They have been out of the picture for at least thirty years, but tomorrow the laurel wreaths will be hung around the neck of the TT winners again.
Florist Alex Aalders from Assen received a phone call at the beginning of this week. “They wanted to do something special with the 100th anniversary of the TT. I was asked if I wanted to make the laurel wreaths. I used to do that before, with my old employer, so I picked it up again.”
The laurel wreath symbolizes the victory. In ancient times, wreaths were presented to heroes on the battlefield and to winners of athletic or artistic competitions. “The wreath is a large symbol. At the bottom of the ring is the heart, the bay leaves go up roof tongues where everything comes together. In the wreath I then put flowers that run from red, to white, to blue. The colors of the Dutch flag,” explains Aalders.
The Asser florist must make three wreaths. For the Moto3, Moto2 and the MotoGP. “Thousands of bay leaves went through my hands,” laughs Aalders. “There is so much work in this. But it is also so nice to be able to make it again.”
And does the florist have a preference to whose neck the wreath should hang? “For the neck of the best. Let me say that,” he concludes wisely.