Bicycle Innovation Lab: Tim Coronel
‘Cycling makes me feel good, it makes me feel free’
The Bicycle Innovation Lab is looking for innovative solutions to improve safety on bicycle paths. A five-member jury will assess all entries. What is their role in stimulating bicycle use, and what will they be paying attention to when assessing the ideas? Tim Coronel, professional car racer and road safety ambassador, shares his thoughts.
Bicycle paths in Amsterdam and the rest of the Netherlands are getting increasingly crowded. A welcome development, but how do you keep it safe? Anyone with an innovative solution to improve bicycle safety on paths with bicycles with varying speeds can submit it to the Bicycle Innovation Lab until 24 February. And have a chance to win 2,000 euros, and a budget up to 45,000 euros to implement the idea.
Tim Coronel
Racing car driver and famous tv personality Tim Coronel isn’t the first person you’d expect to be juror of innovative bicycle plans. But his activities include more than racing in for instance the Dakar Rally (where unfortunately he had to stop prematurely due to an injury). Together with his brothers he exploits a go-kart track, and he is road safety ambassador. In this role he is member of the jury, contributing with a fresh look from outside the bicycle world.
What is your professional involvement with bicycles?
Cycling makes me feel good, it makes me feel free. I participate in the Misty Mountain every year. That’s a bicycle tour with the aim of collecting money for charity. It is really great to participate!
E-bike: blessing or curse, or a bit of both?
It’s a blessing as far as I’m concerned. It makes cycling more accessible for a larger number of people. That’s always a win: the more people start cycling, the better.
I Tim Coronel
What kind of bicycle do you ride?
I ride my mountain bike at least once a week.
What will the bicycle landscape in Amsterdam and the Netherlands look like in ten years? And worldwide?
To be honest I don’t have a clue. I think there will be more and more people cycling worldwide.
What will you be paying specific attention to when assessing the entries?
I will be paying special attention to sportsmanship: will this innovation improve the situation for people who cycle as a sport?
