Walter Verweij (52) from Eindhoven still lacks one big round: the Vuelta. Or the Vuelta a España. Not that Walter will be cycling shoulder to shoulder in the coming weeks with top class riders like Roglic, Evenepoel, Froome or red jersey wearer Mike Teunissen. With fourteen other cyclists, including four fellow provincials, he rides a stage every day that the pros have to choose a day later.
When Omroep Brabant speaks with Walter, he has just completed the Breda-Breda stage. The Eindhoven resident is sitting at a table in a Breda hotel. The pot provides a good portion of carbohydrates. “Tomorrow we have a rest day and we fly to Bilbao. Then the party really starts in Spain on Monday.”
Walter is one of the fifteen participants who, like the cycling professionals, will cycle more than 3,200 kilometers over the next three weeks, divided over 21 stages. “That is organized by Coureurs de courage. They provide trips in which every amateur can ride the big cycling tours. We cycle and the organization takes care of the rest, such as hotels, care and meals.”
“It’s a challenge to check off that third big round as well.”
Completing the entire Vuelta will be a big task. “I have also ridden the Tour de France (2015) and the Giro d’Italia (2017) in the past. I like to check off that third big round as well. That is the challenge for me. I like it very special that as a human being and a cycling tourist you can also achieve this kind of achievement.”
“In total, in terms of altitude, we cycle up the Alpe d’Huez 49 times.”
To give his achievement even more brilliance, Walter comes up with a comparison. “In the coming weeks we will cycle up the Alpe d’Huez 49 times in terms of altitude. Everyone knows that mountain. Just to indicate how tough it is. We live these weeks like a pro: cycling, eating and sleeping.”
Walter lives day by day during the Vuelta. “I have not looked into the course at all. I know that we will be presented with ten stages with 3000 to 4000 altimeters. That is serious work. We have prepared ourselves well for that in the training sessions. We are ready and that’s all we can do. Next week we already have 20,000 altimeters. The toughest week of the Vuelta. Fortunately, it won’t be too hot.”
“After the Vuelta I will continue to cycle a lot, but no more of those crazy things.”
After completing the Vuelta on September 10 in Madrid, Walter will stop with such challenges. “I have agreed with my wife that the Vuelta will be the last challenge of this level. I will continue to cycle a lot of kilometers in the future, but no more of those crazy things.”