Bikeday

Had your journalist attended the launch of Friday Bikeday on 14 September, he or she would clearly have seen that there were far more than only seven cyclists present from the European Commission (Entre Nous, 20-26 September). Indeed, we were well over 120 – not counting the children brought on their parents' bikes on their way to nursery.
I was surprised by your figure and checked the statistics put on the Friday Bikeday website; Minister Evelyne Huytebroeck's cabinet informed me that the Friday Bikeday website experienced technical problems and participant figures did not reflect at all the significant participation. Indeed, on Friday 14 September the double the usual number of cyclists was seen on rue de la Loi.
Brussels regional authorities, who generously paid for this event, ran out of welcome packs at 120 persons well before 9 o'clock and many other Commission colleagues continued to arrive after that. The kick-off took place at the Berlaymont, which explains why colleagues in rue de Genève and Beaulieu were not included. They did, however, have the possibility to join a guided bicycle tour.
We were delighted to be approached by the Brussels Region to take part in promoting this environmental initiative in our host city. Work had started already in May on Mobility Week activities for staff. The keen participation at Friday Bikeday is very encouraging for all of us.
Your colleague still has one opportunity to saddle up with us tomorrow (28 September). We and some of the European Union Cyclists' Group members look forward to telling him or her more about cycling ‘Eurocrats' over an organic fruit salad or fair trade coffee.

Susanne Warren
European Commission
Brussels