A blue dutchman on the Mont Ventoux

I was minding my own business at home yesterday, when I received an sms that I "could check such and such website to see pictures of the Mont Ventoux". It took me a few minutes to realise that it was my brother and after browsing through hundreds of pictures to find my brother's, I got him. I think his time was decent too.
And I was so proud of him, not only that he has conquered the beast, in hot conditions by the looks of it, but also that he did it in the colours of my club in Saint-Raphael, OCR. So I downloaded a picture.



We are a crazy family. Raised with judo and karate and other martial arts, but both more into riding two wheels. Don't get me wrong; I still love judo and I wish I was still able to practise it... Mountainbiking is judo on two wheels in a way. I have to struggle with the terrain and if I don't give way and move with it, in order to pass difficult passages, the mountain and the terrain will win. Very symbolic perhaps, but not less the truth.
I am still in Amsterdam; prepare the tons of theory concerning rules, regulations and measurements concerning bikes, competitions and organisations and I try to ride as much as I can. The weather is a big 'casse pied' It's grey, cold ,wet or windy. Honestly, I'm miserable on my bike. But things need to be done in order to be fit.
The week after the exams its time for........Le fameux Roc d'Azur! HA HA

Back home in Amsterdam

After a forced, yet pleasurable holiday in France, I came back to Amsterdam last week. The usual culture shock occured. The big city mentality that shocked me, the crowded streets and people taking the sidewalk for themselves; the defensiveness of the majority of people; survival mode......more and more I outgrow the city.

I go for rides, but get bored; the little technical hills to practise were vandalised by the local council....somebody complained that mountainbikers were having fun on these hills, and he/she didn't approve of it. Welcome back. It annoyed me.

Yesterday I cycled to Arnhem. Off I went in the morning and 4,5 hours later and 110km further I arrived. I was cold the whole way through. The weather forecast was slightly wrong and I carried only my team shirt....not enough when the system is comfortable at 30 C and all of a sudden its 10 degrees colder.

Don't think I'm not enjoying myself, although I sound grumpy. I am grumpy, mea culpa!!

My holidays were wonderful. Just have a look at the pictures. I witnessed nature renew itself when the cigale crouched out of its last shell; I visited the old village of Oppède le Vieux in le Luberon and was utterly amazed why people had chosen such a spot and height to build a church; my mum and I visited Cluny and were flabbergasted by the size and magnitude of the old abbey and what it has signified; we went out for dinner more often than financially sound, but had fun doing it; we got acquinted with lots of nice people whom I haven't said 'goodbye' to. All in all summer is doing its thing with and to me in a different way than usual and this is refreshing.

More later.