Church bikers versus nude cyclists

A planned nudist bicycle tour in the Netherlands' so-called "Bible Belt" has upset local church officials who are holding their own youth charity bike ride the same day.

They have tried in vain to get local authorities to ban the nudists to stop them clashing with the youth chapter of the Reformed Church when they both take to the road in the eastern town of Apeldoorn on June 12.

The nudist tour is part of the World Naked Bike Ride that also takes place in London, Chicago, Los Angeles, Montreal, Toronto and Pforzheim, Germany.

The organizer of the church bike tour told the ANP news agency Thursday he had tried to coordinate the routes with the nudist tour to avoid any embarrassing meeting but had obtained no reply.

He is now asking the 300 or so cyclists on his youth tour to call the police if they see any nudists.

"Nudity in public is provocative and illegal," he said.