10:13 am
Lots of snow on one side of the ice, but no problem for the skaters.
10:18 am Jan Bakker drops back. Speed has dropped down
further. The kilometers add up. It seems some of the leading group are planning an escape.
Stam appears to have back trouble?
Still we're underway to Bartlehiem.
10:30 am
Henk van Benthem escapes the lead group, and he appears to be successful. Unfortunately, Verduin and Arnold Stam quickly catch up with him. Perhaps no back trouble? They did create a gap of a 100 meters... Benthem's escape was unsuccessful, but we do for some time have a small lead group of Verduin, van Benthem and Arnold Stam.
10:39 am
At first it seems the gap will be closed, but soon hereafter the lead group splits in two. Yep Kramer, the Ruitenberg brothers, and van Meggelen drop back further... The other six continue as a group.
10:44 am
Taking a right onto the Blikvaart, still headed for Bartlehiem. By now the speed is back up, especially considering the distance travelled. It seems the new lead group feels good again. Still, they have a strong head wind. They keep switching the position at the point.
11:03 am
Verduin is first under the Bartlehiem bridge. Still the 6
skaters are together.
Verduin swings wide around the bend and skates through the spectators standing on the ice.
He does not loose his lead position. The riders are now on the Dokkumer EE.
11:07 am
Three 'stragglers' cross underneath the bridge, Yep Kramer among them.
11:15 am
The second 'bigger' group of riders, with Jan Eise Kromkamp and also Rene Ruitenberg pass the Bartlehiem bridge. Ruitenberg has fallen back almost 15 minutes in little time.
Much of the Dokkumer EE is lined with many onlookers. The riders fan out to catch some of eachothers wind, which is coming partly from aside now.
Verduin suddenly takes off, but it seems hopeless. Stam does for a moment struggle. Then the group is back together, all forward movement gone. The attempt has taken a lot out of them.
11:38 am
Checkpoint in Dokkum. A big crowd of people watching.
Order at the checkpoint:
1 Angenent 2 Verduin, 3 Stam, 4 Kleinen, 5 Hulzebosch, 6 Van Benthem, 7 van Meggelen, 8
Kramer
Now the skaters have the wind behind them... The final stretch!!
© Digital Region Friesland 1997