480 of the more than 1300 survived the Extreme Drenthe 200! "You

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480 of the more than 1300 survived the Extreme Drenthe 200! "You were that lady with the yellow jacket, weren't you?"

December 04 2017, by Marloes Kloosterman, 2 min reading time

How many types of mud are there actually?
"We've seen, felt and tasted them all!"

The Report of Ruud Vette and Concetta Pichierri:

Thick, greasy mud with mega puddles in the middle, where you always choose the wrong side, and therefore have to walk....... if you are not already lying down...... Mud on gravel roads, causing you to pass through the person in front becomes so incredibly dirty. Mud in meadows where, if you fall, you have the choice of either the ditch or the barbed wire behind which the cows are already laughing!

The yellow Fusion S1 Cycling Jacket, together with winter shoes, waterproof socks and windproof gloves, formed the ultimate combination, this couldn't go wrong...

We already knew that it would be tough. 200 kilometers on the MTB where you start and finish in the dark through beautiful Drenthe.

Chosen for 3 layers of Fusion. The yellow cycling jacket (S1 cycling Jacket) ensured that we would not lose sight of each other and that worked. The yellow jacket, together with winter shoes, waterproof socks and windproof gloves, formed the ultimate combination, this couldn't go wrong...

As mentioned, we started in the dark with 1,300 others (it turned out that 350 uncollected starting tickets turned out). From the part where we left the paved road there appeared to be only mud waiting for us. Looking at your speedometer, eating or drinking was no longer an option, keeping your hands on your handlebars and hoping that things would get better after every turn. That didn't happen...

It's funny that you mainly cycle between the same people during the entire tour and you always saw them looking, when 1 yellow jacket passed (Ruud) the next one came and they automatically made way.
The first 100 kilometers there was no bad weather and there was only mud to plow through, fall into and sometimes taste (Concetta especially). The last 100 kilometers we also had winter showers and it quickly became dark in the forest.

Unfortunately, Concetta was forced to abandon the race at 150 kilometers, but remained recognizable even in the first aid tent, "you were that lady with the yellow jacket, weren't you?".

Ruud finished the race and was therefore 1 of the 3 who managed to finish in this tough race. (498 finishers total) Next year again? Well.....we'll sleep on that for a few more nights.