DotWatcher.cc

Bikes of Utrecht Ultra 2023

5 August, 2023

This epic ride combines the thrill of exploration with the challenge of endurance. Starting in Utrecht, we’ll head south on a set route into beautiful Belgium, and then tackle three checkpoints and parcours in the stunning Belgian Ardennes and Germany's Eifel region.

The journey ends back in Utrecht, where memories and miles meet.

Given the road terrain and relatively flat nature of the course, this feature is packed with some of the fastest setups we’ve ever seen. Blink and you’ll miss them!

Follow along with expert commentator Julia Freeman to discover who is the first to return to Utrecht and the many tales from the road along the way.

Ingrida Kazakeviciute

Name: Ingrida Kazakeviciute

Age: 26

Cap number: 94

Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands

Bike: Cannondale SuperSix EVO 2021 Rapha edition. Shimano Ultegra 12sp Di2, Hollowgram 35 wheels, Hollowgram Si cockpit.

Key items of kit: Topeak Backloader and Midloader with Apidure top tube bag. BBB lights with 20000MAh powerbank. No sleep system, I'll be using hotels. I hope I'll be lucky with my tortillas.

Ernst Huijboom

Name: Ernst Huijboom

Age: 45

Cap number: 12

Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Bike: Aluminium Sensa Modena

Key items of kit: Extra clothing in the saddlebag and toiletries, multitool, spare tubes and snacks in the frame bags. An antique Garmin Dakota 20 for navigation because I'm used to it and it runs on AA batteries. I plan on sleeping in a hotel and maybe a power nap on a bench so no sleeping gear. And flat pedals.

Dominik Engelke

Name: Dominik Engelke

Age: 45

Cap number: 34

Location: Duisburg, Germany

Bike: Bike: Cicli Bonanno Italo Disco. Groupset: Ultegra Di2 with 50/34 in the front and 11-32 in the back. Saddle: Tune Komm Vor. Tires: Rene Herse Chinook Pass 28mm with tubes.

Key items of kit: Spork ;-)

Toni Langer

Name: Toni Langer

Age: 30

Cap number: 6

Location: Basel, Switzerland

Bike: The Fabulous Veloheld Icon Disc with a SRAM Rival AXS groupset, a Chris-King powered Columbus fork and 32mm GP5000 tires on Leeze CC50 for more comfort on the bike. I hope the Profile Design Aerobars are giving me wings on the flat tarmac in the beginning of the race.

Key items of kit: Waterproof Apidura bags with my sleeping kit in the back and mechanical + charging items in the frame bag. I also carry a small Apidura Musette, just in case I need it. The Restrap Top Tube Bag will be the place for all the snacks. I think they are necessary for the trip :). In the front I have KasyBags Pocket Bags which will carry my phone and some other things, which I need while riding.

Robin Feder

Name: Robin Feder

Age: 36

Cap number: 8

Location: Kiel, Germany

Bike: Rose Backroad from 2022 with SRAM Rival AXS XPLR. 1x Drivetrain 40t x 10-44t should be wide enough for the flats and the steep climbs. Prime Primavera 44 Carbon Wheels (30mm wide) with 28mm Veloflex Corsa Evo or Conti 5000s 38mm Ritchey Evocurve Handlebar Narrow for fast but comfy handling with 3mm bar tape and gel pads. Aerobars are a Profile Design/3T mashup. 70mm risers Wahoo Elemnt Bold. Exposure Lights Strada Frontlight.

Key items of kit: I will carry all that is needed in a collection of well trusted Alpkit Bags and one Custom Framebag Prototype that has some great tweaks. I will also ride with a USWE Backpack for extra Water and Food Capacity to go further without stopping.

The Aerobar Setup with 70mm is all about comfort to get the most km out of it, while still giving a huge speed boost.

The Exposure Lights front light is one of my favorite pieces of equipment. The way you can tweak the runtime is genius.

Stijn De Veylder

Name: Stijn De Veylder

Age: 27

Cap number: 52

Location: Belgium

Bike: Bombtrack Hook EXT-C Scope R5A Wheels and SRAM Force 22 hydraulic disc brake groupset.

Key items of kit: Apidura Aero handlebar bag, Apidura toptube bag, Apidura frame bag and Cordel saddle bag.

Leanne Bentley

Name: Leanne Bentley

Age: 33

Cap number: 5

Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Bike: Cannondale CAAD12 Disc with Hunt carbon wheels and 28mm tubeless tires. Profile Designs aerobars for comfort.

Key items of kit: I'm running a custom Carrie Gere frame bag and a couple of Apidura bags. Sleep system is a lightweight Enlightenment Equipment Quilt with a Therm-a-rest NeoAir XLite pad & the Alpkit Kloke bivvy bag.

Nick Lettink

Name: Nick Lettink

Age: 33

Cap number: 40

Location: Arnhem, Netherlands

Bike: Orbea Orca Aero

Key items of kit: My Apidura bags that make it possible to carry most stuff while staying lightweight. I hope that the Vision Metron 5D handlebar with a small time trail steer will help me to relieve my wrist from the pressure of long days on the bike. One of my favorite parts of the kit is my Rapha Hooded Explore Pullover for rainy days. Fingers crossed I don't need it.

Jan-Willem Bobbink

Name: Jan-Willem Bobbink

Age: 35

Cap number: 45

Location: Netherlands

Bike: Mason Resolution, SRAM Force eTap, Continental GP5000 32mm and Syntace Clip On Aerobars.

Key items of kit: My Leatherman Multitool Knife to cut my pizzas on the road!

Felix Lennert

Name: Felix Lennert

Age: 27

Cap number: 24

Location: Paris, France

Bike: Rychtarski custom-built frame, wheels hand-built Tune King-Kong hubs w/ Nextie 50mm carbon rims, SRAM Red/Force group set (46/33 – 10-36), Thomson Alloy Bars, Tune Geiles Teil 4.0 stem, AliExpress seatpost, Specialized Power Mimic saddle, Profile Design Ski Bend Aerobars.

Key items of kit: The Restrap bags are the best bike-packing bags I've ever seen; Garmin Varia Radar makes every ride safer – Lezyne Macrodrive 1300XXL a bit brighter; Favero Assioma power meter will be reassuring in the inevitable Dutch headwinds; Pirelli Cinturato 32s in combination w/ Stans are just bulletproof; Voilé straps also an invaluable piece of kit; the unintended key piece will probably be my emergency blanket though once shit hits the fan.

Dirk Rietberg

Name: Dirk Rietberg

Age: 46

Cap number: 41

Location: Netherlands

Bike: Trek 920. Upgraded and made race ready by Repack bike shop with wheels by Parallel handbuilt: DT Swiss Gr531 rims, Son 28 15 hub dynamo. Tyres: WTB Exposure 36 and SKS speedrocker fenders.

Key items of kit: Bookman reflective stickers (👻, 🔥,⚡️), Agu venture bar bag, Vaude frame bag, KTM top tube bag and Giant saddle bag. Mojo gear power bank mini, Lezyne macro 1100 XL front light, Garmin Edge 530 and Kemo M172 USB Laadregelaar.

Matthijs Beerepoot

Name: Matthijs Beerepoot

Age: 32

Cap number: 74

Location: Utrecht

Bike: I ride a black Pinarello FP Quattro, nicknamed 'Pinabella'. I like to think my bike loves mountains, and it can't be steep enough for her. I also like to think it can't be far enough for her, but then again I have never cycled more than 300 kilometres so we'll find out if that's true.

Key items of kit: Bags: Topeak. Sleeping: I've got an air mattress + sleeping bag. Hopefully I can find a nice spot along the route. Food: a lot. My secret powerfood are dried apricots. Lucky item: my tomato jersey helps me to get over any mountain!

Nino Drost

Name: Nino Drost

Age: 29

Cap number: 67

Location: Diemen

Bike: Canyon Endurace AL 7.0. I ride a standard Shimano 105 groupset, 36/52t front, and I put a 11-34 cassette on for this race.

Key items of kit: Most bags of Apidura but the tail bag is from Agu. Lights from Lezyne. Because of the rain expected I decided to put on the fenders.

Ingmar Sluiter

Name: Ingmar Sluiter

Age: 27

Cap number: 28

Location: Assen, The Netherlands

Bike: I will be riding my tried and tested Cervelo Aspero with Shimano GRX 810 groupset and Hunt aero wheels for the inaugural edition of the Utrecht Ultra. The gravel gearing will come in handy on the climbs.

Key items of kit: Full Apidura racing bags set up to keep everything dry and tidy. When riding long distances I enjoy using my Salomon hydration vest. It has lots of room for food and water to keep stops to a minimum.

Ewout Meijer

Name: Ewout Meijer

Age: 35

Cap number: 14

Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Bike: Giant TCR Pro disc. Giant SLR1 42mm rims, with Specialized S-Works 30mm tubeless tyres. Mechanical Shimano Ultegra groupset. Wahoo Roam for the route, mounted on a 'hide-my-bell' for friendly overtaking. I have a Woho anti-sway to keep my saddle back from swaying and my bottle cages open to the left, so the framebag isn't blocking me from getting my water bottles.

Key items of kit: Apidura frame and saddle bag for extra kit, sleeping equipment (bivvy, mat, sleeping bag) and tools, chargers. Canvas handlebar bag for food, food, food. --> trying homemade buttercake with coconut and oats and of course old skool Cadillacs (The Dutch will know). I will ride with a Camelbak, to minimize (drink) stops and I will loot supermarkets and bakeries along the way.

Bas Stegehuis

Name: Bas Stegehuis

Age: 30

Cap number: 48

Location: Rotterdam, Netherlands

Bike: Ribble CGR 725 steel frame, Bontrager Aeolus Pro 5 Wheels and Shimano GRX 2x10 drivetrain.

Key items of kit: Apidura top tube, frame and saddle bag. USWE 2L hydration backpack.

Bram van Engelen

Name: Bram van Engelen

Age: 32

Cap number: 78

Location: Breda, The Netherlands

Bike: Giant TCR

Key items of kit: AGU bags, Lezyne lights and Continental GP 5000 tyres.

Tyler Sindel

Name: Tyler Sindel

Age: 30

Cap number: 20

Location: Amsterdam, NL

Bike: Canyon Grail 7, Schwalbe G-ONE RS Gravel Tire 700x40 and Schwalbe G-One RS TLE Addix Evo Super Race V-Guard Gravel tyre.

Key items of kit: Apidura Bags, Wahoo Elemnt Roam, Profile Design Neosonic Ergo 45AR Gravel Aerobar, Snickers, Pas Normal Kit, Nike Running Shorts & Tee, Maurten Gels/Solids, 4 Nuuns (2 normal/2 caffeine) & Salomon Active Skin 8 w/ CamelBak 1.5L.

Leon Rotmans

Name: Leon Rotmans

Age: 56

Cap number: 69

Location: Rhoon, Netherlands

Bike: Cannondale Systemsix Highmod.

Key items of kit: Shimano Di2.

Kris Lafleur

Name: Kris Lafleur

Age: 49

Cap number: 75

Location: De Bilt, Nederland

Bike: Trek Domane 54 with Shimano Dura Ace Di2, Ultegra C50 wheels, Gebiomized Sleak 135 saddle and Pro carbon handlebar.

Key items of kit: Garmin Edge 1030 plus, Garmin Varia/ Lezyne lights and Bontrager/Ortlieb bags.

Owen Murphy

Name: Owen Murphy

Age: 34

Cap number: 37

Location: Bussum, Netherlands

Bike: Giant TCR - Nothing special added of changed to this bike. 11 speed Ultegra!

Key items of kit: Wahoo GPS. Apidura Saddle 14l, top tube bag 1l & handlebar 2l. Spares - inner tube, multitool, master link, patches, pump. First aid kit. Battery, chargers, lights. Rain Jacket, gilet & hivis vest. Bivvy and sleeping bag.

Bob van Streun

Name: Bob van Streun

Age: 30

Cap number: 46

Location: Utrecht, Netherlands

Bike: Koga Colmaro Allroad 2020, 1x11 SRAM Rival with a 42 tooth chainring and a 11-42 cassette. ERE Research alloy wheelset with 32mm continental 4 season tires for extra comfort. Falcon Control Tech aerobars to take the pressure of the hands every now and then.

Key items of kit: A mix of Apidura frame bags and an Ortlieb saddlebag gives around 20 liters of storage. The Lezyne Mega Drive 1800i light with power pack should keep me going all night. The Wahoo Element Roam will point me on the right direction with a phone as backup. And with the USWE Outlander hydration pack should be able to carry enough water to keep the stops to a minimum. Last but not least, SKS Speedrocker mudguards to keep some of the water off me with the weather forecast not looking too good.

Ariane Richter

Name: Ariane Richter

Age: 49

Cap number: 19

Location: Berlin, Germany

Bike: KOCMO Daytona-X with SRAM Force AXS 46/33 and 10-36t, DT Swiss GRC 1400 Spline, 32mm Conti GP5000.

Key items of kit: Bags: Restrap Race Top Tube Bag for electronics and Race Stem Bag for food, Cyclite Handle Bar Aero Bag for fast access to rain gear, Apidura Musette for more food, everything remaining goes into the Tailfin Aeropack.

Light: Lupine SL Nano with 2 battery packs.

Sleep system: due to the expected rain I plan on sleeping at hotels, so I carry only a MSR bivy and a down jacket for emergency napss.

Jelmer van Leer

Name: Jelmer van Leer

Age: 29

Cap number: 89

Location: Woerden

Bike: Canyon Endurace CF SL 8, 11-34 x 50/34t Shimano Ultegra with Scope S5 55mm wheels, running 28mm GP 5000's.

Key items of kit: Going with a bivy, sleeping mat and blanket, scouted some dry spots to crash for a couple of hours. Topeak Anti sway for extra stability of the bag but also add 2 more bidons. First time with the Apidura bag, very happy about how much fits in there. A down jacket to use as a pillow or for when it cools down. And unfortunately there is a good amount of rain coming, so the Rapha rain jacket will have to work hard.

Higor Ramos

Name: Higor Ramos

Age: 34

Cap number: 55

Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands

Bike: Bianchi Intenso 105 disc. 50/34 x 11-32, Hunt 50 Aero carbon wheels and Schwalbe pro one tubeless 28mm.

Key items of kit: Mix of Orblieb and Restrap bags. Garmin Edge 1040 Solar. Garmin Lights and Lezyne as backup.

Martijn Kroondijk

Name: Martijn Kroondijk

Age: 21

Cap number: 90

Location: Lekkerkerk, Netherland

Bike: Alan Unical 7020 with Campagnolo Centaur 10sp.

Key items of kit: Rest of the kit is a mix of Topeak, BBB and Decathlon.

Lizzie Kroeze

Name: Lizzie Kroeze

Age: 33

Cap number: 42

Location: Amsterdam, NL

Bike: I'm riding my trusty Surly Midnight Special set up with 48/31 by 11/32 gearing, GRX components, and DT Swiss E1800 wheels with 32mm Gatorskins.

Key items of kit: I'm running the Tailfin AeroPack on the back, Jack the Rack on the front, Topeak half-frame bag and dry bags, and a toptube bag I got off Etsy. With this weather forecast I'll be bringing my Mountain Hardwear Strato tent (I like sleep).

Frank Schünemeyer

Name: Frank Schünemeyer

Age: 59

Cap number: 51

Location: Berlin, Bad Hersfeld

Bike: Cannondale EVO

Key items of kit: Tailfin Speed Rack, Frame bag, Lupine front and rear light.

Kestutis Povilaitis

Name: Kestutis Povilaitis

Age: 26

Cap number: 93

Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands

Bike: Specialized Tarmac SL7, Shimano Ultegra 12sp Di2, Ultegra C50 wheels, Roval cockpit.

Key items of kit: Tailfin Aeropack with Tailfin cage and Apidura top tube race bag. BBB lights with a powerbank. No sleep system, I'll be using hotels, bringing some clothes and a cooking system and bags of food to eat whenever. My lucky item is my Di2 charger.

Robin van Dijk

Name: Robin van Dijk

Age: 26

Cap number: 73

Location: Eindhoven, Netherlands

Bike: Merida Silex 700 XL (2018) (one of the biggest gravel bike frames available). Self built DT Swiss wheels. 35mm Continental Grand Prix 5000 AS TR.

Key items of kit: Bags: Apidura top tube bag, Alpkit framebag, Tailfin aeropack. K-lite lighting + Son dynamo hub. Profile Design Subsonic aerobars with 70mm riser.

Thomas Terbeck

Name: Thomas Terbeck

Age: 46

Cap number: 35

Location: Essen, Germany

Bike: Rose Backroad with SRAM Force eTap AxS.

Key items of kit: 35 mm S-Works Mondo Tire, Cyclite Aero Handlebar bag, Apidura Top Tube Bag, Jack Wolfskin Top Tube Bag, Jack Wolfskin Saddlebag.

Omar Di Felice

Name: Omar Di Felice

Age: 42

Cap number: 26

Location: Italy

Bike: Wilier Filante SLR, Shimano Dura Ace Di2 and Shimano C50 Wheelset.

Key items of kit: Selle San Marco Aspide Supercomfort Saddle - Missgrape Road Bikepacking bags, Garmin Edge Solar 1040 GPS System, Continental GP5000 700x28C Tubeless tires and Moonlight lightning system.