Despite the fact that the temperature outside is still almost twenty degrees, the new skating season of the Marathon Cup starts tonight. Well-known and new North Holland names are on the ice on the Jaap Edenbaan in Amsterdam. Lutjebroeker Ruud Slagter is new in the A category and the West Frisian team Wokke makes its first appearance among the women.
It will be quite a debutante party in Amsterdam tonight. One of the newcomers in the top division of the men is Ruud Slagter. The 26-year-old from North Holland actually did not expect to ride at the highest level ever again. “I have ridden in the U23 for the past eight years. I was never good enough for the top division, but it turned out to be possible now.”
”Half of the pack is professionals. I have to work on Saturday first and ride a race in the evening”
A switch to the top division was therefore not in it for a long time for Slagter. He decided to join the agricultural family business in Lutjebroek. He is now known on the ice as ‘cauliflower king’ and he will never give up that name again. “I chose my parents’ cauliflower business. Ice skating is second. For me it will be survival tonight. Half of the peloton is a professional. I have to work on Saturday first and then ride another race. Then you can don’t expect me to drive Jorrit Bergsma out.”
Queen of the Winter Games
The obvious winner among the women is Irene Schouten. The thirty-year-old from North Holland has had a dream season. She won three golds and one bronze at the Beijing Olympics, making her the queen of the winter games.
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Irene Schouten during presentation – NH Nieuws
A striking newcomer to the marathon world is women’s team Wokke. Old acquaintance Gerrit Bakker has been away for seven years, but this season he is the team manager of the West Frisian team. There is a lot of Dutch skating talent driving around, but not everyone can literally and figuratively go through a bend together. We deliberately brought people from North Holland together. These girls have the same mentality, mindset and humor. That creates a team feeling.”
“We deliberately brought people from North Holland together. These girls have the same mentality, mindset and humor”
Bakker is looking forward to the new season with great anticipation. “We have had two half corona years. So it is difficult to predict where everyone stands. Bente Kerkhoff and Anne Leltz have two toppers in the house who can drive for the places of honor. Let’s just see how it goes tonight and then Then we’ll set goals.”
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Haarlem, Hoorn and Alkmaar
This year there will be thirteen races for the Marathon Cup. The fifth game is November 19 in Haarlem. A week later, the sixth race will be held in Hoorn. The eleventh and last Marathon Cup in North Holland is scheduled for Sunday 22 January in Alkmaar.
Tonight at the Jaap Edenbaan, the women will start at 7:00 PM and it will be the men’s turn at 8:15 PM.
A report about the first Marathon Cup race can be found later on this site.
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