Bredasepostbaan | 748 M | ||
| You are now at section 75 | 0 M | ||
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From
75
to
64
|
1230 M | 1.2 KM | |
| Head northeast on Oude Bredasepostbaan | 1.2 KM | ||
| You are now at section 64 | 0 M | ||
|
From
64
to
65
|
1185 M | 1.2 KM | |
| Head south on Heistraat | 858 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 10 M | ||
| Turn left | 23 M | ||
| Turn left | 21 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Poppestraat | 273 M | ||
| You are now at section 65 | 0 M | ||
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From
65
to
76
|
2477 M | 2.5 KM | |
| Head northwest on Poppestraat | 4 M | ||
| Turn right onto Rozenkransstraat | 444 M | ||
| Turn right onto Dorpsstraat | 1.4 KM | ||
| Make a slight right onto Noorderstraat | 22 M | ||
| Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Noorderstraat | 50 M | ||
| Exit the roundabout onto Noorderstraat | 591 M | ||
| You are now at section 76 | 0 M | ||
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From
76
to
77
|
576 M | 0.6 KM | |
| Head southwest | 46 M | ||
| Exit the roundabout onto Vorenseindseweg | 530 M | ||
| You are now at section 77 | 0 M | ||
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From
77
to
12
|
3694 M | 3.7 KM | |
| Head southwest on Vorenseindseweg | 136 M | ||
| Make a slight right to stay on Vorenseindseweg | 1.6 KM | ||
| Turn left onto Commandoweg | 693 M | ||
| Turn right onto Zundertseweg | 234 M | ||
| Turn left | 705 M | ||
| Continue onto Vennestraat | 331 M | ||
| You are now at section 12 | 0 M | ||
|
From
12
to
98
|
880 M | 0.9 KM | |
| Head west | 227 M | ||
| Turn left | 56 M | ||
| Continue straight | 597 M | ||
| You are now at section 98 | 0 M | ||
|
From
98
to
61
|
562 M | 0.6 KM | |
| Head north | 562 M | ||
| You are now at section 61 | 0 M |