A ‘heroic edition’, Ramon Lieuwes from Team Assen looks back on the Alpe d’HuZes that took place yesterday in the French Alps. “Everything was in it. A lot of rain, a lot of emotion, very beautiful stories. It was really a great day, in which the sun eventually broke through.”
The bus with 180 students from Team Assen is on their way home after a cycling day under heavy conditions. The day started early yesterday morning for the sports enthusiasts, because the alarm went off at half past one. The students stayed on top of the Alpe d’Huez and had to be at the start of the mountain at half past four, where the rain fell with trays from heaven.
Lieuwes himself stayed at the top, because he wanted to be at the finish to see the students defy the ‘Dutch’ mountain. “At one point everyone dripped in a little and it only seemed to rain harder. Some really came up completely soaked. Fortunately, the complex we stayed was nearby, so we could send the students to the hot shower.”
Despite the bad weather, the students could enjoy their adventure in the Alps. “Once you are all busy, it is very beautiful,” says Sara (17). “The whole atmosphere here is really special.”
“In all turns there are rows of people shouting your name and giving your food and drinks,” adds Jasper (16). “It feels like everyone knows you, but they just look at your nameplate.”
The students all go up the mountain with a personal story. Similarly Emma (19) from Team Assen, who has lost her mother to lung cancer. With a photo of her mother on the wheel of her racing bike, she took on the challenge. “I can occasionally look at that and then I think, I do it for this.”
Emma explains how heavy the climb that the Assenaren sometimes had to go up six times. “It is a climb of 13 kilometers with a rise percentage of 8 percent. It was raining very hard, so it was quite afraid.” Reaching the top was a special moment for Emma. “You come with a smile and a tear.”
The efforts of Team Assen have not been for nothing, because the counter is at 267,000 euros, intended for cancer research. “Fantastic,” says Lieuwes. “And the counter will continue until September, so donation is still possible.” In total, the promotion yielded more than 19 million euros.