“I try to surprise people every year,” says organizer Tijmen Eising, who is at the start of the Golden Pijl tonight. “Of course there is some overlap in the route every year. If you cycle yourself, you always cycle the same laps. I try to let people come to places where they normally don’t come.”
“We are participating because it seems like a nice trip through the Drenthe country. That is something different than we normally always do,” say two participants. “Normally we cycle mainly in Friesland, a round of Dokkum of about 80 kilometers.” But there are also participants from the area itself. “I like to participate in such a trip. Last year I cycled it with my son. Now with my girlfriend,” says another.
What of course cannot be missing is the wall of Emmen. Furthermore, the route goes via Klijndijk, Noord-Sleen and Barger-Oosterveld, depending on the distance. Participants can choose from 45, 85 and 125 kilometers. “De Korte is mainly for people who started cycling through the Tour de France, so to speak. And the other two are for seasoned cyclists,” says Eising.
More than 500 participants do the tour, and that is more than the previous three editions. “We were asked by the Golden Arrow itself. Two years ago they had no party for this and they wanted a tour again,” says Eising about the origin. “I cycle myself. We are cycling enthusiasts. So in the end we will just try. We think it is so much fun that it is already the third time.”