Cycling to the London Olympics
Just after mid-day on Thursday 9th August, 23 civil servants of ‘s-Hertogenbosch (aka Den Bosch) started a cycle tour to the Olympics in London. The 600 kilometer 4 day round trip is in support of the Dutch athletes who will return to the Netherlands later this weekend and who will be honored in ‘s-Hertogenbosch on Monday 13th of August in front of an expected large audience on the central station square.
The cycle group of 23 civil servants working for the ‘s-Hertogenbosch municipality pose just before their departure to London.
The 23 will cycle to Hook of Holland and take the night ferry to Harwich. From there they will cycle to London Friday morning. They will spend two nights in Lewisham with friends before returning to the Netherlands on Sunday.
The 23 belong to a club of colleague cyclists who tour on a regular basis so cycling 600 kilometers in 4 days shouldn’t be a problem to them. They plan to visit the Holland Heineken House on Saturday night, they also plan to be present with at least one Olympic event and then cycle back on Sunday and Monday.
The group of cyclists leave for London in front of the Council Office of ‘s-Hertogenbosch NL for a 600 kilometer 4 day round trip to London.
Other colleagues of the ‘s-Hertogenbosch city council waved them goodbye in front of the Council Office.
The group is accompanied by a motor cyclist and a maintenance vehicle that also contains their luggage.
The Maintenance and Luggage Vehicle following the cyclists to London.
Hope you enjoyed cycling through Essex from Harwich at least. There’s a decent cycle route on the lanes through to Colchester.
Love the sign on the back of your support vehicle – I’m going to copy the design for when I’m supporting a ride through the UK next year.
Hah! They were spotted in Hook of Holland’s ferry by a family of cycling tourists:
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=1&page_id=297488&v=2c
(scroll down a couple of photos)
It’s a small world.
Would love to show you a few sites but am away this weekend. I chair the local cyclists group and could show you Englands canals, a bit smaller than Dutch ones (as are the boats) on the way to the Olympic Park. Have a great time, its not as bad as people make out….
Thanks Roger but I am not one of the riders and judging from their already full program these guys will be exhausted when they return on Monday!
but but but… They are not in Orange national colour!
That is because this yellow outfit refers to the Tour de France and was developed when ‘s-Hertogenbosch hosted the Grand Départ of the Tour de France in 1996.
Will there be a follow-up to this post? I’d love to hear their thoughts on cycling in London during the Olympics.
There is a follow-up now!
Who says Dutch cyclists don’t wear Lycra and helmets? They will look just like local commuters when they arrive in London
Lol! Just what I was thinking, Kim. These civil servant club cyclists like to wear their lycra and helmet, because it makes them ‘special’ in the Netherlands. They look like Joop Zoetemelk (for the older civil servant) or Micheal Boogerd (for the younger one), or so they think. But what a dissappointment, when they reach London and see that they are wearing what every London Tom, Dick and Harry are wearing.
Yeah, yeah, I know, I’m mean. I couldn’t cycle 600 km, so respect to them. But still… I was a civil servant once, and the thought of those old collegues of mine in lycra… lol lol lol!!