It was hard work and she was crying on the way, but Nicole van Batenburg rode her racing bike today across the provincial borders of Drenthe. Nearly three hundred miles. She has thus achieved her goal of driving all the way around every province.
“It was a task”, looks back the Hague, who yesterday also cycled around the province of Overijssel on her own. Then she drove more than 426 kilometers in one day and they did not bother her. “I had the feeling that I only had the wind against me today. In addition, there were quite a few pieces with gravel in it. That makes such a tour beautiful, but it also makes you go slower. That’s why I cut off a few pieces, for example at Coevorden. There you have a corner that is really a corner, makes no sense at all. I was completely done with it, could not bear it anymore. I was completely through it.”
Van Batenburg is a cyclist who competes in the national top competition, but actually prefers to ride long distances. With the outbreak of corona, she is looking for challenges. As a student in Amsterdam it is quite easy to cycle around North Holland and the round of Flevoland is also easily done from here. “After I had also cycled a round of South Holland and Utrecht, I got the idea to cycle every province. On the way to Dutch music and sing along loudly when no one is around.”
The last two provinces were on the program this weekend. Overijssel and Drenthe. And with the change of job, Van Batenburg becomes a spokesman for the Red Cross, there is also a new challenge. Collecting money in the context of Kilometers for Opportunities of the Red Cross. Her rounds around Drenthe and Overijssel are about as far as the average distance refugees have to travel to reach safer areas.
“Initially I wanted to collect 250 euros, but I quickly achieved that. That is why I increased the amount to a thousand euros and I have now passed that. I hope that as much as possible will be added. Until the end of the month can people support me.”