2020: RACING IN THE YEAR OF COVID-19
FURTHER
FURTHER, designed by photographer Camille McMillan, is an autonomous, gender neutral adventure race in a loop. A carefully selected group of riders congregated for the second edition end of August 2020. The 500 km race was routed over mountainous mixed terrain, electronically tracked via defined sectors through the French Pyrénées and borderlands of Andorra and Spain.
It was Laurens his first real experience with an ultra-race. To quote him: ‘‘I’ve done some pretty serious cycling stuff over the last 2 decades, but this beats everything. It was exhausting and beautiful at the same time. I applaud anyone who even dares to start this race. You are all very brave.’’
Laurens finished third, in a time of 2 days, 9 hours and 34 minutes.
Photo credits go to Further
DIRTY KANZELLED
Okay, no Dirty Kanza in Emporia, Kansas on May 30th. But for the love of cycling we rode DIRTY KANZELLED instead. We created an event that wasn’t an event. You can read all about it here and watch the movie.
STORMY WEATHER AND CORONA MADNESS
Little did we know, the Grasshopper adventure would be our last one for a while… Due to some crazy winterstorms, both the Noordwijk Beach Race and Nationals were cancelled. End of February, we knew we were going to postpone the first edition of LtD Gravel Fest due to the ongoing spreading of the Covid-19 virus. And in March it became very clear that no other event, worldwide, would take place the upcoming months. We are hoping for better times after summer! Luckily, riding outdoors is still possible in The Netherlands. Stay safe, be cautious, know the rules and keep your distance. If you want to know more about packing for a long solo ride, check out my Instagram Story ‘Riding solo’.
LOW GAP
GRASSHOPPER ADVENTURE SERIES
My first experience with gravel riding happened during the Old Caz of 2016, as part of the Grasshopper Adventure Series. I was surprised by the laid-back attitude before and after the ride. This event and a few other gravel events that year gave me back the joy of riding I was kinda missing. I remembered why I love to do this and it was this joy of competition that got me back on pro level, after almost having stopped the year before. Ted King, former roadie and gravel king avant la lettre, was there too and we had a great time. He fed my kids maple syrup cookies and we raced a few more times together at gravel events. This year we will meet more often, as our race programs cross quite a few times. This year, Old Caz has been cancelled due to a slide, but Low Gap did not disappoint either!
COAST RIDE WITH INGAMBA
The Coast Ride has become an early-season ritual for many cyclists in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is a point-to-point journey, from San Francisco to Venice Beach, in 4 days. Hundreds or riders cover over a 100 miles-a-day with plenty of vertical, so this randonnée isn’t for the faint of heart. As a guest of the inGamba family, I will have full support from their team car and their experienced mechanics. My manager João Correia is the founder and owner of this luxury bike travel company, so I know to expect nothing but the best. This ride and the inGamba treatment will have the look and feel of my old days as a professional rider, but without the dietary limitations ;
EGMOND BEACH RACE
January 2020 started out on the sandy beaches of Egmond-Pier-Egmond, which basically I can call home. I train there often, as part of the NH100 training course. Beach racing is a discipline you can only find in Holland and Belgium, because of the long and uninterrupted coastline. The weather and the tide determines the level of difficulty. You never really know what to expect, until the morning of the race. And don’t be fooled by the amount of participants: they will all be focused to bring their best. A hard and fast beach means the peloton will go just as fast as a peloton on tarmac. But a sloppy, muddy one that has been downsized by the tide makes it turn into a MTB race.