Dirt roads, hills and forests. More than 2,000 mountain bikers took part in the 4th edition of the Bartje 200 today. A tough race through Drenthe.
Here and there there is still a drop, but that should not spoil the fun among the cyclists. “The Bartje200 is quite a challenge,” laughs Johan Wekema of the organization. “It is a tough course, because you drive a lot through loose sand and on winding paths. It really comes down to technique.”
A participant from Friesland has traveled to Drenthe especially to cycle the tour. She often rides rounds of 100 to 150 kilometers on her racing bike, but this is completely new to her. “I have never done that on a mountain bike before. Quite exciting, because it is very technical riding and you have to take many things into account at the same time. That makes it super fun.”
A cyclist a little further on is doing the tour for the second time. He mainly wants to improve his time from the previous edition. “The first time was so good that I came back. I aim to be back within 10 to 12 hours. It depends a bit on the weather conditions of course, but I have a good feeling about it.”
Three rows away, a fellow cyclist explains how he trained for the ride. “I cycled 200 kilometers a week for four weeks. And then took a few days of rest. According to the experts, that should be enough. But I’ll definitely notice that tonight,” he says with a wink.
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