Frank Lammers, Guus Meeuwis and Leontien van Moorsel: it’s raining well-known Brabanders in beautiful Lierop on Sunday. And not without reason. After all, they participate in the annual ‘Tour der Unshaved Legs Classic’, a cycling tour of 114 kilometers through the Brabant and Limburg Peel. “Guus is a beast. Our asset.”
No less than 150 people are taking part this year, including amateurs and cycling professionals. It is therefore a busy affair at the Community House De Vurherd. The tour will start at 11am. Before they climb on their bicycles, most of the participants are quietly talking to each other in the cafeteria section of De Vurherd.
Also Guus Meeuwis with Frank Lammers. The teammates are waiting together at a table until they are called on stage by cabaret artist Rob Schepers, who also participates in the Tour der Unshaved Legs. The participants are introduced to the public one by one by Schepers.
“No one said I can cycle fast.”
At Lammers’ table it is apparently about PSV. The actor, who comes from neighboring Mierlo, is still recovering from the Champions League success of ‘his PSV’ last Wednesday.
“Things are going very well in Eindhoven, of course,” he laughs. “Whether I am more proud of PSV’s success than of my cycling skills? Well, no one has said that I can cycle fast. But I do enjoy doing it.”
Former PSV player Wilfred Bouma, also invited, still glows from the success in Eindhoven. “Yes, of course, that’s nice. But cycling is also fun. I’ve always thought it was a beautiful sport. Moreover, cycling is not so stressful for the joints. I can use that after my ankle injury.”
But how come all those prominent people have moved to beautiful Lierop? The answer is Guus Meeuwis. “Well, not quite. My tour manager Mark van Horik and his wife Doretti are from Lierop. They do the organization with friends. I only show up with band members,” the Tilburg singer explains.
“It just keeps growing.”
“Ten years ago we decided with the band to cycle from Rotterdam to North Limburg. A year later we were with many more musicians, about fifty. It just kept growing. And now we are in Lierop, it becomes everything is organized and we will cycle 150 kilometers through Brabant and Limburg.”
The competition is fierce this year. What about former Giro winner Tom Dumoulin, multiple Olympic track champion Harrie Lavreysen, Lars Boom, Leontien van Moorsel and cyclocross legend Richard Groenendaal? They are all in the race for a spot on the podium.
“I have zero in my legs this year.”
The only important question, of course, is: who has the best chance? Cabaret artist Leo Alkemade, teammate of Guus and Frank, knows it.
“We have a leader and that is Guus. No doubt. It’s going to explode. Frank Lammers and I take care of the leadout, but Guus will finish it. Yes, okay, we also have Harrie Lavreysen. But Guus, we’re really going to launch it later. Just wait and see. That man will be untraceable.”
Guus himself is a bit more skeptical. “Completing the course is already difficult for me. I have zero in my legs this year,” he concludes with a laugh.