The first edition of a new beachrace in Dutch Zealand: instantly a tough, good race with formal professional Erik Dekker taking the win. De mountainbikers started on the beach of Renesse with a short build-up round, after which they headed to the turning point. With a high pace right from the start, several riders tried to escape the large peloton in small groups or solo.
“In the final phase a trio appeared to have thoroughly escaped the peloton, but they picked the wrong side of the beach and lost speed. The beach here at Renesse is very wide; therefore you need to keep paying close attention to find the best paths. The combination with a varied course made this race very challenging. In the finale I was able to join the front runners just before the finish line, but unfortunately it cost me the strength for a final sprint”, states Stefan Vreugdenhil. Brand-new teammate Robby the Bock finished with an admirable tenth placing.