180 KMS ROUND MARKERMEER

Today 28 members the Nike L'Etape du Tour team and Tour do ALS team did a hard ride as another preparation for the ride in 3 weeks in the Mont Ventoux and for the Tour de France in July: 180 kms around the Markermeer in around 6 hours. An average speed of 29 kms/h to show the team commitment and effort.

We started at 9:00 from Hilversum and the plan was to do the Markermeer round. From the beginning we were pushing 35 to 37 km per hour and going thru the small villages really quick. Good speed from the start and the team was keen to put effort on it. Everybody was pushing and the lead group didn't give any respite.

From Hilversum we went to Weesp, Muilden and follow the dike all the way to Hoorn. The ride thru the dike was all against the wind and to do turns in the front was very hard. We kept good speed, pushing even 39 kms/h, to the credit of the British guys who were always in front.

We went thru the dike between the Markeermer and the Ijsselmeerm with a good tail/cross wind and we push like crazy putting some 40 to 42 kms/h and still not really relaxing. Everybody was pushing and taking turns and putting effort. Several times small groups were formed and people were bridgint between them all the time, what makes it more interesting.

After a quick stop in restaurant in the middle of the dike between the Markermeer and the IJsselmeer to refill the bottles with water we took off again. And now with even more push and speed, recording speeds of 44 kms/h up to 46 kms/h at some point. Fun stuff.  At the end of the dike we went thru Lelystad thru Almere Haven all the way down to Hilversum. Some of the Tour du ALS guys did a extra distance coming from and returning to Utrecht.

The next challenge for part of the Tour du ALS is to participate in Limburgse Mooiste. 175 kms in the hills of the dutch Ardennes: a good climbing preparation to go up 3 times the Mont Ventoux in just 3 weeks!

OBSERVATIONS
- Joining another big team with more or less the same speed and riding etiquete was fun and refreshing.
- Crazy old cyclist with vintage clothing and huge white mustache waiving to us from the top of the dike.
- Funny dog at the restaurante smelling us from a distance and trying to figure out if what we had in the hand was edible. And with a sneeze deciding not.
- Team pushing hard and feeling very good and PRO about it and being overtaken by 3 real quick guys.
- Team still need to learn how to ride safe in a big pack but camaraderie and team spirit is starting to show up.
- Some guys ordering huge chichen sanduwiches and eating them on the bike with pieces falling all over the road.