Lennart Nap

Age: 34

Cap number: 1

Location: Utrecht, The Netherlands

Bike: Canyon Aeroad CF SLX 7, SRAM Rival eTap and 62mm DT Swiss wheels.

Key items of kit: Agu frame bag, Restrap top tube bag, Tailfin AeroPack and Controltech Sirocco aerobar DIY'd on. 2x Wahoo Elemnt Bolt, 2x Lezyne 1300XXL front lights, 2x 1€ rear lights and 3x 550ml bottle. Added the Tailfin and aerobar compared to my winning minimal setup from last edition. Bringing a lot more food and a few more clothes. No lucky items since I do not need luck.

David Tschan

Age: 30

Cap number: 85

Location: Trimbach, Switzerland

Bike: Gravel bike with a set of road wheels attached to it and a couple of levers for shifting and braking.

Key items of kit: A bunch of room for liquids and food, a roll of tape for visibility and vanity (gotta protect that frame at all costs) and a custom 3D printed Coke Bottle holder as well a number of 3D printed mounts for my light, phone and navigation device, since modern handlebars/aerobars look really cool but you can't mount anything to it. Last but not least, a good old leather saddle to protect my precious booty.

Willem de Beer

Age: 55

Cap number: 256

Location: Tilburg, Netherlands

Bike: Cannondale Topstone Alloy; Full GRX810; Wheels DT Swiss DT1600 Spline; Saddle Fabric Scoop Ti; Schwalbe G-One Speed 35mm.

Key items of kit: Apidura Expedition complete set; Hilleberg Akto (without inner tent); Exped Cover PRo bivy; Exped Ultra Synmat; Yeti Passion1 down sleeping bag; Futurum clothing; Scott MTB RC Evo shoes.

Jan-Willem Bobbink

Age: 36

Cap number: 133

Location: Netherlands

Bike: Mason Resolution with HUNT 44 Aerodynamicist Carbon Disc Wheelset, SRAM AXS and Continental Grand Prix 5000 32mm tyres.

Key items of kit: Stroopwafels

Jelmer Vernooij

Age: 38

Location: London, United Kingdom

Bike: Van Nicholas Yukon (2021) with Ultegra groupset. Syntace C1 aerobars for comfort. Lights: Garmin Radar rear lights and a Son Edeux II front light powered by a dynamo.

Key items of kit: For storage I carry an apidura framebag and aero bar bags, with an ortlieb saddle bag. Frame bag: Apidura water bladder, tools, spares and food. Aero bar bags: extra layers. Saddle bag: bivvy, sleeping bag and extra clothes.

Martin Westall

Age: 66

Cap number: 183

Location: Leicester, United Kingdom

Bike: BMC Roadmachine 01, SRAM AXS 30/43 10-36 cassette, custom wheelset built to be bombproof on Hope PR05 hubs with 28mm pirelli cinturato velo.

Key items of kit: Tailfin aeropack containing spares, off bike clothes, spare cycling clothes, batteries, first aid, spare lights, fast action kit like multitool and dynaplug. MF fuel and Veloforte bars.

2x 10L Mini panniers for ease of access containing personal care, bike care, electrical, daily food, wet and warm clothing.

Restrap race stem pouch for grazing stroopwafels and haribo/katja

Tailfin top tube bag with Phone and powerpack

Lights: exposure strada SB, boost and lezyne zecto max rear.

Edge 1040 solar

Martin Staffa

Age: 39

Cap number: 32

Location: Weimar, Germany

Bike: Fairlight Strael with Shimano GRX820, DT Swiss ERC1400 Wheels, Canyon Seatpost, SQ Lab 612 Saddle, Giant/ZIPP Aeroextensions.

Key items of kit: , Revelate Designs, Tailfin and Cyclite Bags.

Piet Laubscher

Age: 53

Cap number: 206

Location: South Africa

Bike: Cannondale SuperSix with 32 mm tyres

Key items of kit: 3 light battery pack that can last for 10 days. 3 space blankets. Back-up GPS. Battery pack for GPS. Power bank for Cell phone. Puncture repair kit, with a 5x7 cm gator to fix a big cut on tyres. Pre-weight nutrition. Rain jacket and rain shorts. Spares that are unique to Cannondale like seat post clamp and chainring lock ring. All normal tools and spares. Warm bivy, gloves and jacket. Small emergency kit. Yes, everything fits in the bags. I did 7 x Munga the toughest mountain bike race in the world and I survive with all above.

Wendy van Roosmalen

Age: 27

Cap number: 254

Location: Utrecht, Netherlands

Bike: A 90's GT Karakoram mountainbike rebuilt into a mini cargobike, named Penny with 20 inch front wheel, 26 inch rear. Shimano XT rear hub, Shimano Sora 9 speed derailleur, Vintage Shimano cranks, powdercoated black and Omnium fenders. Specialized Mimic Power saddle.

Key items of kit: SON 28 hub dynamo. Custom built front rack, made to fit the crate + powdercoated black. Surly ECR Fork (468mm crown to axle). - IKEA rainbow shopping bag (in crate). Ortlieb Messenger bag pro ( in crate), Chrome Doubletrack Handlebar bag (in crate or around my waste, with valuables) and Restrap framebag.

Patrick Schut

Age: 51

Cap number: 110

Location: Hilversum, Netherlands

Bike: Chiru Vagus 650B Titanium

Key items of kit: Bags all from Apidura

Bernhard Sistemich

Age: 56

Location: Aachen, Germany

Bike: Stevens Aspin with Shimano 105 / Ultegra. Front Wheel with Dynamo Hub SON Deluxe.

Key items of kit: Apidura Frame and Toptube bags with BBB Front bag and Arkel Seatpacker.

Tim Hoogendijk

Age: 42

Cap number: 240

Location: Amsterdam

Bike: Canyon Ultimate CF SL8 (2019), Shimano Ultegra mechanical groupset (52/36 and 11-30 cassette), Mavic wheels with 30mm Conti GP5000 (tubes), Selle Italia SLR boost gravel saddle, Profile Design 4525 aerobars. And a Redshift stem for all those bumpy brick roads.

Key items of kit: Acepac bottle bag, Apidura top tube bag. Main item is a Tailfin Aeropack, stuffed to the brim with food, repair kit, toiletries and an emergency bivy. It looks like the weather can be anything from 19 degrees with blue skies to 6 degrees with rainstorms, so I'll probably bring cold and wet weather clothing. Front lights are from Lezyne, rear lights Garmin and Bontrager. I use my trusty Wahoo Elemnt Bolt for navigation.

Richard Sharp

Age: 41

Cap number: 214

Location: United Kingdom

Bike: I’m riding my trusty 2012 Giant TCR on rim brakes (rim brakes are making a comeback, I tell you!). It’s Shimano 11spd DuraAce Di2, revolver wheels and I use a mix of Apidura, Tailfin and Restrap bags.

Key items of kit: Save for the mighty “safety duck”, that is usually found on my daughters bike, I don’t really have key kit, everything I’m taking feels key, but the Apidura hydration vest is one thing I’ve found the most useful in recent times.

Vincent

Age: 31

Cap number: 251

Location: Workum, Friesland

Bike: Krush Aero with Vision Team 35 wheels.

Key items of kit: Restrap sadlebag contains my sleeping bag and some clothing. SKS framebag contains my spare cycling kit, some tools and spare parts. Xand snackpack. M-Wave frontbag contains my tent. Navigation by Wahoo Elemnt Roam.

Wouter Slob

Age: 57

Location: Harlingen, The Netherlands

Bike: Sensa Giulia GF. Shimano SF Ultegra mix 2x11.

Key items of kit: Newboler and Topeak bags, Garmin Edge 540 Solar GPS, Lezyne 1300 XXL front light, Strip alert 300 pro back light.

Jelle Homburg

Age: 44

Cap number: 135

Location: Rotterdam

Bike: BMC Teammachine ALR. Zipp 303 Firecrest wheels with 28mm Pirelli Cinturato Velo tires - because no flats...

Key items of kit: Ortlieb bags on the seat post (clothes, bivy), frame (tools, spares, food) and toptube for snacks. Garmin Edge 830 for navigation, 4iii Precision 3+ for impulse control...

António Francisco

Age: 55

Location: Lisbon, Portugal

Bike: Focus Izalco MAX

Key items of kit: Continental Grand Prix 4 Season 32mm tires. Lights from Lezyne. Frame bag, Top Tube, Stem bag and Saddle bag from Restrap. Bar bag from Rapha.

Roy Morssinkhof

Age: 44

Cap number: 217

Location: Wageningen, Netherlands

Bike: I’ll be riding my first RATN on my La Strada Distanza PMS638c. La Strada Bikes is a brand for customized carbon Race, Gravel & MTB bikes. The bike features a classical setup with QS45 Carbon Disc wheelset and tubeless Pirelli Cinturato Velo 26-622 front and 28-622 back tires. 11 speed Shimano R7000 11-32t, Ultegra 175 mm crank and 4iiii power meter. The Bontrager Race X Lite Carbon Clip-On will make it as fast as possible....

Key items of kit: I stow my luggage in the bags or food pouche on the handlebars and in or on the frame from Cyclite. And last but not least my aluminium Tailfin rack with an easily detachable main bag. Garmin Edge 1030 Plus will show me the direction to the finish line along with the Garmin Charge Power Pack for sufficient energy.

Ben Elst (BenBlijftBezig)

Age: 48

Cap number: 2920

Location: Nieuwmoer, Belgium

Bike: Specialized Diverge

Key items of kit: Bags Specialized, Gear Count Me In & Cafe Copain

Markus Linz

Age: 32

Cap number: 179

Location: Germany

Bike: Curve GMX (Kevin) with SRAM Force eTap

Key items of kit: Tailfin!

Heero Zwart

Age: 59

Cap number: 121

Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Bike: Cannondale Topstone Gravel Bike with FFWD wheels, 32mm Continental 5000 tyres.

Key items of kit: Bright Orange Castelli shirt, Apidura Bags, SRAM.

Felix Kasper

Age: 35

Cap number: 102

Location: Haarlem, the Netherlands

Bike: Curve GXR with Shimano GRX 1x11, Hunt 4seasons with SON dynamo and conti5000 all season 35 mm tires. Redshift shockstop suspension stem and CaneCreek eeSilk suspension seatpost.

Key items of kit: Custom frame bag and top tube bag . Sinewave Beacon for light and power supply.

Diana van de Merwe

Age: 50

Cap number: 90

Location: The Netherlands

Bike: Trek Emonda SL5

Key items of kit: Seat bag: Topeak BackLoader. Frame bag: Newboler. Top tube bag: Rockbros. Navigation: Hammerhead Karoo 2.

Jonah Jones

Age: 57

Cap number: 142

Location: Bermuda

Bike: I'm taking my Firefly Rando bike "The Turtle" Its not a fast set up, but its very comfortable and has low gears (down to 0.72 ratio) designed for steady all day cruising

Key items of kit: Plenty of various bags including a Gramm diamond bar bag, two roomy swift Industries panniers on the forks, a couple of revelate frame bags and a big old trunk bag. An infinity saddle. Rene herse 48mm 650b tires with mud guards for sheep poo and rain. A k-lite dynamo set up for lights front and rear as well as charging a wahoo. A big power bank to keep the phone charged for when I inevitably get lost/confused.

Flat pedals and sandals so I don't trip over cleats on a grocery raid. Lots of warm clothes. Im an Island boy and hate the cold.

Andrew Wilson

Age: 42

Cap number: 55

Location: Scotland

Bike: Canyon Endurance daubed with race-required reflective tape! Mix of SRAM AXS, Hunt 40 Carbon wheels, 30mm Schwalbe Pro Ones, Pro Missile aero bars.

Key items of kit: Apidura/Restrap bags, Exposure Strada SB light (& spare), Garmin 1030, assorted powerbanks/cables, toolkit, down jacket, waterproof and spare pair of bibs.

Just hope there's room for the 2KG of Haribo...

Julian Young

Age: 56

Cap number: 151

Location: Netherlands

Bike: Trek Domaine (carbon frame). 12spd Ultegra Di2 2x 50/34 11-34. RotorBike Qrings, 4iiii power meter. DT Swiss ERC wheels, SON front hub. SMP saddle. Continental GP5000 AS tubeless tires 32mm. Profile Designs Aero bars. Son & Busch + Müller lighting

Key items of kit: Tailfin, Carbon Aeropack, frame pack and top tube bag. Garmin edge 1040 navigation. Sleep System : Outdoor Research Helium Bivy, Nordisk mat and sleeping bag, Sea to Summit premium inflatable pillow. We all deserve one luxury.

Valerie Creemers

Age: 40

Cap number: 26

Location: Lommel, Belgium

Bike: ZOTWYF (original: Ridley)

Key items of kit: Tube bag Restrap, handlebar bag Rapha, saddle bag Restrap. Garmin & Lenzyme lighning. No sleep items (hotels).

David Stephen

Age: 60

Cap number: 84

Location: Scotland

Bike: Specialized Roubaix

Key items of kit: Tailfin AeroPack and Top Tube bag with Apidura Expedition Frame Pack, Hunt 30 Carbon Aero Disc Wheelset.

Fadi Alrais

Age: 41

Cap number: 101

Location: Gothenburg, Sweden

Bike: Bike: Gravel ram from Specialized with suspension fork, for ergonomic purpose. Customized with DT Swiss wheel set & SON dynamo hub. Running tubeless 28mm Continental 5000’s TR. Sram Force AXS 2x12s, 48x35, 10-36. Busch and Müller dynamo lights + extra front light 2000lm run with powerbank & Knog Big Cobber.

Bags: Custom home made top-tube-bag 4.0. The most I love about the bag I made is that I can access to many stuff during my ride, with mesh pockets on the sides. Frame-bag 6l from Apidura.

Key items of kit: Two GPS devices: Garmin Edge 1040 & wahoo elemnt bolt. No sleeping equipment, just an emergency bivvy.

Dennis van Dijk

Age: 52

Cap number: 89

Location: Tetsworth, UK

Bike: Camino Al Rival1 AXS XPLR

Key items of kit: I am using a Tailfin Aeropack (Alloy), Tailfin Top Tube Bag, Tailfin Pannier, Apidura Framebag for all my storage needs. Lights are from Supernova and Dynamo powered, Navigation by Garmin and I will cary a sleepingbag + Bivvy + Mat but will alternate with hotels/B&B's.

Riding for charity: https://acties.kwf.nl/fundraisers/dennisdijk https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/page/dennis-ratn-2024

Floris van Overveld

Age: 51

Cap number: 105

Location: Zaandam, Netherlands

Bike: Isaac Hadron

Key items of kit: Apidura bags, Lezyne lights and Garmin Edge 830.

Jan Wagtendonk

Age: 32

Cap number: 131

Location: Valkenburg, Netherlands

Bike: J Guillem Major with Shimano 105 groupset, DT Swiss P1800 wheelset and Pirelli Cinturato Velo tyres.

Key items of kit: Specialized-Fjallraven seat bag, Restrap frame bag, Restrap handlebar bag. Xand lighting set and Lezyne lighting set. Wahoo ELEMNT Bolt. LSRF longsleeve merino jersey & winterdrifter. Assos Mille GT C2 bibshort & Futurum 4 seasons bibshort. Futurum 4 seasons leg warmers. Lake MX177 shoes. Roeckl Icon gloves. Rab trailhead bivi.

Marian Bobko

Age: 58

Cap number: 41

Location: Czech Republic

Bike: homemade hydraulic disc brake Shimano Deore BL-M6000, front disc 140mm, rear disc 180mm. Osymetric chainrings 38t, Shimano Deore RD-M592 Shadow SGS 9, Sturmey-Archer CS-RK3, chain 9 3x. Front wheels Schwalbe Marathon Plus 20x1.35" and rear wheels Schwalbe Marathon Plus 26x1,35".

Key items of kit: Weight (without a backpack) 26.8 kg. Phone navigation and apk BikeComputer Pro. Bags homemade and sleeping in a sleeping bag.

Kieran Killard

Age: 33

Cap number: 161

Location: Scheveningen, the Netherlands

Bike: 2016 Giant Propel Advance Pro 1

Key items of kit: I'm hoping the aero set-up will make up for the lack of training when it comes to tackling the Dutch winds.

Bags: Tailfin Aeropack & top tube bag. Apidura 4L frame bag.

Gear: Rapha Brevet Bibs, le col insulated longsleeve jersey, la passion rain jersey and winter long bibs. Goretex shakedry and Patagonia micro/nano jacket.

Profile Design Aerobars with backwards wrapped tape. Garmin 830 computer. Lezyne 600 and 1300 front lights and 400 backlight. Lezyne micro floor pump & mini drive just in case. Generic powerback (maybe 10,000) and another 20,000 from Coolblue.

Added profile design bottle cages to the saddle and a lightweight tent that may or may not arrive before the day.

Clément Pic

Age: 43

Cap number: 78

Location: Lille, France

Bike: 8bar fhain.

Key items of kit: Saddle bag: Ortlieb. Frame bag: Specialized. Handlebar bag: Apidura. Front light: Lezyne macrodrive 1400+. Front Light backup: Lezyne Macrodrive 1300xl Rear light: Lezyne Strip Pro 300. Back up rear light: Décathlon. Orange bar tape, my beloved wife's favorite color.

Aaron Lang

Age: 53

Cap number: 49

Location: Euskirchen, Germany

Bike: OPEN New U.P. Group-Set: SRAM FORCE AXS, 33/46 x 10-33t. Brakes: SRAM FORCE AXS 160 mm / 160 mm. Rear wheel: NEXTIE NXT34ARX with DT240 Hub. Front wheel: DT Swiss GR531 with SON 28 Dynamo-Hub. Tyres: Continental GP5000 S TR 32-622 tubeless. Extensions: Profile Design T2+ plus SRAM eTap AXS wireless Blips attached with 3D-printed extension bar mounts. Saddle: Ergon SR Allroad Core Pro Men Stealth. Others: Newmen seat post, handle bar and stem.

Key items of kit: Bags: Cyclite Handle Bar Aero Bag, Apidura Racing Bolt-On Top Tube Pack, Apidura Expedition Frame Pack 4.5 L, 2x Apidura Backcountry Food Pouch Plus 1.2 L, Ortlieb Seat-Pack 16.5 L, 2x Fidlock 750ml Twist Compact Bottles. Lights: Supernova M99 DY PRO Front Light, Supernova E3 Tail Light 2 Dynamo, Igaro D2 Pro R3 Dynamo-Hub-USB-Charger.

Sleep system: Therm-a-Rest NeoAir UberLite sleeping pad, Sea-to-Summit Spark SP II sleeping bag, and Sea-to-Summit Silk+Cotton Travel Liner.

Lucky item: I designed and 3D-printed a waterproof distribution box with switch between lights and USB-charger. The box is mounted with WAHOO quarter turn mount to the Handle Bar Bag. On the box another quarter turn mount accommodates my phone or the WAHOO bike computer, which additionally has its own mount in front of the box. So I can switch box, phone and bike computer into different positions. :-)

Werner Velis

Age: 55

Cap number: 20

Location: Utrecht, The Netherlands

Bike: Scott Speedster Gravel bike used for finishing GX 2023 with a different wheel set.

Key items of kit: The same kit as in the two previous editions (saddle bag, frame bag and small backpack).

Ursula

Age: 57

Location: Munich, Germany

Bike: Cervelo Caledonia

Key items of kit: Tailfin bag, SON Supernova Light in front, Lupine Red max backlight.

Ben Sandee

Age: 47

Cap number: 6

Location: Madison, WI, USA

Bike: 2018 Trek Domane SLR 2017

Key items of kit: Revelate Designs Spinelock 16L, Mag Tank, Harness and Egress Pocket. Arkel frame bag. Lights: Cygolite Hotshot - 100 rear, Busch & Müller IXON Rock front. Drivetrain: Shimano 2x11 50/34 Di2. Navigation: Wahoo ELEMNT Bolt V2.

Elizabeth Jesse

Age: 47

Cap number: 14

Location: Madison, WI, USA

Bike: 2016 Trek Silque SL. Drivetrain: Shimano 2x11 50/34 Di2.

Key items of kit: Bags: Revelate Designs Spinelock 10L, Apidura 2.4L Racing Frame Pack, Apidura 0.5L Racing Top Tube Pack. Lights: Cygolite Hotshot - 100 rear, Busch & Müller IXON Rock front.bNavigation: Wahoo ELEMNT Bolt V2.

Kastytis Banys

Age: 41

Cap number: 156

Location: Kaunas, Lithuania

Bike: Riding my "Grey Wolf" Canyon Ultimate CF SL 8 Disc Aero Di2 Ultegera 12s, DT SWISS 1400 48mm wheels with 28mm Continental GP 5000 tyres. No aerobars for extra challenge.

Key items of kit: Canyon Midloader frame bag, Restrap reflective toptube bag, Pro Discovery handlebar bag, Revelate Design Terrapin saddle bag with companion talisman Johnny B. Additional storage - 7L reflective backpack. Two front lights systems from Magicshine. Rear lights Sigma Infinity. Wahoo for GPS navigation.

Remco Kooistra

Age: 46

Cap number: 212

Location: Venhuizen, Netherlands

Bike: Isaac Boson, an oldy, but great bike.

Key items of kit: A mix of bags: Birzman packman top tube, Birzman packman frontbag, Birzman bottle carrier, Toppeak framebag, Pro gravel discover saddlepack. Tent: Big Agnes Fly Creek. Speepingbag: Ayacucho down. Matress, light and cheap one.

Marijke De Prez

Age: 58

Cap number: 175

Location: Belgium

Bike: S-Works Venge

Key items of kit: 1 Saddle pack, 1 tube bag, 1 frma bag.

Job Biersteker

Age: 34

Cap number: 138

Location: Rotterdam, NL

Bike: Merida Reacto 8000

Key items of kit: Custom frame bag (by TIM TAS & REK), modified Knog lighting system and to further brighten up the dark hours (and to avoid mouth burns at the stops): top-tube mounted cafeine-dispenser-system (thermos mug).

Sylwia

Age: 30

Cap number: 236

Location: Pabianice, Poland

Bike: My bike is Specialized Roubaix from 2016 with Shimano Ultegra Di2. Tires are Continental GP 5000 30 mm.

Key items of kit: Saddle bag and both frame bags are from Apidura, front bag is from polish manufacturer Pathfinder. For navigation I'll use Garmin eTrex 32x and additionally Garmin Edge 520 Plus. Front lights are Mactronic Noise 03 and Sofirn SC18 As backup. Back lights are Bontrager Flare and some Prox.

David Garnier

Age: 44

Cap number: 83

Location: Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine, France

Bike: Canyon Endurace CF SL Disc 8.0 Di2, Shimano Ultegra group, aluminium DT Swiss wheels, 32mm GP 5000 TL tyres.

Key items of kit: — Infinity E2 bike seat to ride all day. SON Delux dynamo and B&M front and back lights to light the way and power my Garmin Edge 1040 Solar and a Nitecore NB10000 passthrough battery. Full set of waterproof Riverside bags from Decathlon, including a fork bag repurposed an aerobar bag. Decathlon MT900 0°C sleeping bag, SOL Bivy and Sea-to-Summit Ultralight Insulated mattress.

Julio Greff

Age: 32

Cap number: 67

Location: Arnhem, The Netherlands

Bike: My trusty 3T Strada, with a 46T chainring and 10-33 cassette, Hunt 8387 Aerodynamicist wheels with 28mm Conti GP5000 tubeless tyres, Aerocoach Ascalon aerobars.

Key items of kit: Tailfin Aeropack and Top Tube Pack full of food, and almost 4 liters of water carrying capacity to minimize stopping time. Hammerhead Karoo 2 for navigation. Dangly shark keychain for good luck.

Sake Zijlstra

Age: 45

Cap number: 219

Location: Rotterdam, Netherlands

Bike: Specialized Venge, Sram Force, Roval wheels

Key items of kit: Restrap race top tube bag, Ortlieb seat pack.

Nicole

Age: 30

Cap number: 145

Location: The Hague, Netherlands

Bike: LIV Avail Advanced Pro 1 , Continental Grand Prix 5000 tubeless tires. Favero Assioma DUO Powermeter. Specialized Power Comp Mimic Saddle.

Key items of kit: 2x Apidura bag + lucky glittery handlebar, (Brand: Life is a ride). Leyzne Macro Drive 1300XX, Leyzne Strip Pro Alert Drive 300, Deda Parabolica 1 Alta and sleep system: no system.

Kees van Dijk

Age: 62

Cap number: 157

Location: Oudewater, The Netherlands

Bike: Cube gravelbike with aerobar.

Key items of kit: My first long endurance race (and that on my age...). I hope I will make it in the time frame set. I have choosen the Tailfin seatpack, the Ortlieb Fuel-pack plus Frame-pack and the Cyclite handle bar bag.

Henry Spivey

Age: 29

Cap number: 123

Location: San Francisco, CA, USA

Bike: 2023 Marin Four Corners gravel bike. It is made of steel and although a little on the heavier side, it still gets up and goes.

Key items of kit: Revelate Designs frame bag, Salsa seat bag, Timbuk 2 top tube bag, and sleeping bag on the handlebars.

Romy

Age: 37

Cap number: 216

Location: Den Haag, Netherlands

Bike: My bike is a Dutch made Santos 4.29 which has been my buddy on bike trips all over the world during the past 5 years. It’s kinda heavy, but reliable. Aluminium frame, with a 14 speed Rohloff hub and gates drive belt, SRAM hydraulic brakes / shifters, Schwalbe G-one RS tires and a Son hub dynamo and lighting.

Key items of kit: Aerobar bag, saddle bag and top tube bag of Restrap. Bottle cage in the frame holds up to 1.5 liters and an additional 0.75 liters in the aerobars. Not sure if i’ll be using all of it. Still feel I’m taking too much stuff :-)

Bas Vlaskamp

Cap number: 2

Bike: KTM X-Strada gravelbike but with fast road set-up, GRX 2x11, carbon wheels, Grand Prix 5000 tires with latex tubes

Key items of kit: The homemade 'framebag' allows me to quickly resupply with energy drinks at the gas stations, will carry some extra clothing compared to last years due to lessons learned. Not the lightest set-up, but it should allow me to stop less and have sufficient clothing, water and food the whole race.

Nathalie Hoogeveen

Age: 33

Cap number: 193

Location: Utrecht, Netherlands

Bike: J. Guillem Atalaya with 32mm Panaracer slicks on Scope wheels. It’s going to be my first ultra on this bike, hoping she will be comfortable.

Key items of kit: Apidura aerobar bag full of snacks + important gore-tex stuff. Also very pleased with my extra snack pack (Apidura) and my tool bottle, well organized for the first time. Most interesting item: a tongue scraper.

Bart van den Akker

Age: 30

Cap number: 65

Location: Arnhem, the Netherlands

Bike: I will be riding the circumference of the Netherlands with a Trek Checkpoint SL6. It's equipped with Shimano Ultegra 2x11s paired with a set of Zipp wheels. I chose for stability in the front with the 303 Firecrest and aero gains in the back with the 404 Firecrest. Both wheels are fitted with 30mm Pirelli P Zero race TLR tires, tubeless of course.

Key items of kit: I rented a Tailfin rack + bag to carry all my sleeping kit. Most importantly; a bivy from outdoor research and a sleeping bag from Cumulus that will keep me warm during the chilly spring nights. Hopefully the Cyclite aerobag underneath my aerobars gives me some serious aero gains, because I will need those in the flat Netherlands. Otherwise it will at least allow me to stash a lot of cookies, bars and candy. Highlight of the kit? Must be the banana bread that fellow participant, and my partner, Tessa Spaan will bake to provide energy for the first day.

Balazs Meszaros

Age: 47

Cap number: 77

Location: Hungary

Bike: Bianch Infinito CV, Shimano Ultegra Di2 12SP and Fulcrum Speed 40C CL wheels.

Key items of kit: Bags: Thule Shield. Lights: Fenix BC26R + Velotech 50. Cateye Kinetic + FENIX BC05R+ noname helmet lamp.

Tessa Spaan

Age: 31

Cap number: 237

Location: Arnhem, the Netherlands

Bike: My Liv Devote will be my weapon of choice for the Race Around the Netherlands. It's equipped with bombproof DT Swiss P1800 wheels fitted with 30mm Pirelli P zero 4S tires. A 2x Sram Force eTap groupset will allow me to pedal comfortably on the flats, and hopefully still cycle up the steep climbs in Limburg.

Key items of kit: I will be using an Ortlieb seatpack and frame bag. Ortlieb's bags have proven their waterproofness during previous bikepacking trips, but hopefully they won't have to during this race. I will be sleeping in Hotels & B&Bs so no sleeping kit. That leaves more room for Powerballs, Pancakes and vegan gummies. The gear highlight must be my aftershokz headphones. Many hours of podcasts are what keeps me going when my legs get tired.

Stijn Kingma

Age: 43

Cap number: 232

Location: Den Haag, The Netherlands

Bike: Idworx oPinion Ti with Pinion P1.18 and 165mm cranks, Profile Designs Airstryke aerobars, Ass Savers Win Wing mudguard and Pirelli P Zero 35mm tyres.

Key items of kit: Front: Matador drybag (repair kit) attached to the aerobars with Voile straps. Middle: Apidura Expedition frame pack (food, electronics, some personal care items, rain jacket), two Apidura food pouches (water bottle and food) and a Revelate Designs Mag-Tank (more food). Back: Apidura Expedition saddle pack (clothing for heavy rain and some warm clothing for night riding).

Niek Vermue

Age: 37

Cap number: 196

Location: Nijmegen, the Netherlands

Bike: Canyon Endurace SL CF with Ultegra Di2 groupset, Reynolds wheels with 32 mm Schwalbe Pro One tube-type tires and Profile Design aerobars (Sonic Ergo 50a) for the occassion. I took the picture before applying the mandatory reflective tape. I might mount fenders depending on the weather forecast.

Key items of kit: Mix of bags including Tailfin aeropack, Topeak fuel tank, Restrap frame bag and Agu snackpack. Garmin Edge 1040 for navigation and Lezyne lights.

Pjotr Hubin

Age: 29

Cap number: 209

Location: Linden, Belgium

Bike: Standert Triebwerk

Key items of kit: Mix of Restrap & Ortlieb bags, Profile Design aero bars, Garmin 1040 gps.

Tobias Midderhoff

Age: 36

Cap number: 241

Location: Balve, Germany

Bike: Canyon Endurace AL, with Shimano 105 groupset, Zipp 303 S wheels and tires from Contiental Grand Prix 5000 AS TR (32mm), Aerobars Profile Design Ergo+ 45/25 SLC, saddle SQlab 612 ERGOWAVE R

Key items of kit: bags from Cyclite, lights Lupine (SL Nano AF and Rotlicht), sleeping system Sea to Summit Spark SPI and mat from Klymit X Frame

Bas Stegehuis

Age: 31

Cap number: 66

Location: Rotterdam, Netherlands

Bike: Ribble CGR 725 frame, Bontrager Aaolus Pro 5 wheels and Shimano GRX 2x10 groupset.

Key items of kit: Apidura bags.

Lee Killestein

Age: 54

Cap number: 167

Location: Coventry, United Kingdom

Bike: Shand Stooshie with Gates Carbon Drive (Fixed)

Key items of kit: Luggage by Tailfin. Power and lighting by SON.

Laurens Dhaese

Age: 36

Cap number: 166

Location: Teteringen, Netherlands

Bike: Specialized Diverge 2022, 1x12 SRAM Rival AXS, Hunt Dynamo Hub & Son lights

Key items of kit: Tailfin Aeropack and Apidura framepack & TopTube pack. Sinewave for charging if needed.

Michel

Age: 40

Cap number: 35

Location: Netherlands

Bike: Shimano 105, Shimano RS81 C50 carbon wheels, Deda Parabolica aerobars.

Key items of kit: Agu Venture Snackpack, Agu Venture frame bag, Topeak back loader (10L).,Topeak Backloader Wishbone, Garmin Edge 1040 and Elemnt Bolt V2, Lezyne Micro Drive 600XL, Lezyne Macro Drive 1300XL, Kustomcaps ‘Senza Pioggia’ headset cap.

Emily

Age: 30

Cap number: 15

Location: Netherlands

Bike: Trek Emonda SL 5 with Shimano 105. Aptonia Aerobars.

Key items of kit: Agu Venture Snackpack, Topeak top tube bag, Topeak back loader (10L), Topeak Backloader Wishbone, Garmin Edge 1040 and Elemnt Bolt V2, Lezyne Micro Drive 600XL, Sigma Buster 700, Kustomcaps Donut headset cap.

Benjamin van Vianen

Age: 37

Cap number: 72

Location: Utrecht, Netherlands

Bike: Specialized Tarmac SL6 2020

Key items of kit: Apidura racing/expedition bags

Mateusz

Age: 37

Cap number: 184

Location: Düsseldorf, Germany

Bike: Canyon Grizl, Zipp 303 firecrest, Continental GP5000AS TR tubeless, Shimano GRX RX810. Supernova B54 mini pro, Lupine rearlight.

Key items of kit: Therm-a-Rest Uberlite, Cyclite aerobar bag, Gore Shakedry race jacket.

Vova Mihura

Age: 35

Cap number: 253

Location: The Hague, The Netherlands

Bike: Merida Reacto 2021

Key items of kit: It's a collection of audiobooks I’ve planned to go through for a long time. Other than that – everything. I made sure there were no redundant items in my setup. Also, my trusted Garmin Fenix watch, which I, being a triathlete, usinng even for cycling navigation.

Angus MacKay

Age: 50

Cap number: 57

Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands

Bike: Highlights Specialized Roubaix 2020 sworks with future shock 2.0. Tyres pirelli cinturato 28mm 55psi orange endurance sealant. Di2 ultegra with grx rear mech for big cassette. Dyno front wheel to ingaro d2.

Key items of kit: Apidura bags, bigger frame and saddle bag for the race to be fitted. Adventure hydration water tank and straw. Sleeping backcountry bivy mat, Sea to Summit SP2.

Aalzen Wijma

Age: 50

Cap number: 144

Location: Heiloo

Bike: Open Up, mcfk components, Zipp 303 wheels, Pathfinder Pro 32mm and SRAM.

Key items of kit: Apidura bags.

Sjoerd Meijerink

Age: 32

Cap number: #225

Location: Dedemsvaart, The Netherlands

Bike: Allow me to introduce you to my trusted steed, "Escapism". Built by myself from the ground up it's a reflection of my yearning for freedom and exploration.

The bike is based on a Lightcarbon gravel frameset, SRAM Force AXS 1x12 groupset and Zipp 303s wheelset with 32mm Continental GP5000 TR tyres setup tubeless. I've added Deda aerobars for extra comfort and aerodynamics during the long stretches along the coastlines.

Key items of kit: For storage, I am using a Tailfin Combined with a set of Topeak top tube bags. Spares are in a small bottle cage bag below the crank. Battery-powered lights and a Garmin Edge 840 for navigation. Essential in this time of year I'm carrying a good mix and match of layered clothes so I can quickly adjust to stay warm enough during the cold mornings and cool enough when the sun shows itself. In case things get really wet, I'll be using my Gore Shakedry rain jacket to stay dry.

Marcel van der Graaff

Age: 27

Cap number: 53

Location: Utrecht, The Netherlands

Bike: Scott Foil with a SRAM Red AXS groupset and ZIPP 404 Firecrest wheels, known as "The Lada".

Key items of kit: Duck

Johannes Beckmann

Age: 31

Location: Essen, Germany

Bike: PlanetX Hurricane. Mechanical SRAM Rival 2x11, Backwheel Fulcrum DB4, Frontwheel PI Rope Prototype with new Road SON Hub, Supernova M99 DY Pro and a powerbank for Smartphone/computer but want to upgrade to Hub charging system.

Key items of kit: 1 Person tent, 4° sleeping bag and the casual stuff.

Got a supercute emergency phone number card of my girl and the first photo of me on a bike with me :)))

You can see my little customized bikepacking gear under the Ortlieb bag. Its an Ortlieb drybag hanging on tension belts.

Valentin Raab

Age: 33

Cap number: 249

Location: Germany

Bike: Stevens Vapor

Key items of kit: Gummi Bears

Ferdi Dorr

Age: 40

Cap number: 103

Location: Amersfoort

Bike: Canyon Grizl CF

Key items of kit: Front loader bag, Frame bag, Seatpack and Snackpouches.

Rick Steggerda

Age: 46

Cap number: 215

Location: Wijk bij Duurstede

Bike: Specialized Roubaix

Key items of kit: I carry: Apidura framebag, Apidura toptube bag, Cyclite aerobar bag and Ortlieb seatpack.

Tobias Mugele

Age: 45

Cap number: 242

Location: Netherland

Bike: Müsing

Key items of kit: Orange Bikepacking

Toni

Cap number: 245

Bike: Giant TCR Advanced Pro 0, Shimano Ultegra Di2 and Giant Carbon Wheels

Key items of kit: Tailfin