In this episode of Champions Sibel Önemli is going beach cycling for the first time in her life. More and more people are discovering that the beautiful North Holland beach is ideal for cycling. Sibel wants to know whether beach cycling is something for her, what the minimum needs are and whether she can participate in the GP Groot Egmond-Pier-Egmond beach race on January 13.
“Everyone can cycle on the beach and with a little training everyone can participate in the GP Groot Egmond-Pier-Egmond”
The GP Groot Egmond-Pier-Egmond beach race organized by Le Champion is being held for the 23rd time and has now grown into the largest beach racing event in Europe. In addition to professionals from all over the world, many recreationalists also participate. But the question is whether it is also something for Sibel…
“Everyone can cycle on the beach and with a little training everyone can participate in the GP Groot Egmond-Pier-Egmond,” is the belief of Maurice Vrijmoed, avid beach cyclist and co-owner of the bicycle shop Service Koers in Heiloo. He likes to show how you can transform your mountain bike into a real beach bike with a few minor adjustments.
Fat tires
“The most important thing is that you use extra fat tires. This gives you more strength on the soft sand. The front fork of a good mountain bike is usually wide enough. A suspension fork is less convenient, because sand gets in between and damages the suspension. That is why most beach bikes have a fixed front fork,” Maurice explains.
Maurice has a bicycle ready for Sibel. Together they cycle to the beach entrance of Egmond. Once there, Sibel immediately notices how popular beach cycling is. Maurice can confirm that. “From October, when the bathers have left, the beach cyclists come. In France they have mountains, but here in Holland we have a unique beach. It is really fantastic to cycle on the beach and it is always different,” says Maurice.
“The elements make it fun but sometimes also difficult”
And then it’s time for Sibel’s first beach cycling experience. While cycling, Maurice explains how best to take wind, rain, low tide and high tide into account. “The elements make it fun but sometimes also difficult. The most important thing is that you distribute your energy well and recognize the lines where you can best cycle, where the sand is the hardest. If you keep a close eye on this, beach cycling in the Netherlands is a truly unique experience,” he explains.
On the beach we also meet sports scientist and cycling coach Jim van den Berg. Jim loves beach cycling. He gives Sibel a few useful tips so that she can prepare well for the beach race. According to Jim, the 38 kilometer long beach race is easy to do. “The distance itself is not that long and it doesn’t matter whether it takes you 2 or 3 hours. Then maybe you don’t aim for a fast finish time, but you just try to finish the race calmly,” Jim Sibel recommends.
In the Champions program, Sibel Önemli looks for the stories behind the participants in the many sporting events in our province. A healthy lifestyle is paramount. This program is made in collaboration with Le Champion.