The participants of this unique race have to face the winds ahead of the storm – Photo: NOS Jugdjournal
Anyone who has ridden a bike in high winds knows how difficult it can be to deal with the increased drag.
The general wind was quite troubling, with the Dutch Headwind Time Trial Championship participants also facing wind speeds of over 100 km/h. They were allowed to use only regular bicycles to ride against the pre-storm winds.
When it comes to the toughest bike race in the world, people often talk about the Race Across America or the Race Across America. But in terms of difficulty per km, the odd reverse race may force other tournaments to “take off their hats”.
This strange race only takes place during storms, in which winds of at least level 7 are expected at the Osterscheldekering storm barrier facing the North Sea.
Due to the nature of the race, most of the participants are Dutch – photo: Sanders Vs. Ginkel/Wikimedia Commons
The tournament has been held since 2013, attracting hundreds of bike enthusiasts from all over the Netherlands every year. Participation is limited to 300 people. They all start from the same place at an interval of 30 seconds. The cyclist who completes the distance of 8.5 km in the shortest time is declared the winner.
Due to the dependence on storms, the date of the cycling test is announced only 3 days in advance. Whenever a storm with strong winds is predicted, the race organizers simply post the words: “The storm is coming!”.
With the inclement weather conditions in this unique race, those with the stronger cars will have the upper hand. Therefore, the organizers have tried to ensure the competition when all participants can use only one type of vehicle.
It is a reverse brake bike that prioritizes city use only and uses very light aluminum. So the biggest advantage of the players is physical strength and stamina.
Participants in the cycling competition can only use one type of bike, so they all rely on their own strength – Photo: Capo Velo
The record for the fastest race time was held by Bart Brentjens at the 2013 tournament. He took only 17 minutes 51 seconds to reach the finish line. Considering wind speeds of up to 120 km/h, this is an extremely respectable time.
Some may wonder why anyone would want to hurt their legs by cycling against the wind. There are many answers to this question. Some people like to face challenges. Some people join just for fun or want to do crazy things to celebrate. Therefore, every year hundreds of people participate to challenge their legs.
(tags to translate) strange race
