A short update of the last 2 months. Again many cycle stories. I can hardly believe that it has been 2 months since my last story and I promise I will try harder to post more frequently a new story. A website should be up to date and so I agree 2 months of silence is too long.

In the end of August we participated in the tourversion of the Vuelta who started in Assen, Netherlands this year. Despite the bad weather we enjoyed the nice trip and rode an nice average with a little group. At the aidstations it was crowded most of the times and we had to stand in line, but we still had fun. About 20 km before the finish line it started raining cats and dogs with hail as well. Not something we were pleased with, neither with my flat tire. There was a little air left and I thought for the last 8 kilometers I will coop. However just before entering Assen again we had to make another loup of about 12 kilometers. So afterall still changed my tube. The next day we went to Witteveen to see the elite cyclists fly by. Cool to see and even Sinterklaas (Dutch Santa Claus who lives in Spain) had come over a few months earlier fot this event .

 Three weeks later I was on my way to St Pons (close to Barcelonette), France. Due to illness, injuries and other sufferings there came some room available in the 'rented' house of SVU iceskating 'madmen' Arnold and Jan. Mirjam Weerd was also keen on a week cycling in the mountains and so we went with the four of us. We had beautiful weather and heart and saw many marmots. However they did not really want to pose for the camera, eh Mirjam?

8 ascents and tops in 4 days:: Col de Pontis (a really mean calfbiter), Col St Jean, Col de Vars, Col St Anna, Col de Bonnet (over 2800 meters so some snow on the top), Col de Cayolle, Col de Champs en Col d’Allos. After those four days Mirjam and I did a nice hike. The signs were quite hard to find in the beginning but once on track we mad a nice loop with quite some altitude meters. On the last day we wanted to climb col de Larche. However the weather was bad and we even heart some thunder in de distance. After 5 km into the climb it did not seem so smart to continue. Although I really wanted to climb this one as well we turned. I guess wisedom comes with age. Afterall a pretty good decision as 5 kilometers before home it started to rain and it only got worse. Overall a great and fun week.

A week later I was at the start of a cycling race in Germany. Men and women started at the same time. There was a tough wind and we had to start in the B zone. The fences for the B zone were not opened until after the cyclists in the A zone had already started. We had some catch up work to do right from the start. We managed but it took already a lot of energy. AFter that the main goal was to stick to the group. The first 30 kilometers we had favourable wind and averaged about 43 km/h.  It was like a really cycle race. Many roads were blocked and once in the villages there were often people cheering to us. You really had to watch out as in the villages there were also many curves and sometimes also cobble stones. Fortunately we managed to keep the first group. There was one other woman in the first group. After about 74 kilometers we came back into the city and there were fences at the sides. I thought now I have to make sure I stick to the front. They speeded up and up and suddenly there was a 400 meters sign. I had no clue where the other woman was and thought just go go go. She did not pass me and I was first woman with an average of 39km/h over 77 kilometers. I just needed this after all the misery. And it became even better at price giving I won a week Crans Montana (Switzerland) for being first woman.  

The remaining of this month October I had to keep cycling some. Why? On the first of November we will fly to Curacao for a week of holiday. We will take the bikes as we will participate in the Amstel Curacao Race. A "race" on Curacao where also elite cyclists will participate. For them it is the closure of the season and a holiday. But isn't it cool to be able to start in the same race as the Tour de France winner Contador, Schleck, Moerenhout, Hudshov etc. The first 5 kilometers are limited to get out of the town so I have to see if I can manage a spot between them then, before they really start hammering .

Last Friday I had a kind of try out during the Rabobank Cauberg Cinic. With a group of approximately 15 people we were accompanied by rabobank cyclist Joost Posthuma. A loup of 74 km through the Limburg (southern province of the Netherlands) hills with at the end a climb time trial on the Cauberg. I have cycled many times in Limburg but we never climb the Cauberg. However at price giving, done by Douwe Kroeske I proved to be the fastest woman and I got my first real polka dot jersey and a nice bouquet of flowers. On top of that 3 kisses from Hennie Kuiper. For me it was also important of course at which rank I was in the overall field. Which was 15th.

Finally, I have also started speedskating again this winter season and I hope to improve my technique. I regretted that I could not start at the Dutch champs wintertriathlon last weekend. It is still on my wanting to do list but that bloody running......