The Ride

On Friday, May 31st, something big is coming to our campsite: Shimano The Ride. 350 cyclists from Holland and 50 crew members are expected. Warned in advance by the campsite administration (we didn't flee like others, but are excited about what's coming), the first trucks arrive on Friday afternoon and start unloading material. A catering tent and other infrastructure are set up on the otherwise open meadow between the two campsite sections, and rows of mini tents are set up in the otherwise unused part of the campsite. And each one is equipped with a bed. Everything is "flown in" from Holland, by the way; the trucks, the support vehicles, even the medical vehicles have Dutch license plates.

On Saturday, June 1st, the riders arrive, move into their accommodation and are fed in the large catering tent. Before that, however, they have to queue at the food distribution point. Everything is surprisingly calm, "civilized" and perfectly organized. This is probably because the first stage is scheduled for the following day. And it leads up to the 1910 meter high Mont Ventoux. But that is only the beginning: after a total of 8 stages, i.e. a week later, the cyclists will arrive in Maastricht in the Netherlands, where they will be greeted by a cheering crowd.

Sunday, June 2nd, 8:00 a.m. sharp: start of the Ride 2024! Every minute, the cyclists set off in groups of 10, first to the Ventoux, then on to Holland. While the last ones are still at the start, all the equipment is already being dismantled backstage. Two hours later, the nightmare is over and everything is back to how it was before. Everything, including the participants' luggage, has to be ready in time at the new stage location a few hours later. And this happens eight times in a row. Wow!