"Tour of the West Frisian Dike"

Vrijdag 6 april, early in the race bike, it's even dark. For safety but lights hung myself to still be seen by motorists who like me so early in the morning. Luckily I'm on the bike because they are treated go by car to scratch the car windows, jaja it freezes even. I have around 06.15 agreed at Kor Hateren, we start with a cup of coffee ! The bike'm hung in the car and wait for the last person to ride with us to Bakkum, we would have 06.30 leave. Om 06.35 is the latest hit, but her haste she forgot something important, it is still on the kitchen table at her home ! We decide her bike already hanging on the car and stop by to drive her home so Jose could pick up her helmet ! The daughter of Kor, Tessa, gets her baptism of fire they can put us in the big Voyager to Bakkum, she just has her license. We arrive right on time at Cafe Borst in Bakkum, We are not the first but certainly not the last. We are welcomed with coffee and chocolate eggs, but there must also be paid first to be allowed to join this tour. Plenty of time leaves the company, 45 cyclists on bike, it is a motley collection of riding apparel where it still TVB is blue the most seen clothes. After a couple of kilometers ridden to have sults still some noises that it is quite cold on the hands, Some drive even with bare hands , knucklebones ? The tapping of kilometers away slowly, Occasionally, the photographer raced past on his bicycle to shoot beautiful pictures of the environment and of our. It is nice banter between the peloton riders, until at some point it is disturbed by loud cries, back there is what happened ? Noordhollandse a guest has a broken ketiing ! yeah watmoet now do about it, it sounds come out if someone has a chain tool, oh which still has everyone in itself ..... not so, there is one person who has made it such a thing, he sometimes has a tool box with ? Leendert Jan toverd him forth, this is a short time fix the bug, Many make this rest time directly use, many coffee have been draining. The journey continues to "iegewies food &drink"Callantsoog, where we coffee cake and for geschoteld gain with a small glass to heat up the interior of the human being. We sit outside on the terrace and enjoy the sun that warms us. We sit to enjoy but there must be further stepped, everyone goes again on the bike for the next part, At the height of Aartswoud, we drive on the vent hose off the West Frisian dike (N239), Kor is the great idea to try to get going, it's a lot towards the viaduct on the A7, we're both quite stand on the pedals, I'm up to speed meter 53 Km/h, I'm happy in his wheel, after I must unfortunately let Kor, you would have an auxiliary engine ? I love myself, the speed is still pretty, at a rate of 43 Km / h I staircase to the viaduct, 1 time I look, to see if there are pursuers ..... I come as 2^e on the viaduct. The journey continues back to Enkhuizen where tradition is faithfully taken a picture with the Drommedaris, for those, the Drommedaris the southern gateway of the old part of Enkhuizen, and was built as a defensive structure at the entrance of the port. In the basement were artillery guns that could cover the port. Now everyone knows this is again cycled towards Oosterleek, Herbergh 't IJsselmeer, where we are in for a real lunch Westfrieche. Time to arrive at, many cyclists think this is an opportunity to light how it all goes into the home front, there is a storm ge-SMST, ge-whatsappt, ge-facebooked and -gebeld, Some check their e-mail a while ! After this great lunch time it is yet again to step on, bottles all filled again, The sun that accompanied us in the morning now completely disappeared behind clouds, We set course for Bakkum, we pass a cute quaint villages, Schermerhorn we have to wait for the group was split in two by a traffic light, we follow the molendijk and crosses the N243, We are waiting for a old mill, There is twijvel about what type of mill it may be, simple .. Above it is a mill built in1633 Email a polder, which is later provided with a jack. The mill has a thatched octagonal mill of the type of soil with an old Dutch sailor sails. The cap of the mill is provided with a wooden rolling kruiwerk, which is seasoned inside. through Grootschremerweg and Oostdijk we pass three houses and head for the N244 in Akersloot we again have a tradition for geschoteld, I have to cross Noor Hollandskanaal, and do so by ferry, During this fun cruise we get licorice de Pierre! The last kilometers are in sight, and that beteknd that there is a final sprint will be held. I think there is still inserted a small break because I'm already showing many signs exhaustion, time for a flat tire, look at how quickly that can be remedied, with a record time is my bike on the asphalt again with a new inner band. can begin the fight for the last kilometers, I chose not to interfere in the sprint violence, partly because my rear tire is not yet at the correct pressure and a little softly aanvoeld. The whole company is intact again at Café Borst where everyone motivated and the lost moisture to allow filling by different beverages. While enjoying drinks am still here evaluated the day d.m.v the Golden Trophy to win is. There are several different nominated who qualify, it was the oldest participant ? (74), or Tessa van Hateren because they no earlier than mmer yet 80 Km op 1 Day drove ? of Cor van Hateren zelf, He was so nervous because aanwezigeid his daughter that he 2 time cases, it is in the sand and 3 once drove in the wrong direction ? Hans Spobeck , he drove already ringing on the wrong side while the entire group with him was at the expected, or was it the one who alone had a flat tire ? It was the North Holland guest, friend of Wim, with a broken chain, too high saddle, trap and an acceleration in which it seemed as if his chain around his front wheel was ! Franck van Graas got the Bottle of Bax, because he had made himself verdienstrlijk with sprinting, and Tessa van Hateren also got a Bottle of Bax ... because they deserved.

We can all look back on a successful event! Thanks to the organizers Pierre and his brother Wim.

sporty Greeting,

Ruud Hennipman