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Ronde van Vlaanderen
03 april 2010 18:32
It is Easter
Sunday tomorrow, a very special day in the lives of a lot of people. This year
it’ll be extra special in Flanders because the ‘Ronde van Vlaanderen’, the
greatest race in Belgium and maybe the greatest race in the World will be held
on Easter Sunday. Unfortunately for the riders, the spectators and probably
even the TV camera’s it will most likely rain for a good amount of time
tomorrow.
Today the
weather is not much better and today the cycling fanatics are riding their ‘Ronde’.
Thousands and thousands of people riding on the roads the professionals will be
racing on tomorrow. I’m currently watching Belgian television and just like
every day the last week they are showing interviews with riders and team
managers, videos of previous editions of the Ronde van Vlaanderen and shots of
the course and the hills. Today they are showing interviews with people that
just completed their own Ronde van Vlaanderen as well.
I
see cold and wet people wearing insufficient clothing and riding unequipped
bikes for over 260kms on the hard, windy and rainy roads in Flanders. They all
seem so happy though. They are all smiling and laughing, talking about how hard
it was to finish the complete course. They come from Belgium, The Netherlands,
Britain, Germany, France and lots of other countries. Everything points in the
one direction: this race is special for many people. It might be the biggest
sporting event in Flanders and I am allowed to start in it. I actually trained
hard to be good in it and have a good feeling about the last races I did. The
form is good and I can’t wait to make this special race MY special race as
well. I can’t wait to smile and laugh after the finish, even though I am cold
and wet, just like all these people passing the finish line today, and make my
Easter Sunday extra special as well.