Epic win

he's only 32, he just had it large 97

Can't he walk?

But can't he walk?

no proof for that so far

who needs to walk when you can fly?

i saw a documentary on him, a diving accident where he surfaced too quickly left him with a pocket of gas in his groin that made it lighter than air, as such he's constantly floating groin first into the air. luckily the amount of gas means he never goes more than a few feet off the ground.

You're early, Liars Wednesday >>>>>>

OK bear with me, this video is not even in Dutch but Frysian, hence Dutch subs, but I had to share it. It brought a tear to my eye and a massive feeling of utter respect and admiration for the man. You'll get it without being able to follow every word, check it out.

Every year the 11-cities ride of Fryslan (a northern province of the Netherlands) is ridden, it is 240km long. Not your average Sunday morning ride.

Now check out this old man in the 2012 edition. He has 2 artificial hips of which one does not fully function hence his tempo and riding position. In the morning, he already cycled 17km from his home to the start of the tour. He refuses to stop riding, he wants to finish the ride and get his medal. They tell him a couple of times he will finish beyond the time limit but he doesn't care (and insists that he'll ride on home after the finish!!!).

Finally, promising him he will get the medal, the people from the organisation put him on the broom wagon, 3km from the finish. And they bring him home.

Still, I get the feeling he would have rather rode on by himself, all the way home, even without that medal.

Wow.

Hea! De laatste Elfstedenfietser (met ondertiteling) 29 mei 2012 - YouTube

p.s. this year, he did it again and finished in time.

The speak like the trees in lord of the rings

That is crazy.

That is exactly the kind of crazy I dream of being when I'm his age.

#somethinginmyeye

Ace.

I worked over there on the farm two summers in a row. Didn't know they have their own language. No wonder I didn't understand anything at all :-)

Still, I get the feeling he would have rather rode on by himself, all the way home, even without that medal.

He does insist that he would have accomplished it.

I prefer his quiet dignity to the attitude of the organisers. It is touching how keen he is on his medal.

The speak like the trees in lord of the rings

beautiful, innit ;-)

I worked over there on the farm two summers in a row. Didn't know they have their own language. No wonder I didn't understand anything at all :-)

ha! it is a real (acknowledged, not like an accent or speech impediment like they have in the south of NL) language even, you can get a degree in Frysian

He does insist that he would have accomplished it.

I prefer his quiet dignity to the attitude of the organisers. It is touching how keen he is on his medal.

exactly. they could have easily let him ride on for the last couple of kms, but their (misplaced?) wish to 'save' him got in the way.

ha! it is a real (acknowledged, not like an accent or speech impediment like they have in the south of NL) language even, you can get a degree in Frysian

How many degrees below zero?

beautiful, innit ;-)

His voice is genuinely very sweet.

How many degrees below zero?

funny you should ask. the original 11-cities tour is almost 200km, done on ice skates, when the winter is severe enough. most famous edition was ('the hell of') 1963, temperatures well below -10C for most of the day, and a lot of wind and snow. that year it was an epic win to even finish.

http://www.geschiedenis24.nl/.imaging/stk/geschiedenis/zoom/media/geschiedenis/nieuws/drie/2003/January/10211435/original/10211435.jpeg

/c-frysian-sb

ah, ive heard of that!

Frisian is the origin of Middle Ages English, if I am not mistaken, and is essentially the root of what is modern English. Make fun of it all you want. I'm typing it now!!! Ha!

Thanks Peter this brings back great memories, I spent 4 years in my youth growing up just outside Voorschoten and was lucky enough to watch Elfstedentocht twice, would have been 85 and 86. Quite something. I had no idea there was a cycle too...

Thanks Peter this brings back great memories, I spent 4 years in my youth growing up just outside Voorschoten and was lucky enough to watch Elfstedentocht twice, would have been 85 and 86. Quite something. I had no idea there was a cycle too...

Former BSN student by any chance?

I certainly was... ferry to Hoek last year, cycled through to Schevinengen then down to Wassenar and all my old haunts. Lovely stuff and certainly where I caught the cycling bug

I would imagine that you were slightly before my time! I have to admit I have fantastic memories of my time at the school (despite getting asked to leave). All in all it was a surreal experience but a great one, last year my brother and cycled from Amsterdam to Calais with an extended stopover in the Wassenaar / Voorschoten area. Sadly many of my old haunts like Het Wappen are no longer there it was still good to be back though.