The first skating marathon of the new season produced two Frisian winners in Groningen on Saturday evening. Marijke Groenewoud won among the women, while Harm Visser was strongest among the men.
The women’s marathon was no longer exciting long before the end. Team Albert Heijn Zaanlander lashed the peloton, with Olympic champion Irene Schouten and her teammate Groenewoud ensuring a killer pace. When the two escaped, Meike Verweij from Veenhuizen, who won the general marathon classification last season, took care of the necessary stopping work.
Schouten and Groenewoud then ran further away lap after lap and could no longer be traced by the other skaters. The duo joined the back of the peloton with more than thirty laps to go and took a lap lead. This left two drivers in the race for victory.
Groenewoud can win against Schouten
After the rest of the field sprinted prematurely, with Kim Talsma coming third for Bouwbedrijf, teammates Schouten and Groenewoud had to battle it out among themselves. It was not an exciting sprint for victory. Both skaters had mutually agreed in the last round who should win. And that was world mass start champion Groenewoud. The skater from Hallum crossed the line just ahead of Schouten without having to exert herself excessively. Both raised their hands in victory.
Things will still be exciting for the men
While the audience at the ice rink in Kardinge lacked an exciting ending for the women, it did get one for the men. There, approximately 500 spectators saw three skaters rush towards the finish line after an exciting competition. And they were not the least. Leading the way was Belgian Bart Swings of the Groningen Team IKO, who became world mass start champion in Thialf in Heerenveen at the beginning of this year. The number two of that World Cup, Bart Hoolwerf (Reggeborgh) was also present.
Harm Visser wins by a narrow margin
But it was Harm Visser from De Westereen, who won the sprint on behalf of Jumbo-Visma with a minimal difference. De Fries, who studied in Groningen for a long time and received his skating training at the defunct iSkate, emerged from the back of Swings and narrowly won. The jury needed some time to judge who had actually won. Hoolwerf came third.