The plan was to cycle to Groningen last weekend. Supposedly just another 100 km ride but due to lousy breakfast and too many bad thoughts in my mind, it became the real hell of the north before I got to the actual north. Together with a team of 9 other Cycloners we started from HQ Zwolle but de volgwagen had to pick me up and drop me off at Beilen trainstation. All lights went out, the man with the hammer hit me hard enough to show me my shortcomings once again.

The crazy folks of Cycloon came up with next idiot idea. Let’s do a check-up on the route of the 24-uurs race. And while at it, let’s build up some teamspirit for the Tour for Life. Which in the end only meant I was on “het vinketouw”, trying to follow the big guns riding over 50 km/uur on the Dutch roads while having continiously wind and rain hammering my pretty face. Thanx for the invite guys!

Over de baan. Only 4 persons couldn’t come to the annual returning and both yearly event of the “Cycloon Uitje”. But nevertheless, not less than thirty-eight bikemessengers without any fixed-gear experience rode like madmen on the wooden track of Omnisport in Apeldoorn.

Like, yes way, it’s a big deal. To work on a cargobicycle after 13 years of messengering on both fixed and shifter bikes. The worst you could get was to have a bobyak behind you on the busy days, that’s it. But at my new work I have the obligation to do whatever they like at times they want. Might as well make the best of what they offer. Let’s see if i can ride this Bullitt with no hands.

For the past couple of years I wandered around in the Dutch bikemessenger community. And I still remember when the original Cycloon was started in Groningen. From the moment the wind changed in Zwolle too, I’ve always had an above average interest in what the guys from up north were doing. Last couple of weeks I spoke with them to make clear I really wanted to become part of the future. I sold my own couriercompany and on the first of august I became “Le plus haute cyclonier du Pays-Bas”. A typhoon for breakfast, how’s that huh?

Meaning happy or homosexual. Now, I do tend to profile my feminin side every now and then. For necessary reasons. Being such a masculin testosteronbomb trying to prevail other males by shear dominance. I sometimes need to get in contact with myself a bit more. And honestly, I didn’t really mean to race in the Girly Girl alleycat last weekend. I just came to help raise money for the good cause, help other people. And I got a big hand from the following friends: 

Together with all people entering the “competition”, the Spartaanse Vrouwen collected €1100,- (source: Evelyn Rodriguez) and the gay news was that I won.

If you had been paying attention you could have seen this coming. Here it is: BAM! The cyclonisation of the Netherlands is soon to come. First there was Groningen, then there was Zwolle and Groningen. Now they’re heading for more southern comfort… with the start of the 24 uurs. Followed by the Open Dutch Cycle Messenger Championships on 22nd and 23rd of august. What’s next?

Or backpack, or sixpack. Nobody has got a clue what the fietskoeriers of Cycloon are doing in Australia. But it looks like tons of fun cycling around Sydney, Bleu Mountains, Snowy Mountains, Batemans Bay, Byron Bay, Great Barrier Reef, Alice Springs, Ayers Rock, Flinders Ranges, Adelaide, Kangaroo Island. No further report from Eddy and Ruben but all are allowed to watch.

Them Cycloon people are doing a lot of stuff. Both up front and behind the scenes, I guess. When I visited the alleycat in Zwolle this weekend I found out that the date for this year’s ODCMC has been set for 22 and 23 augustus 2009 in Groningen.