De Gouden Pijl will welcome an Olympic champion to the center of Emmen on Sunday 30 July, although she won the medal on skates and not on bicycles.
Irene Schouten is in full training for the new skating season and a cycling criterion such as De Gouden Pijl fits perfectly into her schedule to regain her strength. According to race director Thijs Rondhuis, the skater can even be expected at the front of the peloton. “She already won a criterion on the bike this year and participated with the best in the race until the final of the Dutch championship in Limburg.”
Three times gold
Schouten won three gold medals at the 2022 Winter Olympics. The North Holland native heard the Wilhelmus play after the 3000 meters, the 5000 meters and the mass start. In Emmen she will be joined by Antoinette Rijpma-De Jong, who is also a skater. Rijpma-De Jong had its best skating season ever last year. She won three Dutch titles and grabbed the European all-round title. In March she was the best in the world in the 1500 meters. The Frisian became district champion on the bike and competed for the prizes at the Dutch National Championships for elite women.
Roll of Honor
Just like with the men, De Gouden Pijl also has an honors list for the women to say to you. Multiple Olympic champion Marianne Vos won more than once in Southeast Drenthe and names such as Ellen van Dijk, Roxane Knetemann, former cyclocross world champion Lucinda Brand, current national coach Loes Gunnewijk and Janneke Ensing from Drenthe are also on the honors list of the round. The women race on July 30 at 4:30 p.m. The men start at 7:30 p.m.