Race Around the Netherlands 2024

De Hoge Veluwe National Park.

Race around the Netherlands is a fully self-supported bikepacking race, 
a personal challenge against the clock.

In one word: Unrelenting.
1970km distance, 3183m elevation.
7 days 2 hours 43 minutes.     
86th out of 203 solo riders.
Hotel stays in Groningen, Amsterdam, Westduin and Tilburg.
Approx. 17 hours actual sleep.

Saturday 27 April

Race day, De Proloog, Amerongen. Slept badly the night before.

The Route.

De Proloog, Amerongen. Waiting for the 08:20 group start.

Enjoying the awesome Dutch cycling infrastructure.

Sunday 28 April
Night riding at 1am, near Lemelerveld. Stone cold McDonald's burgers do not go down easily.

At Fort Bourtange early in the morning. photo by adventurebikeracing and Jacob Kopecky

Rode from the start through the first night and into the next day to Groningen. 
Total 542km (461km in 24 hours) from the start until first sleep. 
And then fatigue hit.
Monday 29 April
The Google Datacenter at Eemshaven. Photos didn't do it justice but an absolute highlight at night.
“Waiting for high water" sculpture by Jan Ketelaar, Holwert.

Bike path beside the dyke. photo by adventurebikeracing

Lots of sheep, sheep poop, and cattle grids.

Harlingen. photo by adventurebikeracing

Harlingen breakfast.

On the road again. photo by adventurebikeracing and Jacob Kopecky

Resting beside the Ijsselmeer.

Half an hour cycling 10km down a dead straight, dead flat cycle path into a headwind.

Wind turbine, one of hundreds.

Sunset, cycling from Lelystad towards Amsterdam.

11pm dinner. Hotel restaurant in Amsterdam closed, making do with food available in the lobby.

Tuesday 30 April

First and only puncture 5km out of Amsterdam.

Traditional windmill before Volendam.

Old narrow lock bridge, Zeesluis. photo by adventurebikeracing and Jacob Kopecky

Stopped at Enkhuizen for lunch. photo by adventurebikeracing

Halfway marker on a dyke at Oosterdijk.

Flowers at dusk, 20km south of Den Helder.

Late night nap on town benches, Schoorl.

Wednesday 1 May

Riding through the dunes, just before Hook of Holland.

Golden beaches at Ouddorp.

Massive tailwind along the Delta Works (Deltawerken).

Thursday 2 May

First and only hotel breakfast due to timings. Westduin.

Solar panels, Vlissingen-Oost.

Selfie at Albert Heijn supermarket in Goes. Only 550km to go.

Cockpit photo, Kruiningen.

Friday 3 May

Midnight hotel departure from Tilburg, stopped to shelter from the rain for a 4am snack, Borkel en Schaft.

Fed up after 10 hours of constant rain. Fatigued, thoroughly soaked through and frozen from the wind.

Valkenburg.

Water streaming down Mathieu van der Poel Allee from Terblijt after the rain. photo by Dennis Kempenaars

Rain had turned some paths to mud. Just before Gulpen.

Dutch mountains, Limburg. photo by adventurebikeracing and Jacob Kopecky

Top of the hill, Limburg. photo by adventurebikeracing and Jacob Kopecky

Les Trois Bornes. Woodland spot where the borders of the Netherlands, Germany & Belgium converge.

Evening nap under a tree before riding through the night for the final time.

Saturday 4 May

Greeting the final dawn, 5km before Siebengewald. Struggled through the night, missed a few turns.

Morning finish. photo by adventurebikeracing

Race around the Netherlands finisher, Cap 194. photo by adventurebikeracing

Would I do it again?
Yes.

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