Coming soon

Day 1 - The beginning

Day 2 - All change.

First man back!

Day 3 - Heading south

Day 4 - Limburg looms

We have a winner!

Day 5 - Starting to Finish 

Julia Freeman will be commentating the Race Around The Netherlands this year. Join her next week for a Race Preview ahead of the roll out on Saturday 29th August.

## Part 1 - The Route
"It's the Netherlands, how hard can it be?"

This was said to me by another rider the day before the 2019 edition of the Race Around the Netherlands. I wonder how that rider felt about it a day or so later as we all shivered our way through Friesland, slogging into a never ending headwind. 

If you ask people what they think of when you say The Netherlands, you'll get the usual tourist cliches such as Tulips, and Cloggs, and Windmills. Which, to be fair, the Dutch don't go to any efforts to hide from. But the reality is there is so much more to this wonderful country, and The Race Around The Netherlands (RatN) is a perfect way to explore all corners (literally) of this beautiful country. If you're just here to find out about the rider's skip ahead to part 2. 

The race itself starts at Cafe de Proloog, in the town of Amerongen. Amerongen is nestled on the edge of a ridge of hills, yes you read that right, hills, in the Netherlands, called the Utrechtse Heuvelrug. Now these aren't big hills, and they are a long way from mountains, but they are not flat, trust me, we know flat here. The first couple of kilometers of the race take us up the [Amerongseberg](https://veloviewer.com/segments/704908), berg is Dutch for mountain, a term used here that really does belie delusions of adequacy, but the 50m total ascent is enough to break up the field a bit.

The route heads north through the province of Utrecht heading for Flevopolder. Flevopolder was drained in the 50s and 60s, making it some of the youngest land in the Netherlands. The route skirts the southern side along the Veluwemeer. When the race normally runs in May this section can be an interesting goose and gosling slalom, with the potential to be chased by a hissing parent if you have the audacity to ride between them and their gosling.

Eventually we cross back over to the mainland, into the province of Gelderland. We're heading south now and the next significiant location is the Hoge Veluwe national park. This is also the first of 3 optional diversions the riders can take. The Hoge Veluwe is a rather pretty national park, it costs about €10 to get in, and the route snakes through the woods and heathlands of the park. There is some debate as to which route is quicker, and I think it's got to be the route around the outside, it is longer, but it's basically level, and it's pretty straight on good quality tarmac. The route through the park is much more convoluted, but more importantly you have to steer round all the tourists. This slows things down quite a lot. The surface isn't as smooth either. 

After the Hoge Veluwe we continue through the rest of the Veluwe with the [Posbank](https://veloviewer.com/segments/7470277), this is the first real climb of the race, with ramps upto 14%, and some nice hairpins in the middle. Keep an eye out for the local wildlife tho, I almost hit a wild boar on one of the descents in the middle here. 

Veluwe over, we're back into the flat landscape, tho it's not the reclaimed polder that most people think of with the Netherlands. At about the 200km mark the route turns north and follows the German border. We can expect a lot of the mid field and below to make their first night in the area around Enschede, it lies at 260km, and there's quite a few hotels with 24hr checkin here. 

Those at the pointy end will of course continue north. Before turning west towards Holten and the [Holtenberg](https://veloviewer.com/segments/11968364/), again not a massive climb, but it takes us through another national park. With woods and heathland, it's a beautiful area, and for those doing it at night, the dip in the middle is shielded from all the light polution in the area giving a great view of the sky (if it's clear).

Soon the route turns north east through Drenthe, past the village of Engeland, heading for the star fort at Bourtange. The fort is closed at night, and there is a diversion for riders who pass through here late. The route turns away from the border heading for the city of Groningen, in the province of Groningen. This is the 500km mark and we can expect those at the pointy end to ride through to here at least before any major stops. 
![Q5023387](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3L16frlPJD8Xh6TyxiRySI/045facdf5523bab44d5c4f601d644854/Q5023387.JPG)
After Groningen the city, we head into Polder country, aiming for the Northern most part of the Dutch mainland, and the direction marker that will instill dread in anyone who rode in 2019. "Turn left at the google datacentre".

Once you turn left, along the Northern cost of the mainland, you're pretty much on your own. There is no shelter, there is no protection, it's a vast open wind swept land. You can see for over 180° of sky. If you have a headwind now, which is likely, it is going to be soul destroying. From the left turn until Harlingen nearly 200km later, the route only goes through 3 major settlements where you can buy food easily, if you're riding through at night and have not stocked up before hand, you're going to struggle. Even in day light this is rural Groningen and rural Friesland, things aren't open late. The only options are Pieterburen, Zaltkamp, and Holwerd. The latter has a coop just off course, and that's pretty much it. It is hard to convey just how remote and desolate it is up here. In 2019, this was the beginning of 600+km of strong headwinds. This year there is a small route change just before Lauwersoog, this is due to construction work on the dijk there.
![XT1A7370](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/dbDbQv7C61NvnxfwRcpI0/68f9d2cea1129c24918df6e88eca9fce/XT1A7370.JPG)
Where the route rejoins the dijk, we get The Sheep. The dijk is all that is keeping this area of the Netherlands from being reclaimed by the sea, but it's also a big area of grass, ideal for the local farmers to graze their sheep. As if the soul crushing headwind in the vast open landscape wasn't enough, now we have to stop every few hundred meters, open a gate, ride across a cattle grid (Wildrooster in Dutch), close the gate, and move on. Some sheep will fall asleep against the gates, the road surface is covered in sheep poo, in many places it's rough block paving. In 2019 one rider scratched after hitting a sheep. Another rider had a flat while riding through this area, they fixed it, but made the crucial mistake of not washing their hands after handling their tires. They scratched after getting very ill. Navigating round the sheep is an interesting side challenge here. They are a bit like tourists, but with more sense of direction. This section puts a considerable disadvantage on riders using a recumbent. Getting them through the gates is going to be a lot of faff! To any rider who has made it this far in a previous edition of the race, simply saying "the sheep" is enough to trigger thoughts of dread and maybe a subconscious twitch. 
![XT1A7373](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5W6U5uM81Ahz14JzfW4FDp/9373148b85a5718c63d2a5ef84fd546c/XT1A7373.JPG)

The plus side of the remoteness of this area is that on a clear night, the view can be spectacular. With the Milkyway visible with the naked eye. The downside is that with a wind in any direction but due east, it really can be hell. 
![XT1A7354](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6jh8s7e6cNJgtpx1laMuan/4fe0e31436f7e5b905700283852f3879/XT1A7354.JPG)

And if slogging into a headwind on this section isn't enough, the route teases you at Harlingen when you turn left at the wind turbine factory... 

From Harlingen the route originally crossed the Afsluitdijk at Zurich. This is a 32km long structure that turned the Zuiderzee into the IJsselmeer. The dijk is currently the site of construction work and is closed to cyclists. In 2019 riders were allowed to take a bus across it, at the cost of a 24 hour penalty, that is not an option this year. Giving riders a full circumnavigation of the IJsselmeer. If riders are lucky they will get a tail wind for some of this. In 2019 the section from Lemmer to Urk was the only tail wind I had in over 600km. 
![IMG 20180811 164227869 HDR](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2Q4qpRm9Ix7cIF5OKndgT1/156099d297eebe37c4bec0304bd76ac6/IMG_20180811_164227869_HDR.jpg)
At the end of Flevopolder we cross into Noord Holland and skirt the edge of Amsterdam. This marks the half way point of the route, and also [The Wild Bunch](https://thewildbunch.amsterdam/) bike shop. The shop extends its opening hours for the duration of the race, so that riders can stop off for repairs, a nap, or just a coffee. There can be quite a party atmosphere at times here. 

The route continues up the west coast of the IJsselmeer, to the other end of the Afsluitdijk to rejoin the original route. At Den Helder things turn south again and head down the west coast of the Netherlands. Here we get another landscape again. The Dunes. There is a diversion for the northern part of the dunes during darkness, this is the 3rd optional route section (in blue on the tracker). A ferry over the Noordzeekanaal then we head for Noord Holland's most notorius climb. The [Kopje van Bloemendaal](https://veloviewer.com/segment/647270). It's the closest hill to Amsterdam so very popular for local riders who want to try the novel experience of cycling up. After Bloemendaal we hit the Tulip fields, when the race runs in May this area is a sea of colour of the tail end of the Tulip season. With the later start this year there is colour to be seen, but it's not the tulips that we all think of. The route continues through the dunes all the way past the town of Monster (no that is not a typo...). Riders doing this section at night need to keep an eye out for deer, as well as rabbits with a death wish. Hang a left at Hoek Van Holland, and we're heading for Rotterdam. 

Rotterdam means two things, lots of traffic lights, and cycling across the Erasmus bridge. Named after Desiderius Erasmus (he for whom the European Erasmus program is also named), the bridge connects the north of the city to the south, This section of the route is the only part that has also been part of a Tour De France stage.

Next up the route heads into Zeeland. The route follows the delta works, one of the engineering wonders of the world. Built after the great flood of 1953, the scale of these epic structures can only really be appreciated by cycling across them. They also play host to the Dutch National Headwind Championships, cos what could be more Dutch than cycling intentionally into a strong head wind on your granny's bike?
![QB164268](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/65YPpRXu65ar5DlVTUw4mb/44d65315b52aaf63488c7a52246308db/QB164268.JPG)
For those relying on hotels for accommodation, this area can be problematic, there's not a lot of hotels with 24hr check in available, some of the hotels advertising checkin closing as early as 1800. There are some bivvi opportunities available if you know where to look, but we're into the exposed open sea walls again. 

Zeeland over, we're into Noord Brabant. The route would normally have a brief excursion into Belgium and back and into Belgium again and back again and Belgium and back again at the curious cartographic entity that is Baarle-Hertog/Baarle-Nassau. This is a collection of various Belgian exclaves within the Netherlands. Unfortunately Baarle-Hertog is in the province of Antwerp, meaning riders would need to isolate for 14 days after going through there, so for 2020 we skip this bit of Belgium in the Netherlands.

As riders cross Noord Brabant, a growing sense of doom starts to build, as we all know what is looming round the next corner. Limburg is looming. 

The Ibis Budget hotel at Stein is a popular choice for riders wanting a rest before they tackle the climbs of Limburg. The route snakes around a lot here taking in a greatest hits of Limburg climbs. Anyone who has watched the Amstel Gold race will be familiar with them, [Cauberg](https://veloviewer.com/segment/2362047), [Keutenberg](https://veloviewer.com/segments/628031), [Gulperberg](https://veloviewer.com/segments/696406), [Camerig](https://veloviewer.com/segments/866472/). One after another. With over 1600km in your legs, it's a brutal sting. The Keutenberg tops out at a max gradient of 22%. These hills aren't big, but they are steep. Short, sharp, punchy, and with all that distance already in your legs they hurt. 

A new addition to the route this year is at the end of the Camerig, the route descends into Belgium, to then climb up again to the highest European point of The Netherlands at the three land point where Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands meet. Some call this the highest point of the Netherlands, but that actually is on the island of Saba in the Caribbean, but it's the highest bit in Europe, and the highest point of the course. This is it, the home straight now! 

After Vaalserberg, the route heads generally north, deviating to follow the border and take in a couple of small climbs. Eventually we hit the river valley and follow the Maas north to Nijmegen, all that's left between the riders and the finish is 60km, a small stream called the Rhine, or rather two branches of the Rhine; the Waal, and the Nederrijn. The latter is crossed via a bridge at Rhenen. Rhenen is the site of what feels like the Netherland's slowest traffic light. Get caught by the red to turn left here, and it feels like forever before it goes green, but once it does, we've just the last few kilometers of segregated riding along the N225 to get back to Amerongen. 
![Q5093481](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4dNNCcPyDwWsAYD7dsIuWG/9009a97bac588b6c0816ddb95f661002/Q5093481.JPG)
And that's it, into the square in front of Cafe de Proloog to finish. 1907km is the official race distance this year. Taking in all 12 provinces of the Netherlands. Experiencing the very best that Dutch cycling has to offer. On the face of it it seems so simple, the alure of that flat riding. But it's a double edged sword. On the flat you can't stop pedalling, esp if there is any hint of a head wind. But then, it's the Netherlands. How hard can it be?

## Part 2 - The Riders

Nice tho the love letter to Dutch cycling is, what you really want to know about is who's riding, and who's likely to win. 

Due to various travel restrictions, as well as the moved date, over 70 riders have dropped out leaving us with just 95 expected in Amerongen. The 95 is made up of 6 women, 5 pairs, and 79 men. Thirteen nationalities are represented with Dutch, German, Belgium, British, Danish, Finnish, French, Czech, Italian, Polish, American, Austrian, and Brazilian riders due to race. 

Of the women, only Jasmijn Muller (cap 2) has started RatN before. She rode last year putting in an impressive performance before her surprise scratch near Noordwijk. Jasmijn has unfinished business with this race and we're expecting a strong performance from her for 2020.

Marianne Thissen-Smits (cap 49) is a TCR veteren having finished TCRno7 in 2019. This should put her in good steed for RatN. 

Fin Suvi Tohola (cap 5) is the only non-Dutch woman riding this year, she has completed the Round Denmark Bike Race in 2019 as a pair, this will be her first solo race. 

Francien Peterse (cap 10), could give Jasmijn a run for her money, I've met her a number of times at various Dutch Audax events, she is often one of the first home. This is her first ultra race, but if her audaxing performance is anything to go on, we can expect good things. 

Florine Koning (cap 58) is a veteren of the North Cape 4000, having riden it in 2019, unfortunately she had to scratch in Denmark, but the experience should serve her well for RatN.

Our final woman rider is Eline van Straalen (cap 3). This is her first ultra race. She is relatively new to long distance cycling, but she's done some long tours, as well as plenty of Dutch Audaxes. She could well be an unexpected spoiler. 

What about the men? Well both the fastest (Bas Vlaskamp) and second fastest(Daan Marsmans) riders from 2019 are back for another go. Bas (cap 1) wants to defend his title, while Daan (cap 31), feels he can do better than last year. Daan looked like the faster rider, but he had to sleep with 200km to go, which let Bas slip past him. Bas has commented that he thinks he spent too much time not moving last year and hopes he can break the 4 day barrier. 

Austrian pair Christian Leitner (cap 22) and Werner Finger (cap 19) have declared that they want to finish in under 4 days too, which could give the solo riders a run for their money. It would be unusual for a pair to beat the solo riders. They also have the advantage that Werner Finger is cap 19, and historically cap 19 has had an interestering race with RatN.

Elsewhere in the pack, the eldest rider is Ruerd Kuipers (cap 126). He is the father of last year's rider Aukje (cap 63), who unfortunately scratched in Zeeland. At 67, Ruerd is older than the parts of the course through Flevopolder. Rieks van Lubek (cap 125), is also a father of a 2019 rider, Wendy (cap 83) who scratched in Friesland.

In total there are 8 veterans returning for another go at the race. Ralph Cullen (cap 68) and two times finisher Jamie Robison (cap 18) are both returning for their 3rd go at the race. 

Somewhat unusually for ultraraces, RatN permits unfaired recumbents. This year at least one rider is planning to ride on a recumbent trike, we'll see at the bike check what other bikes people are planning to ride, the recumbent could have a good aero advantage, but it may lose that to the sheep and the gates in Friesland. We'll have to see, no recumbent rider has yet finished the race. 

If last year's race is anything to go by, the only thing we can be certain of is that it will be an interesting race. The course is deceptively simple, and can easily take people by surprise. A Trans Am Bike Race winner, as well as 24hr TT world champions all got caught by surprise in 2019. While the August start means the weather may be a bit warmer, the weather is likely to be the big deciding factor. Right now the forecast suggests it's going to be wet. The wind for the first few days looks quite benign, but it could well make things especially hard for riders at the tail end of the pack. 


RatN2020 - Preview


### Registration and Bike Check
Before we can go racing all bikes need to be checked over to make sure they are safe. This happens before every ultrarace, but is generally not something us dotwatchers get to see or hear about, so while we wait for the race to settle down a bit, I thought I'd talk about what happens before we can go racing. 

Registration and bike check normally happens the day before the race, or for races with a late evening start, during the day of the start. The registration process usually includes a check of the riders bike, a handing over of signed rider agreements, along with proof of insurance. The rider is then given their cap, and tracker. They are now ready to race.

So what do we look for during the bike check? The mechanics doing the bike check are usually volunteers, often professional bike mechanics, or very knowledgable amateurs. There is a check list for each bike, but it's simple stuff, are the handle bars properly tightened? Do the brakes work? Are the wheels installed properly. This all sounds pretty obvious, but for many races the riders have flown with their bikes boxed up, and assembled them at the start. So checking they tightened their stem properly, and that they did their wheel quick releases up is an important check. Checking bikes yesterday I had riders who got sent away on both counts to just tighten their stem, or double check their wheels. 

The other major thing we check is the reflectives. Following the hell year for ultracycling that was 2017, many races introduced rules regarding additional reflective material added to the bike. For RatN this is reflective tape on the forks, cranks, seat stays, wheels, and helmet. In bike check we make sure this tape is applied, and that there is enough of it. Some riders embrace the opportunity to make their bike look pretty and do a rather artistic job of the reflective tape. This year Ties Alfrink	(Cap 120) stood out with reflectives on his bike. Am I allowed to award him the Dotwatcher prettiest reflective tape award? 
![XT1A7475](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/67Meo0zWs1gvSkR7f2ArV0/a019ca59341328b729c58acb67079d31/XT1A7475.JPG)

For others they apply the tape, knowing they are going to remove it as soon as the race is over. Then there is the final group, who get to bike check and haven't put any tape on their bike at all. I had one rider yesterday who I had to send away to actually put the tape on their bike before I would sign them off. The rider was Bas Vlaskamp (cap 1). Bas gets the You Really Should Know Better award here... 

Registration is also a great chance to take a photo of riders with their bikes, before they have hit the road, while they're all still clean. For many it's a simple pose with their bike.
![XT1A7457](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/mgzyHhEYHEMlQdBUBasVm/6ff7d05999227e503989f3325f70ffff/XT1A7457.JPG)

For others it's a chance to let their personality shine through...
![XT1A7469](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4qlgcCBkBhl3LHpnC7OGeJ/bbfa5bf8a1a512bed3522333cd996d41/XT1A7469.JPG)

With your bike checked, paperwork sorted, photos posed for, there's not much left to do than chat to other riders, catch up with old friends, and ogle the other riders bikes. 

I'm regretting I didn't make up ultrarace bike bingo cards.

If I had, it would have included: 

Removed bar tape... 

![XT1A7513](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1SB6jCJZviiYNm0qWqStSM/21103f0ad12eaa82b55a67435d5a4892/XT1A7513.JPG)

Custom carbon fibre... 

![XT1A7511](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3SXOQPRS42NMxVxWStAMK1/65c5dd99c6b630d5d8d9c743a2512d21/XT1A7511.JPG)

Bananas...

![XT1A7498](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2MTt50aE4nK3gFo198xizH/aa7c7a9fda5cd19d9aa3cfd974580c18/XT1A7498.JPG)

Baggy MTB clothing... Giving off mixed messages here, the camo shorts and the reflective tape... 

![XT1A7481](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/711uNEycQvjLRekMm0xdxL/1849fd5a3c53e6a6b9829696c52dabc9/XT1A7481.JPG)

Additional wheels... 

![XT1A7472](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5a7wOUiaiHwVQlefgfAcKG/c96d1bc977375e171f40ccc362052722/XT1A7472.JPG)

Other suggestions for what should be on the ultraracing bike bingo cards, please let us know on twitter. 

Breakfast sorted, last minute toilet stops complete, there's just time for a few more photos of the riders before the off.

Austrian pair Christian Leitner (cap 22) and Werner Finger (cap 19)
![XT1A7471](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3104sHWWh73U9z1gMyTAGA/63e19d21e14d6082cd5bd610af5ee00f/XT1A7471.JPG)

Bas (cap 1) and Daan (cap 31) eyeing each other up before the competition begins
![XT1A7507](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2eleTkRV43iDzWbslGwBDy/e98e3a4744662a58bdf159b2c52fc90a/XT1A7507.JPG)

Bob Mesman (cap 74)
![XT1A7478](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/75jjCEQL6fFrKKExxDRgm4/a645652ffedd350b475f9ef8213f5d4c/XT1A7478.JPG)

Marianne (cap 49), Jasmijn (cap 2), Francien (cap 10), Florine (cap 59), Eline (cap 3) ready to start. 
![XT1A7490](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/79Yn25wQO9Q77QgOLSz2UU/c59923e2af9c26bbdae4b8c8a530e6d0/XT1A7490.JPG)

This should give you some idea of what happens in the hours before the race starts, as well as some nice bikes to drool over. Tomorrow morning I'll give you a proper update on the first 24 hours of racing. 


### Corrections

In my race preview I mentioned the option of taking a longer route around the Hoge Veluwe national park. This appears to have been a misunderstanding and a change between when I rode the race, and the very latest edition of the race manual. The manual only mentions it as a detour if you're misfortunate enough to arrive at the park after 2000. However I did notice a couple of dots taking the detour in day light. I hope that wasn't based on my misinformation. I don't know if there will be any penalty. 

In the original version of the preview as published, I misspelled "IJsselmeer" as "Ijselmeer". A kind Dutch person emailed me to point this mistake out. IJ is a [single character](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IJ_(digraph)) in Dutch, specifically it's Ĳ, which is hard to type on most keyboards, so typically is typed as an I and a J. This means the correct capitalisation is IJ, not Ij. I have corrected the original article. Het spijt me.

Day -1 - The calm before the storm


I had a couple of questions about how effective all the reflective tape is that I talked about in the registration and bike check post. 

Well, this is what the bike room looked like in the hostel the night before the race. (No the Brompton isn't being raced, that's just my city bike). 

![IMG 20200828 220323612](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/637NpIt77lsXGXEVw8XW9p/9b507ab792e900eff2c0e2112518b3b7/IMG_20200828_220323612.jpg)

Day -1 Reflections


The race start was a bit more chaotic than usual, due to the restrictions on how close riders could be together, it made an actual rider briefing next to impossible, and so it was with a rather unceremonious "It's 8 o'clock, have a good ride!" that the square in front of Cafe de Proloog was filled with the sound of people clipping into their pedals and heading for the Amerongseberg. Rider Marian Bobko (cap 61), on his recumbent trike had a bit of issues getting it through the bollards to get out of the square, hopefully this won't be signs of trouble to come when he gets to the gates of Friesland.

https://instagram.com/p/CEfCYbKIcak/

It took a while for the group to really spread out, with the non syncronised nature of the tracker updates making it look like the lead is swapping between a few different riders for much of the morning and early afternoon. With such a close pack it's quite hard to see exactly who's in what place until they start to pass the timing checks. 

While Bas Vlaskamp and Daan Marsman were expected to be close at the front, it was interesting to see for part of the day Fip Patijn (cap 5). Flip wasn't supposed to be racing this week, he's entered into the Transiberica Badlands race that starts on Sunday 6th in Spain, but due to travel restrictions can't. Instead he asked Michael on Thursday if he could ride RatN instead. He's fallen back a bit down the way over the course of the day, but still holding well near the front of the pack. 

Jasmijn Muller (cap 2) has been exchanging places variously across the top 10. At the time of writing she seems to be settled at 10th. She took less than 16 hours to do the first 500km, an impressive start. 

Francien Peterse (cap 10) was one of the first to settle down for the night, reaching a hotel near Borne at 278km distance. An early stop means she can make an early start on Sunday to get the most of daylight. 

https://twitter.com/FP_GDGT/status/1299938737691000832

While Francien slept, Eline van Staarlen (cap 3) passed her on her way to her hotel at approximately 300km. Eline went further, and had a slightly shorter stop, 

Florine Koning (cap 58) stopped quite early on the route at 230km, this meant that by the middle of the night only Marian Bobko (cap 61) and one other rider were behind her. Since starting this morning she's been making steady progress up the field. It will be interesting to see how her daily distances pan out. 

Marianne Thissen-Smits (cap 49), is doing a sterling effort in the mid field. She passed the city of Groningen at about midday today, and is well through the Northern Groningen (the province) and Friesland section of the route. 

![image0](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2LG3kHbuZYM6Y3CjtQpT2c/d3d4962ee43ca6505e6d2dd1e0eb65e4/image0.jpeg)

At the pointy end it was an interesting night for Bas Vlaskamp (cap 1) and Daan Marsman (cap 31). Daan stopped for at least 3 hours in Groningen. While it looks like Bas has just ridden straight through, with just a short stop at a petrol station to refuel. At the time of writing (about 1700 on Sunday), it looks like Daan's gamble may have paid off, he's within a tracker update error of Bas as they head into the wind North to Den Helder. From Den Helder south they should have a strong (force 7+) head wind south. Expect an impressive turn of speed here. 

https://twitter.com/quixoticgeek/status/1299843936035508224

In the pairs Erik and Richard Frans (cap 1617) are doing well at the front, while Ruben Casier and Stefaan Vanbillemont (cap 4648) are bringing up the rear of the pairs catagory. In theory a pair working together should be in a strong position for the overall win with this race. The ability to draft each other is a real benifit with the winds. But that can be offset by the extra issues that being a pair entails. 

So far we've had two scratches reported, Freddy Hoogheem (cap 28) and Dieter Schietse	(cap 36). Dieter made it past the 600km mark before having to withdraw. I've yet to get any more info on this one, if you have any useful or you are Dieter or Freddy, please get in touch. 

Social media updates from the riders are a bit sparse, it seems that they are all too busy riding bikes. Can't think why. 

Paul Herron (cap 147) posted on instagram that he's only fallen off once so far. Let's hope that counter doesn't go up any more!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CEesVAvlY3G

Rieks van Lubek (cap 125) looked strong, happy, and a bit damp when spotted this morning. 

https://twitter.com/Globeskater/status/1300084844039372801

I'm going to end the update there, as if I'm quick I can head out to meet the riders at the IJmuiden ferry, see if I can interview some of them in the 10 minutes they have to all stand still. If you have any questions you would like to have answered, please let me know on twitter (@quixoticgeek), and I'll try my best. 


As the sun rose on day 2, a clear order had started to form at the front. After his sleep stop in Groningen Daan Marsman (cap 31) made excellent progress chasing down Bas Vlaskamp (cap 1). By evening the two were neck and neck, the lack of syncronisation of the tracker updates making it unclear who was in the front of who. And then everything changed. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CEh401-FHwp/

Bas arrived in Den Helder first, but turned off route before stopping for a rest. This left Daan to take the lead. We thought this was it, with the sleep he got the previous night he was set to consolidate his lead. Then he stopped too. At around the 1030km mark, 30km after Bas, Daan bedded down in a hotel for his second sleep since beginning. 

Bernd Paul has been hot on the tails of the two leaders for much of the day, and looked like he would take the lead. Then he stopped at about the 980km mark. The sleep bug seemed to be travelling back down the line, with clusters of riders forming around hotels and settlements along the route. In Amsterdam at the 890km mark. Jasmijn Muller (cap 2), was one of these, stopping on IJburg for about 4 hours sleep. Her first sleep stop since beginning 40 hours earlier. 

Further back Marianne Thissen-Smits (cap 49) stopped off route at Makkum, around the 710km mark. She has been putting in a solid effort chasing Jasmijn, and has a clear gap back to her nearest competitors Eline and Francien. 

At Emshaven it looked like a bit of a party was happening at one hotel with Eline Van Straalen (cap 3), Francien Peterse (cap 10), Ernst Huijboom (cap 136), and a couple of other riders all choosing the same hotel. Francien tweeted out that the hotel staff have been so kind as to wash her clothes for her. Which is a nice touch. 

https://twitter.com/FP_GDGT/status/1300176379959554048

Francien had stopped earlier than Eline on day 1, having done a shorter distance, but at a higher speed. Across the day it was hard to see which of the two was in the lead as their dots kept swapping places, both witin the update error of the trackers. Based on their photos however, it looks like by Groningen they were neck and neck. Or at least, sat at the same table eating pasta. Eline made it to the hotel before Francien, the latter being slowed by a flat tyre 1km from her destination, in a reverse of the previous day. It'll be interesting who feels they can get by with the least sleep here, and get the jump on the other. 

It's worth noting that choice of accomodation on events like this can make or break your ride. Some riders take extra kit so they can bivvi, giving them the flexibility to stop as and when they need it, while others rely on hotels. The later tends to give a much higher quality of sleep, but it can make for other compromises. The availability of hotels with 24 hour checkin is minimal in some areas of the Netherlands, this can be a problem if you wanted to take a longer stint. One issue that nearly all riders will have is what to do with their bike at the hotel. Because to many Dutch people a bike is a bike, you lock it up outside in the bike rack, when presented with a tired rider on a ultradistance bike, resplendant with carefully fitted luggage, their first reaction is "just lock it up out front". With the exception of one rider crazy enough to carry a 1.7kg lock on Ratn2019, the lock carried by most racers, if they carry any lock at all, typically offers minimal protection. It may be fine outside the cafe while you use the loo, but that's pretty much the limit, and in Amsterdam, even that is probably pushing their luck. The ideal situation is for the rider to take the bike into their room with them, but not all hotels are ok with this. Sorting out what to do with the bike can require careful negotiation, and that eats into valuable sleep time. 

Florine Koning (cap 58) having done one of the shorter distances on day 1, made up on this reaching the 500km mark and Groningen before sleeping for the night. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CEhx-ZVl94l/

Bringing up the rear Simon Daubert (cap 72), caused concern among dotwatchers after his tracker seemed to be stuck along a stretch of road, not anywhere anyone would typically choose to stop. Aujke (2019 cap 63), drove out to the location to check Simon wasn't injured, or see if the tracker had fallen off his bike. Neither Simon nor tracker was to be found. We mentioned this to Race Control, who contacted Simon and he was found to be safe in a Hotel in Emmen. There was a tracker issue causing the dot not to update. Unfortunately Simon has since had to scratch from the race. We don't yet have any information on the reason, but hope Simon is ok. 

With Simon out of the race, recumbent rider Marian Bobko (cap 61) takes over the title of Lantern Rouge.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CEiYXSYgGXU/


Some photos from day 2 taken by race Organiser Michael Wacker.

Francien Peterse (cap 10)
![image0](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5P8AJfiVPjFr22Ke4h2svD/b132e36de83bcb7d0a44e27d1cca8c8b/image0.jpeg)

Unknown Rider
![image3](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2aSp0nvudnXbeqUoadg4VY/7f4333c697f2f071c77513ba287f2bc3/image3.jpeg)

Reiks van Lubek ![image1](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5Zz2FpN56rYNPyrRu2XWP9/11111116df8f0878dba11b4aa0357d6e/image1.jpeg)

Unknown rider
![image2](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6oxObPXEMdxNVIkzGLDrRd/20ee4d0483584cee9d7de019fde38799/image2.jpeg)

Jasmijn Muller (cap 2)
![jas02](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1Ioprp23HKOA1wWiv9Z4jR/080939c2c4eba84683ed61c7ee65f8d6/jas02.jpg)


Day 2 & 3 - Some photos


Three days, nine hours and thirty-four minutes after leaving Amerongen on Saturday, our first rider, Daan Marsmans (cap 31) has made it to the finish at Cafe de Proloog.

![XT1A7641](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7AFEvF7GZTzJtQgAJWbliK/dc1d9ec6ec91f2633cd36e12cb3a1edd/XT1A7641.JPG)

A small group of family, friends and dotwatchers had gathered to celebrate his arrival. Daan was in good spirits, and aside from some soreness in his feet, physically in good shape. 

![XT1A7651](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4Je7vyImaR78gBMa4p38oh/578c35c68aa35c448cebd99891cfa8cc/XT1A7651.JPG)

Daan wasted no time in removing his shoes and socks, proped up by his father. He hadn't taken his shoes off since leaving the hotel in the early hours of Monday morning (approximately 36 hours ago), and the discomfort was getting to him.

He had been concerning those waiting for him at the finish as the final leg after the Limburg hills had seen him slow considerably. He has been battling sleep deprivation all day. He had only slept for 7 hours total, with two 3.5 hour sleep stops, one in Groningen and a second in Callantsoog (just south of Den Helder).

Daan has been lucky that his bike has worked almost flawlessly, the only issue he had is the handlebar tape has fallen off his basebar. He didn't even need to lube his chain.

![XT1A7655](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6lnBRaY2hsWVpDXqpVWxSX/a5a1922e55132f6a89900353864086de/XT1A7655.JPG)

Kit wise Daan ran out of battery capacity on both of his carried battery packs, and bought a part charged power bank off an Albert Heijn staff member in Limburg. Because of the lack of battery power, his phone was dead, so he was unable to check the tracker. This drove him to push on, unable to rest for fear that Bas Vlaskamp (cap 1), would overtake.

![XT1A7654](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/s3S0N68koB6RNnMEuUTtP/bae2801ce63aea294c2a670a247f2403/XT1A7654.JPG)

In terms of equipment, Daan carried very little, barely more than many would carry on a Sunday fun ride. Of the kit carried he used everything apart from the spares/tools, and the can of electrolyte powder taped to the underside of his saddle bag.

![XT1A7665](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4DXLtRvmEBr4nmtAr8iRln/fe2ab0587f8e1f397f542a841502dc65/XT1A7665.JPG)

The time of 3d 9h 34m takes 15 hours 29 minutes off Bas' time of last year. A record that may stand for some time! 

Congratulations Daan, an awesome ride.

![XT1A7658](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6ABT4cIh9NJp7Xc58KN8YB/f8403225484501fe0861e6872af92548/XT1A7658.JPG)


Day 3 started with the riders at the front heading south from their sleep stops in the North of Noord Holland. Daan Marsman (cap 31) keeping his lead after Bas Vlaskamp choose to sleep for longer. 

As the riders headed south they had to pass the ferry at IJmuiden. The ferry represents a point where all riders have to stop for ten minutes for the short Journey across the Noordzeekanaal.

![Q8315757](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4g3AyuFQYjWVTebr4vZaI1/6a64b2b0ca1f364a07d3685e3a882ab8/Q8315757.JPG)

Some riders took this as an opportunity to do some basic bike checks such as oiling their chain or tightening a loose crank.

![Q8315762](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/10r4ZdFAHsOnpfoZbp9QB9/8a0745c87a591b60dfcd34c3a408cfb6/Q8315762.JPG)

The ferry runs every 10 minutes during the day and every 20 minutes at night. Some riders were able to ride straight onto the ferry, Billy Bob (cap 86) caught the ferry with just seconds to spare. Other riders were less lucky, Jasmijn Muller (cap 2) missed the ferry by approximately 5 seconds.

![XT1A7613](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/74pBfMSPcm9Ciy3JiI9nga/fab10129e2cde8426cf8a0fd0d90b628/XT1A7613.JPG)

In true ultraracer style, upon discovering she now had over a 9 minute wait for the next ferry, she went straight into the snack bar and ordered a Groentekrokett.

To reach the ferry, riders havin done 1078km, for some riders this had clearly taken a toll, particularly those like Lindsay McCrae who had fallen 3 times so far, as well as colliding with a bat, and having an altercation with an owl.

![Q8315740](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1wiqUxzeJD5Ko8opYYkRik/80f2231d367e8d54a423737c7becf40d/Q8315740.JPG)

Further down the field riders were finishing the last few kilometers of Friesland or Riding across Flevopolder. Marianne Thissen-smits (cap 49) making good progress maintaining the 200km gap to Jasmijn. 

Francien Peterse (cap 10) took full advantage of the tailwind along the IJsselmeer from Lemmer towards Urk to consolidate her lead over Eline completing 285km to Almere.

https://twitter.com/FP_GDGT/status/1300463004895580168

Eline van Staarlen (cap 3) has been suffering from knee pain and stopped early, in what looks like the same hotel as Marianne did the night before. 

Florine Koning (cap 58) took the opportunity to pass Eline. Her steady progress showing rewards.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CEj6EjWlgfS/

For most riders completing Friesland means the worst of the sheep is behind them. But there are a few patches of sheep to be found further along the route including the area around Hoorn, and a short stretch after Rotterdam. If you're wondering why the sheep get so much mention, its not just the fields of their shit that every rider has to traverse, but the very real danger they present to riders. This incident involving a cyclist and a sheep making a timely reminder - https://nos.nl/r/34082

---

If you have any questions you'd like answered regarding the race, the route, or the riders, please email them to us using the email address at the bottom of the page, and we'll try to answer them on Thursday. Please send your questions before 1200 Amsterdam time on Thursday 3rd September

On Monday morning I cycled out to the IJmuiden ferry to interview the first few riders as they headed south. I'll be publishing some of them over the week. This is out first with Alex Schmitz (cap 55). The audio is in a mix of German and English. A transcript is included with the German translated into English in italic.

https://soundcloud.com/user-135119035/ferry-interview-with-alex

J: What's your name and camp number?

A: Alex, Alex Schmitz, cap 55

J: How are you doing?

A: Ja, es ist anstrengend.  Die Taktik.
In kleinen Zielen versuch Ich heute die 1350 kilometer zu erreichen.
Ja, wir muessen den Koerper reinhorschen um zu schauen wie es in jene Situation doch bewerkstelligd werden kann.

*Yeah, it's hard.  The tactics.
In terms of small goals, today I try to reach the 1350 kilometer mark.
Yeah, I'll have to throw the body into it to see how this can be achieved under these conditions.*

J: How much sleep did you have?

A: Every night maximum 3 hours.  4 hours rest and 3 hours sleep.

---

Thank you to the kind dot watcher for transcribing and translating the interview.

Ferry Interviews - Alex Schmitt (cap 55)

Race Around The Netherlands is a staple in the ultra-endurance calendar renowned for its lack of hills and its trademark winds. It may be one of the flattest races in the world but the Netherlands is not for the faint of heart.

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