On Wednesday I cycled from my hometown to Elspeet, where the NK time trial was on the program; nice ride and hoping to meet some acquaintances.
Bart Voskamp walked around, Erik Dekker was spotted and Bauke Mollema, among others, was on the list of participants. I first met Bauke when I was asked to guide a bike ride from the North Holland side of the Afsluitdijk to their student party in Groningen with a few motorcycle buddies.
Bauke also rode along as their guest. He had already cycled from Zuidhorn to North Holland early in the morning as a warm-up. I asked where he had discovered himself as a climber. “On the bridge over the Van Starkenborghkanaal near Aduard, up and down again and again.” Nice guy back then. By the way, he finished fifth in Elspeet and still had doubts about possible Tour participation.
Then something else: this weekend it’s motor party again on the circuit under Assen. With this beautiful summer weather, the Dutch TT once again attracts tens of thousands of visitors to the capital of Drenthe.
It reminds me wistfully of the TROS TT day in the seventies. Under the leadership of chief Jan Dassen, that broadcaster broadcast the largest sporting event in the Netherlands from seven in the morning on Hilversum 1 at the time. Jaap Timmer (unfortunately passed away too early) reported and I was allowed to describe the atmosphere from a plane above the circuit and Helping Jaap every now and then when the drivers drove at the back of the circuit, which he had no view of. We didn’t have today’s technology back then.
What a party! First the 50 cc with Aalt Toersen and Jan de Vries, then the 125, the 250, the 350 and then the highlight: the big boys on their 500 cc bikes.
With greats such as Wil Hartog, Boet van Dulmen and Jumping Jack Middelburg. They were also approachable until just before the start for a chat with pit reporter Henk Kok. At the end of a long day, the dessert: the sidecars with Egbert Streuer.
It’s all become a bit more clinical due to commercialism, but it’s still a great event. No other sport in our country attracts as many spectators as the TT. Not even Max Verstappen at Zandvoort! I am a proud ambassador of the TT Circuit.