Food for Thought: what riders eat during their ultra

Merlijn Sluiter (#30) is the first woman to finish the Utrecht Ultra XL 2025

Podium Wrap-Up: Mark ten Cate takes 2nd, Alexander Vahl 3rd

Daniel Steinhauser, first finisher of Utrecht Ultra XL

Final Stretch

The art of enjoying the struggle

Fatigue, Acceptance, and Moving Forward

Unexpected route choices in the French hills

Approaching CP2 Parcours

To sleep, or not to sleep

Daniel Steinhauser

Mark ten Cate

Alexander Vahl

Bram Den Hartog

Maarten Gabriel

Merlijn Sluiter

Julian von Gronefeld

Roel Massink

Jason Schreurs

Martijn Henneau

Roel Hamers

Jur Baltussen

Bram Koeweiden

Joris Bosch

Floris Bakker

Jan Wagtendonk

Jean-Sébastien Henniquiau

Till Menges

Bas Belder

Markus Carlos Hein

Victor van Buuren

Matthijs Stapel

Wilfred van der Schaaf

Lennart Stania

Branko Fort

Ian Berkel

Mateusz Tondel

Jetske van den Berg

Eric Kampherbeek

Hauke Kottek

Thomas Seehausen

Tuur Deeleman

David MacGregor

Pieter Wilbert Molemaker

Dieter De Waele

Sanjay Laidlaw

Ben van den Brand

Robert Ophoff

Bob van Streun

Norbert Münch

Jeroen Doelman

Hugo van Dijk

Pascal Heesakkers

Sarah Dunker

Egbert Darwinkel

Bas Vlaskamp

Arjen Veldhuizen

Mathijs Hoek

Pascal Glass

Sjoerd van ‘t Hul

Youri Zwart

Belle de Gast

Gert Cox

Indy Neerhoff

Tom Hudders

Gieljan Van Camp

David van der Linden

Marcel Zwiers

Pascal Streng

Quirijn Mooij

Patricia van Til

Jip Voshol

Heike Sturm

Pieter Bevernage

Tobias Liermann

Joshua Lequen

Joël Bertschi

Lennart Nap

Wouter Gerritsen

Sebastian Stein

Floris Von Boninghausen

Julio Greff

Stephan Schmich

Abi Squires

Edward Mulder

Pim Heijnen

Paolo Capozzi

Karel Tempelaere

Benjamin Wabel

Martin Dinter

Markus Linz

Jarno Schukken

Robin van Dijk

Benjamin Van Vianen

Gorjan Petrovski

Matthias van Pijkeren

Frans van Helvert

Jaro Robberechts

Thijs Sluijter

Julian Boer

Jelmer Lennartz

Richard Lennartz

Crew 1

Crew 2

The dots are still moving in fast paces to the finish line. The second female finisher has found her way to Utrecht this afternoon, and checkpoint 3 (Eifel) has just had its last visitor. Maybe a last night of sleep for some, and then we'll watch the finish line, where there's fireworks!

### Jetske finishes as second woman
__Jetske van den Berg (#16)__ passed the finish line a few hours ago, as second woman in the race, in a strong performance of 129 hours and 16 minutes. Just 6 minutes before __Eric Kampherbeek (#13)__, the closest gap inbetween riders we’ve had so far. 

> *“My main goal was to have fun and enjoy this race. And I definitely did!"*

__Jetske__ mentioned that her second day was a bit harder because of pain in her knee. She slowed down a bit to save her knee so she would be able to continue, and that worked. She didn’t check the leaderboard much, because she was mainly focussing on her own race. But she can be extremely proud of finishing as second female rider after a really strong ride!

![JNGUYEN UUXL MONDAY prov 041](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4xuUjra1X3ebTcn30ivWBy/2a0b9da5b2cf9a114dfab15ff0a4c2f5/JNGUYEN_UUXL_MONDAY_prov_041.jpg)
*__Jetske__ at Checkpoint 2 in the Vosges mountains (Photo by Jennifer Nguyen @jennifernguyen.p)*

### First pair arrives at the finish
After the father-and-son duo __Jelmer (#93)__ and __Richard Lennartz (#94)__ scratched in the French Ardennes, the only remaining pair knew they 'just' had to cycle home to be first. Sounds easy right? Well, knee issues and the simple fact that they were only halfway, didn't make it easy for __Thijs Sluijter (#96)__ and __Julian Boer (#95)__. But as their last competitors in the pair-classification had scratched, they slowed down a little so they could enjoy the Vosges mountains a bit more. 

> *"Being a pair has its benefits. Sorting things out when the other does your groceries, make agreements on when you have earned your Snickers bar... But above all: the jokes and conversations make the time go a lot faster!"* - __Julian Boer (#95)__

At the finish they felt relieved, and soon started drinking their beers (yes, plural). They shared that six days on the road, being 24 hours a day together, is too long to remain free from some minor disputes or to be having happy conversations all day long. But it was good to see they finished as a strong team, with a huge adventure to look back on. 

### Sleeping spots
First female finisher __Merlijn Sluiter (#30)__ had only stopped for 12 hours during her race, and first male finisher __Daniel Steinhauser (#18)__ even only 7,5 hours. That being said, most other competitors took more time to nap. Some slept in bus stops or along the road, others went for proper hotels, preferably with a 24h key-service. 

![MixCollage-07-Aug-2025-07-40-PM-6685](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4ITTPvj1HxSw6N4gzalXL/baf15bea7c40836a23e3aefc95dfbf8b/MixCollage-07-Aug-2025-07-40-PM-6685.jpg)
*__Bram Koeweiden (#71)__ was quite content with his powernap spots*

__Robert Ophoff (#5)__ mentions on his instagram that he stayed in the little hotel of an elderly couple in the Vosges. They were so kind to give him some leftover food, because all other options in town were already closed. They told him there was another ultra racer there, just the night before. Well, we wouldn't be proper dotwatching fanatics if we didn't tie up the loose ends with this one. So here it is: __Jur Baltussen (#51)__ and __Robert__, you probably slept in the same bed!

![WhatsApp Image 2025-08-08 at 02.42.10](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1vbKRtUGxAHJrJ9bw0YG1A/409c8ff8da82af3718acdcdba2d7f67f/WhatsApp_Image_2025-08-08_at_02.42.10.jpeg)
*__Mateusz Tondel (#21)__ found a little shelter to sleep in*

### Fireworks at the finish line
__Bas Belder (#48)__ finished today in the early morning. But not early enough to keep his supporters at home. They were ready, with fireworks on the bicycle lane, a confetti canon hiding in the bushes and a happy dog to greet him. Lots of excitement there, although __Bas__ was quick to indicate that the finish line was yet another 100 metres. But well, what's one extra minute if your race already lasts 7171 minutes?

Probably eager for some excitement is __Norbert Münch (#72)__, who was tackling some adventurous gravel sections in the Eifel just now. He says that's what happens if you order Strava to make the shortest route over 'all surface types'. Norbert is happy and positive, and he had some really nice routes, he tells co-commentator __[Vova](https://www.instagram.com/trnl/)__. Well, credits to __Norbert__, and also to __Heike Sturm (#74)__, because they both took the brilliant gravel shortcut to *La Planche des Belles Filles*, which I described in an earlier post. 

![MixCollage-07-Aug-2025-06-12-PM-1651](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/MbGJjYMcx5kA0Ut58XqGf/7e774d5230d10eead3274901b193834a/MixCollage-07-Aug-2025-06-12-PM-1651.jpg)
*Norbert Münch (#72) added some extra gravel experiences to his route. "Certainly not the fastest route, but it is pretty!"*

Good news from Norbert: *"At the moment is looks like I will make the finisher party, yay! I am looking forward to see all the other riders there!"* For some, this is still very much the question. Right now, __Pascal Heesakkers (#34)__, __Sarah Dunker (#38)__ and __Egbert Darwinkel (#67)__ are battling for the lantern rouge-honours. If they time their finish right, they might even be arriving during the finisher party on friday evening. When that happens, their finish might be even more exciting than fireworks!

*Want to support some riders when they cross the finish line? You're welcome to cheer at the finish line at the Kromme Haring brewery!*

__Written by [Matthijs Beerepoot](https://www.instagram.com/matthijsbeerepoot/)__

From sleep to fireworks

Food is an essential part of an ultra race. It’s not only needed as fuel, but it influences your morale and perseverance. In this post, we see how competitors use food as part of the race strategy, but also as a motivation or reward!

### A sprint for the pizza
Wednesday evening it felt like happy hour at the finish line. 6 riders arrived in less than 2 hours, led by the arrival of __Jason Schreurs (#7)__ as ninth finisher at 9 PM. Especially __Joris Bosch (#29)__ en __Bram Koeweiden (#71)__ seemed to be racing each other until the very end. Since the start of the finish parcours in Maastricht they had been cycling close to each other. After Bram had overtaken Joris just before Nijmegen, it looked as though Joris was hunting down Bram until his last breath. After he passed the finish as 13th finisher, __Bram__ confirmed he had been racing Joris for a long time already. 

It was therefore a quite hilarious moment when __Joris__, finishing just 15 minutes later, announced his reason to be racing so fast on the last stretch:

> *“Racing __Bram__? No, I had no idea what my ranking was, actually. But I had ordered a pizza that was supposed to be here at 22:00. And I was very hungry.”*

__Joris'__ pizza, a bit cold, was still waiting for him at the finish line. It made __Joris__ a happy finisher. Both he and __Bram__ were welcomed by friends and family (and food), as well as __Jur Baltussen (#51)__ who was still enjoying nachos with his friends. 

![WhatsApp Image 2025-08-07 at 13.19.26 (2)](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1aCR6tYfVeOAdNjQL5RGvr/a7c7ebe425f128cc7cbdd538a420c36c/WhatsApp_Image_2025-08-07_at_13.19.26__2_.jpeg)
*__Bas Belder (#48)__ eating pizza for breakfast*

### What the body needs
> *“When I go in the patisserie, I eat the first two cakes there in seconds, straight into my hand and down they go. But please don’t tell my kids!”* - __Daniel Steinhauser (#18)__

From personal experience, I can say that food can be the biggest challenge in an ultra race. The initial approach to food during an ultra race would be to make sure you can keep your muscles going for a long, long time. Pair-rider __Thijs Sluijter (#96)__ – riding on his ‘magic carpet’ with 60mm-tyres – stuffed almost every bag of his bike full with energy gels. First finisher __Daniel Steinhauser (#18)__ made his own highly concentrated energy gel for in his bottle. *“The most important thing is sugar!”*

> *“The first day I lived on energy bars. By the second day, I was dreading every single one.”*- __Bram Koeweiden (#71)__

Haribo seemed to be a crowd favourite too. Although there was some discussion which was best: the roulette version (__Arjen Veldhuizen (#3)__), tropifrutti (__Til Menges (#24)__), or just the mix of all of them (__Sarah Dunker (#38)__). __Til__ even set a timer for this: every half hour, he had to take some haribo bears or tropifrutti. 

![JNGUYEN UUXL MONDAY prov 008](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/542sSPvj9yiZicCXmA9WWY/35085f8d00306a70ffd5b999a980559b/JNGUYEN_UUXL_MONDAY_prov_008.jpg)
*A stock of haribo bears, probably __Sarah__'s (Photo by Jennifer Nguyen @jennifernguyen.p)*

### What the mind craves
![MixCollage-07-Aug-2025-02-10-PM-9117](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6jReE6RuZ7jlzgXTTboLXa/1c14489021368e062e490353068683fd/MixCollage-07-Aug-2025-02-10-PM-9117.jpg)
*What's on the mind of the competitors? Well, if you look at their social media posts: it's food!*

__Joris__ showed that pizza can be a huge motivation. But he's not the only one using food for a mental advantage. __Martijn Henneau (#17)__, 10th finisher, treated himself to an ice cream to boost the morale, *before* he started his last 55 kilometres. It’s a subtle mental difference with __Robert Ophoff (#5)__, who treated himself to a croissant *after* completing a stretch with lots of height metres. Motivation or reward: whatever works best!

![MixCollage-07-Aug-2025-01-15-PM-7803](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6f5iS1gIkobSgFhb6CAvJH/4453e73307e3c7d57bbf8116ef2d74e7/MixCollage-07-Aug-2025-01-15-PM-7803.jpg)
*__Martijn__: "Moral for the last part!". __Robert__: "After 1.1000 height metres I think I deserve some breakfast."*

__Robert Ophoff (#5)__ did not only have food on his mind though, but also beer. He was not only thinking about beer, but even comparing climbing percentages with alcohol percentages, as a way to rank the difficulty of the climb: *"It was so steep that if there was that much percentage in your beer, it would be in the spirits category."* __Robert__ is steadily approaching the finish parcours, where most climbs will be just beers again or even non-alcoholic (<0,5%). 

*Meanwhile, __Marcel Zwiers (DNF, #53)__ is making his way up the finish parcours, after not being able to finish UUXL due to gear issues. But as gears as less necessary in the Netherlands, he resumes his way again (but still DNF, so no dotwatching possible). He tells me: "All goes well, but the snackbar is not open yet... Hungry!!"*

__Written by [Matthijs Beerepoot](https://www.instagram.com/matthijsbeerepoot/)__

*Photos in featured image by Jennifer Nguyen @jennifernguyen.p*

__Merlijn Sluiter (#30)__ is the first woman to finish the Utrecht Ultra XL 2025!

After riding 1723.83 km* kilometres on challenging roads across several countries, __Merlijn__ rolled into Utrecht in __100 hours and 35 minutes__, averaging an impressive __410.59 km__ per day and securing an impressive __6th place__ overall. She was met by a big crowd of friends and family at Brewpub De Kromme Haring to cheer her across the line, celebrating her remarkable accomplishment.![UUXL Merlijn 2](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1sPdAYXLbKY9PBZwxmtdI4/1dc2be303fe8ac61a50b92627161556c/20250806-DSC01155.jpg)
*Photo by Ruben Platte*

Throughout the self-supported race, __Merlijn__ faced tough climbs, tricky navigation, and very little sleep. Yet, she stayed steady, strong, and humble from start to finish.

Congratulations, Merlijn, on an outstanding race — your determination and spirit inspired us all!

We have some finishers to celebrate!

__Mark ten Cate (#20)__ secured 2nd place finish with a total time of __89 hours and 14 minutes__. An outstanding performance and huge congratulations, Mark! __Alexander Vahl (#10)__ followed closely, clinching the 3rd spot with a total time of __91 hours and 7 minutes__. That rounds out our podium!

Additionally, __Bram Den Hartog (#23)__ and __Maarten Gabriel (#91)__ crossed the finish line today in impressive times of 95 hours 35 minutes and 98 hours 46 minutes, respectively. Chapeau, guys!

__Merlijn Sluiter (#30)__ is entering Utrecht right now the finish and expected to reach Kromme de Haring by lunchtime. If you're nearby, come cheer for our first woman finisher! Interestingly, __Merlijn__ made a side detour through Valkenburg — perhaps tackling the Cauberg or absorbing some extra cycling spirit from this iconic Amstel Gold Race town. She was briefly passed by __Maarten Gabriel (#91)__ and __Julian von Gronefeld (#83)__, but soon caught back up with __Julian__.

__Jetske van den Berg (#16)__ had a solid night's rest near Mettlach, sleeping around six hours. She is currently about 80 km from CP3.

Most riders have now entered Germany, marking the shift from croissants to brötchen!

Also yesterday, __Bas Belder (#48)__ shared an update:
> *I began the afternoon eager to race but soon felt sharp knee pain. Each pedal stroke was painful, forcing me to stop. Tonight I'm in a hotel, resting. Tomorrow I'll see if I can continue.*

Today, Bas managed to reach CP3, so hopefully the rest has eased his knee pain a bit.

A few riders approaching CP3 made a special pass through the famous Nürburgring pit lane, adding a sightseeing element to their ride!
![UUXL Tondel](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2i3LHoZcWj1Wr9XoL0pHYo/392b4a5916961287af038c8b5f501814/528047241_18069065291160231_2436436073190730549_n.jpg)
_Photo by Mateusz Tondel_

Unfortunately, our previous lanterne rouge, __Heike Sturm (#74)__, decided to stop racing. But she had quite a strategy – after climbing Planche and Ballon de Servance, she returned to her original resting spot for a second long break!

Now holding the lanterne rouge position is __Sarah Dunker (#38)__, currently finishing up the challenging CP2 parcours.

I’ve reached out to a couple of riders to share voice updates, so stay tuned!

__Written by Vova Mihura__


At 21:03 on Tuesday, __Daniel Steinhauser (#18)__ is the first rider to cross the finish line in Utrecht! *"Fucking headwinds"*, were one of the first words he shared after crossing the finish line in Utrecht. The last stretch had been tough, but he delivered and outstanding performance by finishing the race in 85 hours and 3 minutes. 

### The final push
Asked about his ambitions in advance, __Daniel__ was pretty clear: he came here to be first. Well, he delivered. And he did so in a very impressive way. He has been battling at the front of the race since the start on saturday morning. Proving to be very efficient and determined, he created the decisive gap after the Vosges parcours on Sunday night. But the last stretch in the Netherlands proved to be quite challenging:

> "The wind was super strong. So I moved with 170-200 Watt in aero position. I saw: ok, 80 kilometres behind me is the next. That's maybe 3 or 4 hours. So I just did my job."

__Daniel Steinhauser__ has been successful in ultra races before. He made careful preparations, sharing his packing list and bike setup with the world on his [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/stonebikehappy/). Also, in October 2024, the German improved the 24-hour indoor cycling world record by virtually completing 962km in 24 hours. Now he can add another impressive victory to his list. 

![20250805-DSC01046](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2QI3DKGXOY1VfwbzzUlwxJ/989bee8ccf4678aa210b74ce889f463e/20250805-DSC01046.jpg)
*Daniel Steinhauser has proof: all the stamps are collected! (Photo by Ruben Platte @rubenplatte)*

### The little finisher party
__Daniel__ was welcomed at the finish line by race organiser __Ruben Platte__, strong competitor (until his DNF in the Vosges) __Bas Vlaskamp (#8)__, Utrecht Ultra '24 and '25 winner __Lennart Nap__ and myself. Unfortunately, Daniel can not make it to the finisher party on friday evening, so we made a little alternative finisher party out of it. Daniel enjoyed his pizza and we enjoyed his stories. 

![WhatsApp Image 2025-08-05 at 21.35.13](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4lq9ZPygc2KPntu7fBeCs3/7482f83b6e61a59c090f34363a17deb8/WhatsApp_Image_2025-08-05_at_21.35.13.jpeg)
*Lennart, Matthijs, Bas and Daniel at brewpub De Kromme Haring (Photo by Ruben Platte @rubenplatte)*

The reunion between __Bas__ and __Daniel__ was especially nice, after chasing each other for so long on the bike. Daniel said about the scratching (DNF) of Bas:

> "It was a little bit boring without you."

Bas Vlaskamp, in turn, is still curious why Daniel didn't show up on his ChatGPT-created list of race favourites. ChatGPT apparently still has a lot to learn. But we will remember his name now!

__Written by [Matthijs Beerepoot](https://www.instagram.com/matthijsbeerepoot/)__

Anything can happen in the final kilometers, so stay focused and keep pushing—because, as UU25 rider Gert-Jan Schilder, currently nearing his own finish in the VIA Race, famously said: *"It's never done until it's done."*

Three riders, __Daniel Steinhauser (#18)__, __Mark ten Cate (#20)__, and __Alexander Vahl (#10)__, are now on the final stretch of the race, navigating the challenging finish parcours. Riders recently faced a tough gravel section resembling a muddy cyclocross track.
![UUXL25 Gravel Roads](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7t7Oo44RfdUG42INc339Pw/13155c8e0fe62c8fde1ea9b6a2eec735/Screenshot_2025-08-05_at_2.32.47â__PM.png)

The leaders opted for minimal sleep last night, relying only on quick power naps. __Daniel__ rested just over an hour, __Mark__ roughly 100 minutes, while __Alexander__ pushed on with no significant rest at all.
![UUXL25 Daniel's Stop ](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/livPTeYvmKQxdqFz33vos/d1ae57f545edffff88a15601209eb152/Screenshot_2025-08-05_at_1.24.59â__PM.png)
*Likely stop of Daniel Steinhauser (#18) near Einruhr*

__Daniel__ is leading, just about 100 km from the finish. He shared briefly that difficult sleeping conditions and relentless wind have worn him down, but he remains determined to finish strong this evening. __Mark__ holds 2nd place, steadily trailing Daniel by about another 100 km.

__Merlijn Sluiter (#30)__ continues her impressive race, leading the women's category and currently holding an outstanding 5th position overall. 

From CP3 to the finish parcours, riders faced two main route options: one through the Eifel National Park, and another bypassing it to the northeast. Surprisingly, Komoot showed the Eifel route as slightly longer (120 km vs. 119 km) but with less elevation gain (1,380 m vs. 1,450 m). However, the Eifel route includes steep climbs, with gradients reaching up to 23%. Riders __Alexander Vahl (#10)__, __Bram Den Hartog (#23)__, and __Merlijn__ chose to avoid these steep climbs by taking the northeastern route.![UUXL Eifel Route](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/uYIPCVHclQVIWlY1IhcaE/bef2c6edf4db81f0c1d18b51bd3e164d/Screenshot_2025-08-05_at_4.33.07â__PM.png)
*Different route choices between Daniel, Mark and Alexander, Bram & Merlijn*

Among other riders, __Bas Belder (#48)__ encountered multiple flat tires and a blowout, but remains optimistic despite setbacks and minimal sleep. He's enjoying sunshine while others behind him, including __Mateusz Tondel (#21)__ battle heavy rain, adding extra difficulty to their ride.
![UUXL25 Different Conditions](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5aScEojob2cVXmp7HceC24/89c11c52d4480a5818706b9101aea00a/merged.png)
*Different conditions for Bas Belder (#48) and Mateusz Tondel (#21)*

Nine riders have now cleared CP3, with __Jason Schreurs (#7)__ passing at 15:31. Meanwhile, our lantern rouge, __Heike Sturm (#74)__, is currently on the CP2 parcours. Her tracker hasn't moved for the last 5 hours, but she still has plenty of time left to make the cut-off.

The only leftover pair, __Thijs Sluijter (#96)__ and __Julian Boer (#95)__, continue their unique climb comparison between an 11-40 cassette and a beach racing bike. According to [Matthijs's](https://www.instagram.com/matthijsbeerepoot/) research, the beach racing bike seems superior on the climbs — __Thijs__ even described it as riding "like a magic carpet." The pair have now shifted focus purely to finishing, taking their time and even enjoying a long 7-hour sleep. According to photographer Jennifer, who spoke with them in the Vosges, their mindset is clear: "We just need to ride home to be the first pair."

Now with the words of __Bas Belder (#48)__:
> *Follow along, and catch you later. Ciao ciao ciao.*

__Written by Vova Mihura__


Big differences are starting to appear in the front of the men’s race! We're sad to announce that __Bas Vlaskamp (Cap 8)__ just scratched from the race, due to mental challenges and possibly fatigue. Bas was in front for big parts of the race, but last night __Daniel Steinhauser (Cap 18)__ has taken over the lead again. At the moment, the margin between Daniel and runner-up __Mark ten Cate (Cap 20)__ is around 100 kilometres. A huge distance, but still: nothing is certain. 

### Efficiency and mental struggles in the front
On his Instagram account, __Daniel__ mentioned earlier in the race: *“I don't think the person who sleeps the least will win the race, but the person who sleeps the least and still rides fast.”* Daniel seems to have found a very efficient combination of taking short naps and being able to ride on a consistently fast pace. He was still pretty energetic, race organiser __Ruben__ told co-commentator __Vova__ and me after meeting Daniel at Checkpoint 2:

> “He was being super efficient, doing everything as quickly as he could, definitely on a mission to win this race. But it’s still a long way to go, anything could happen.”

![20250803-DSC00295](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1R6gfbHT9lGdLqBpRwkyRg/253c1aef227d323b8a95dad78956adcf/20250803-DSC00295.jpg)
*__Daniel__ looking sharp (Photo by Ruben Platte @rubenplatte)*

__Bas Vlaskamp (Cap 8)__ came in pretty tired at Checkpoint 2. He took a moment to slow down there, as it was his first proper stop. The mental struggles were there for him. Not so strange for an ultra, but hard to deal with.  Bas was still determined to continue, but he told us: *“I’m not enjoying it too much anymore.”* This was before he slept for a few hours. Just now, he scratched by turning off his tracker and sending a mail from Saarburg, Germany. 

![WhatsApp Image 2025-08-04 at 20.45.01](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3y2f2ZCRscD2fVvSqS18Xf/fcdf58ed46f37e330a2752206d5db760/WhatsApp_Image_2025-08-04_at_20.45.01.jpeg)
*__Bas__: "Just sat on this bench for a while and decided to scratch"*

### Bee stings and malfuntioning trackers
Of all the things that can happen on the road, some are maybe less expected. __Mateusz Tondel (Cap 21)__ was stung by a bee and got an allergic reaction. He had to make an extra stop to buy some anti-allergics. 

![WhatsApp Image 2025-08-04 at 20.41.49 (1)](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1ccEdrbfToXlsAYl0Z32iP/cf33477bb73d0269a198205efa024bc0/WhatsApp_Image_2025-08-04_at_20.41.49__1_.jpeg)
__Mateusz__ about the anti-allergics: *“It’s swollen again. The wrist is constantly under pressure. Especially today, with all the downhills. But the pain is less than yesterday. I hope this will help.”*

__Robert Ophoff (Cap 5)__ doesn’t seem to have a lot of problems at the moment. For all I know, he’s on fire, crushing every Vosges mountain in his planned ‘1.5 hour per climb + descent’. The only problem might be his tracker, that unjustly claims that he’s stil far away at the back of the field. *“No worries, I’m still alive!”*, he says on his Instagram. *“The tracker is still asleep in the hotel. I hope it’s in my bike bag, otherwise someone will have to pay a visit to that hotel.”* Who __Robert__ means by that “someone” he doesn’t mention. I hope for him there’s no need to return!

### Motivation through natural beauty
The Vosges mountains were mentioned by a lot of people as being a beautiful addition to the route of Utrecht Ultra XL. __Sarah Dunker (Cap 38)__ just entered the Vosges parcours and will be enjoying the surroundings: 

> “The inclusion of the Vosges was the final motivation to register for UUXL. I cycled that area before, and I’m looking forward to go there again. This time hopefully during daylight!”

Luckily for __Sarah__ the first mountains will be in the daylight. After that, I expect her to stop for the night in the Refuge de Hahnenbrunnen, that has a dorm reserved for Utrecht Ultra XL-riders. If she would have her eyes on the ranking, she would be chasing __Jetske van den Berg (Cap 16)__, who is also at the Vosges parcours. But knowing __Sarah__ a bit, she will be focussing on her own race. *“Make it YOUR race, with your own pace and your own strategy, and don’t compare to others”*, she told Ruben before. 

![WhatsApp Image 2025-08-04 at 21.02.52](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/35mMtOKAFUM9YaHsWKgWDx/8fb16e9437b7bf8ff72568578b584b5f/WhatsApp_Image_2025-08-04_at_21.02.52.jpeg)
*__Sarah__ in training before Utrecht Ultra XL*

Another person who will be enjoying the Vosges mountains is __Jason Schreurs (Cap 7)__. He is riding on the 10th spot, but has had a tough time until now. He told __[Vova](https://www.instagram.com/trnl/)__ at his start of the Vosges parcours:

> “Oh man, the first part was horrible. I pushed on, and pushed on, and I slept only 10 minutes in the first night. I was so fucking tired. Never been so tired, so wrecked. But now I’m ok. I really like the mountains. I’m going to do the Petit Ballon after this, the most beautiful climb around here. I am really looking forward to it, let’s continue to Germany today!”

Slowly, we will be turning our eyes on Germany, now the first few riders have already entered this new country. For some, they will fear the hills of the Eifel. But our German riders, will they notice extra rocket power when they reach their home ground?

__Written by [Matthijs Beerepoot](https://www.instagram.com/matthijsbeerepoot/)__


Day 3 is often the hardest in ultra-distance cycling. Riders typically feel heavy fatigue, soreness, and mental resistance around this time. From personal experience, this day is about acceptance. You know there's still a long road ahead, you're tired, but the best thing you can do is embrace the journey and keep going.

## Overnight Weather

Last night, the Vosges mountains saw temperatures drop to around 11–14°C, possibly colder at higher elevations. It made for a challenging night.

## Sleep Strategies

All riders stopped for some form of sleep. with an average rest time of around 7.4 hours. Most chose early sleep breaks (starting around 21:00), showing strategic planning for the tough days ahead.

At the key CP2 location, riders like __Alexander Vahl(Cap 10)__, __Maarten Gabriel (Cap 91)__, __Merlijn Sluiter (Cap 30)__, __Bram Den Hartog (Cap 23)__, __Mark ten Cate (Cap 20)__, and __Julian von Gronefeld (Cap 83)__ took significant sleep breaks of around 5–8 hours each.

__Daniel Steinhauser (Cap 18) (currently our front runner)__  stopped only for 90 minutes sleep at CP2 refuge. 
![UUXL25 Sleep Strategy](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7ewXmynuC0WgsRqCuA9ovw/47ec19a69537f7923a01dc60b331b87f/sleep_strategy_fixed_charts.png)

## Women's Race

__Merlijn Sluiter (Cap 30)__ arrived at CP2 at 01:47 and left at 07:39, departing in great spirits, being 1st women and 8th overall. __Jetske van den Berg (Cap 16)__ had a good rest in Rupt-sur-Moselle, while __Sarah Dunker (Cap 38)__ and __Heike Sturm (Cap 74)__ are further behind but making steady progress.

## Men's Updates

__Daniel Steinhauser (Cap 18)__ shared a positive update despite getting only about 90 minutes of sleep at CP2. At the time of writing, Daniel has already crossed the border into Germany, his home country, which likely gives him an extra mental boost. He faced a minor mechanical issue costing around 10 minutes, but he's still feeling good and focused for the 3,000 meters of climbing ahead.
![UUXL25 Daniel](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/JAISc60wPcWbV0RjXoUno/9811f08db17fd89f76ca87d915fa34c5/Screenshot_2025-08-04_at_11.57.14â__AM.png)

__Bas Vlascamp (Cap 8)__ took an interesting strategic four-hour sleep break at a cold bus stop just 30 km after CP2, opting for this less comfortable location instead of resting at the refuge. It's unclear if this choice was part of a mental game, a deliberate strategy to avoid becoming too comfortable, or simply due to accumulated sleep deprivation. He's now further behind Daniel, but it remains to be seen if Daniel's aggressive, minimal-sleep strategy will pay off in the long run.
![UUXL25 Bas Sleep Location](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/nWBMRtod6I5gIgsKmyCsC/aef6e8e6fb575bb8edf39d13bf08b756/Screenshot_2025-08-04_at_11.10.23â__AM.png)
*Possible location for Bas' sleep stop*

__Mark ten Cate (Cap 20)__ arrived at CP2 at 20:46, just 01:36 after Daniel, securing the 3rd position, and continues chasing Bas, currently still in 3rd place.

__Arjen Veldhuizen (Cap 3) (DNF)__ reached CP2 experiencing severe knee pain. He decided to wait until morning, following the classic ultra-cycling advice to "never scratch at night." Unfortunately, his situation hadn't improved by morning, leading him to withdraw from the race.

__Sjoerd van ‘t Hul (Cap 12) (DNF)__ initially chose a comfortable resting spot — camping in an ATM room. But, unfortunately, had to abandon the race due to severe pain in his feet, achilles, and knees.

__Martijn Henneau (Cap 17)__ is pushing forward, staying determined despite challenges. __Bas Belder (Cap 48)__ gave us a detailed update: yesterday was tough, with multiple flat tires and a late-night food run. But today, after four hours of restful sleep, he feels refreshed and ready to tackle the beautiful, green Vosges mountains.

## Pairs Category

__Julian Boer (Cap 95)__ and __Thijs Sluiter (Cap 96)__ are currently approaching the CP2 parcours. They stopped in Remiremont and had a very restful sleep, preparing well for the upcoming segment.

__Father-and-son team Lennartz (Cap 93 & Cap 94) (DNF)__ faced a significant mechanical issue with their integrated cables, causing them to get stranded near the Belgian border. They managed a successful repair, but unfortunately, later Jelmer developed severe inflammation in his knee. Despite preparing for a night ride, his condition worsened quickly, forcing the Lennartz team to abandon the race. Richard plans to return and try again next year.
![UUXL25 Lennartz](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4StlIS0Eun5cjszSSgJybs/c652edcab0ab7a58c0ecb7e9d16a7b6b/524837535_1250271929751470_8683511791903776274_n.jpg)
*Photo by Richard Lennartz*

Stay tuned as riders keep pushing ahead, each facing their own unique challenges on this journey!

__Written by Vova Mihura__

In this post: some extra attention to the self-made ‘free routes’ of the riders. Because lots of interesting things happened there! And believe it or not, the most unexpected route choices turned (sometimes) out to be the best! In this post two fantastic examples of the best route craftsmanship until now. 

### Types of route designers
Part of an ultra is just cycling. But the other part is about being clever, being efficient, having some luck, and making the right choices. Making a convenient route is part of that. Let’s separate the competitors in 3 kinds of people:
1. The ones that go for the logical route
2. The ones that go for 'flat = fast'
3. The adventurers!

### 1. The most logical route
For some it’s because they let Komoot do the thinking, for others it’s a carefully planned route that still makes you end up with the majority of the riders. Many times the most logical route is just the best. In France, the front end of the field mostly went for the route that ended up being the most popular. It roughly follows the Meuse/Maas first, and then the Moselle/Moezel towards the Vosges mountains. One of them being birthday boy __Robert Ophoff (Cap 5)__. Congrats Robert!

![20250803-DSC00327 (1)](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6vWivMTstaMNSK8FjskfBE/b54bbf988cbfc5da1ffb648bf35da765/20250803-DSC00327__1_.jpg)
*Want to meet others now and then? Take the most logical route! (Photo by Ruben Platte @rubenplatte)*

But it’s in the two other categories where it gets interesting…

### 2. Flat = fast
Luxembourg? Yes, Luxembourg! It might been the best route choice riders could have made. And yet, this choice was only being made by one person: __Jan Wagtendonk (Cap 82)__. I know, when looking at the map it might be hard to convince you that Luxembourg was the place to go, but I’ll show you the hard data from Checkpoint 1 to the start of the Vosges parcours. :

Luxembourg route: 397km | 3.700m elevation
Most logical route: 389 km | 4.000m elevation

Conclusion: only 8 kilometres more, but 300m of elevation less. I think the Luxembourg route could well be the fastest. __Jan__ went from passing Checkpoint 1 as 34th to being 15th as he came back to the ‘logical route’ just south of Nancy. Hats off to him!

![Jan in Luxembourg](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7FTpX9cn0MTrxEaR7sVp77/075530deab651846b8914c62adf7d42c/Jan_in_Luxembourg.PNG)
*__Jan Wagtendonk (Cap 82)__ doing some route craftsmanship in Luxembourg*

More people opted for some flatter sections. __Dieter De Waele (Cap 80)__ takes the most western route, an area that’s a bit less hilly. He’s coming in all kinds of places that no-one else has been, and might even have obtained some fresh water in Bar-le-Duc. (Fun fact: the mineral water actually comes from Utrecht, and has no connection to the French town.)

Some of the river-lovers followed the beautifully winding river Meuse to the south from Checkpoint 1. __Ben van den Brand (Cap 19)__ was one of them. He predicted it to me at the start, that being strong and tall has it advantages, but that it makes him choose for flat sections whenever possible. But also top-5 contender __Alexander Vahl (Cap 10)__ took this route. The route didn’t prove to be quicker or slower, but it certainly made for some nice views. 

### 3. Appreciation for the adventurers!
To come to my second example of route craftsmanship - the first one was the Luxembourg-visit of __Jan Wagtendonk__ - let me describe the start of the Vosges parcours first. To come there, you first have to climb up the *Ballon de Servance*, descent, and then climb up again to the startpoint at *La Super Planche des Belles Filles* (it’s super steep!). After that, you go down again, go up the *Ballon de Servance* again, and then the rest of the parcours. Sounds like doing things double, right?

![WhatsApp Image 2025-08-04 at 00.14.57](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2suWTmlaTi9z4zSM4iGHTd/0e5bbf6fa2649cd37e29ed4930683cf3/WhatsApp_Image_2025-08-04_at_00.14.58.jpeg)
*__Bas Belder (Cap 48)__ going up to the start of the Vosges parcours*

Some riders found a solution for this. __Jean-Sebastian Henniquiau (Cap 64)__ for instance. He took a detour and approached the start of the parcours from the south. Longer distance, but one climb less, well done. __Floris Bakker (Cap 58)__ seems to be doing something like that as well. __Dieter De Waele (Cap 80)__ and __Roel Hamers (36)__ also look like they are going for this creative solution. 

But the second (virtual) route craftsmanship award (or was it a rash gamble?) goes to none others than frontrunner __Bas Vlaskamp (Cap 8)__ and chaser __Bram den Hartog (Cap 23)__, for their gravel adventures up in the Vosges mountains. Their solution was basically not going down inbetween the two mountains, but just staying up there on some gravel path. When we look back with the ‘replay’ option on the dotwatching map, we can see that __Bas__ took a different turn when he was really close to __Daniel Steinhauser (Cap 18)__. I’m imagining __Daniel__ wondering where __Bas__ had gone, and seeing him hours later coming out of the bushes up the mountain. It had race organiser __Ruben__ wondering for a while: *“Is Bas confused about the route? I would feel bad for him if that's the case."*

![Aug 3 - bas-cp2-5](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/40aEySIcbZ5qXBqdts0Cop/f39c954f06f33b56809b7ca2ee2c3c5e/Aug_3_-_bas-cp2-5.jpg)
*__Bas__ and __Daniel__ meeting at Checkpoint 2 (Photo by Tycjan Trzpiola @tycjantrzpiola)*

This route choice really paid off, though. __Bas__ was considerably faster than __Daniel__, but it was __Bram__ that proved the real strength of this route. He came half an hour closer to the people he was chasing: __Alexander Vahl (Cap 10)__, __Arjen Veldhuizen (Cap 3)__ and __Mark ten Cate (Cap 20)__. These four are currently all sleeping at the Refuge de Hahnenbrunnen, so we'll see who wakes up first. 

For the rest: cheers to __Wilfred van der Schaaf (Cap 33)__, __Sarah Dunker (Cap 38)__ and __Heike Sturm (Cap 74)__ for making nice and original route choices. Who knows what stories they are gonna tell at the finishers party next Friday.  

*We've seen that __Jan__, __Bram__ and __Bas__ (among others) did their homework. You can expect some more route tactics from them, maybe some unusual approach of the Vaalserberg later in the race?*

__Written by Matthijs Beerepoot__

The nights are always tough for the riders. Many pushed through, significantly shaping the race. But nights have a nice property — they always end. As soon as the sun rises, riders often feel a fresh boost of energy.

In the women's race, __Merlijn Sluiter (Cap 30)__ and __Jetske van den Berg (Cap 16)__ decided to take proper sleep breaks, each resting around four to five hours. __Merlijn__ stopped in the Givet area near CP1, confirming earlier suspicions, while __Jetske__ rested further along in Houdremont, France. Interestingly, __Belle de Gast (Cap 4)__ chose a completely different strategy, stopping only briefly along the way. Unfortunately, her aggressive approach didn't pay off this time, leading __Belle__ to withdraw from the race. She had mentioned to [Matthijs](https://www.instagram.com/matthijsbeerepoot/) at the start that she would see how the race unfolded and might stop if she wasn't enjoying it enough.

__Jetske__ took a route through Verdun, similar to most riders—including the leading men — while __Merlijn__ chose a distinctive path via Nancy, setting her apart from the majority.

On the men's side, __Daniel Steinhauser (Cap 18)__  shared an update from near the start of the CP2 parcours. He mentioned the close competition in the challenging Vosges mountains and noted that while his sleep was limited, it was very strategic and well-invested. __Daniel__ and __Bas Vlascamp (Cap 8)__ have chosen the same general route but are clearly watching each other closely, each approaching CP2 with slightly different tactics.

__Sjoerd van ‘t Hul (Cap 22)__ had a good rest near Verdun in a bivy, which will definitely help him in the long day ahead. Meanwhile, __Arjen Veldhuizen (Cap 3)__, __Alexander Vahl (Cap 10)__, and __Mark ten Cate (Cap 20)__ are steadily gaining ground, closing in behind the leaders, with __Mark__ currently about 20km from Le Thillot. ![UUXL25 CP2 1](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1gp4hACQyWRF5y3jjNqbGh/22a2b057556b3cf5c444b10d51b314ae/sjoerdhul.jpg)
*Photo by Sjoerd van ‘t Hul*

All the leading riders took similar routes through Verdun, and notably, __Bas__ continues his incredible performance—covering 761 kilometers with just 5 minutes total stopping time.

Looking at CP1, 58 riders successfully passed it, while 30 did not, making for a completion rate of 65.9% at this early stage.

We also saw some notable withdrawals, including __Youri Zwart (Cap 45)__ due to multiple issues like knee pain, __Gert Cox (Cap 86)__ who wasn't feeling well, __Belle De Gast (Cap 4)__ possibly due to her aggressive minimal-stop strategy, and __Indy Neerhoff (Cap 66)__, who had to withdraw due to illness.

Stay tuned—there's plenty more to come as riders tackle the demanding terrain ahead!

__Written by Vova Mihura__

Matthijs Beerepoot

Vova Mihura

Utrecht Ultra XL 2025 road bikepacking race in Netherlands

Utrecht Ultra XL 2025

Utrecht Ultra XL offers double the climbing of its sister race (Utrecht Ultra) on a mixture of free and fixed route roads. At the adventures farthest point, a stunning yet demanding parcours through the Vosges mountains awaits riders.

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