A Fine Cycling Sunday

The Sunday ride felt extra good, given that I had to work yesterday (and in the days before yesterday work hard to get ready). Lots of pent-up energy that needed to get out, and it did. The ride, "Nieuwkoop," also belongs in the book 100 Bike Rides out of Nederhorst den Berg, if one ever got written. I knew parts of it, but not everything. And I still don't know parts of it, because the first hour-and-a-half we rode in a thick, chilly fog. Two new (to me) members of the group, one of whom really could do his share of the work. I hope he comes back for more. Absolutely no climbing, only a few bridges and viaducts, but lots of little curvy dikes alongside little rivers and canals. They can say what they want over here, but what's left of the so-called Groene Hart (green heart) of the Netherlands certainly is worth protecting. We followed the Vecht river to Breukelen, then, by way of Kockengen, to Woerdense Verlaat (in the good winters of the eighties, I'd go there for excellent skating tours), then a little backroad, Kadewetering, to the road alongside the Meije to Zwammerdam, right turn, another right turn straight to Nieuwkoop where we stopped for coffee after about thirty miles. Fine local cafe with excellent apple pie, although the coffee was a bit weak. The sun was out when we got back on our way: Noorden and Noordens Dorp to Woerdense Verlaat, where we took a left turn to follow the Kromme Mijdrecht river through De Hoef into Amstelhoek. I used to ride this road in the eighties as a student but had not been there in at least ten years. It was great fun motoring through turn after turn there. A right, then a left onto the Tienboerenweg, a left onto the Veldweg, and eventually tracing the Waver river to Stokkelaarsbrug, and from there to Abcoude where we picked up the last little river: het Gein. I had almost 62 miles for the day, and the average was just about 20. Just before Abcoude we did lose two of our guys, but they were close to home, so I'm sure they were fine. Already before we sat down for coffee in the morning, Flemish t.v. had started its start-to-finish coverage of the World's. I checked in when I got home (nothing much happening yet at only 70 kilometers in), but when we returned from our Sunday pancake in the sun at the restaurant across the street (it may have been the last time this year, although one never knows) things were beginning to happen, and the final hour was pretty exciting. The Italians played it to perfection, the Belgians fought valiantly, so did the Danes and Robert Gesink, and Spain got outmaneuvered. I think I'm ready to get back to work now. (Whether after three weeks of excellent weather I'm ready for the wet, windy, and cool days we're supposed to get this week is another matter).