Preparations

In order to make the trip, preparations have to be made. To navigate from Portugal to Holland I will be using maps but also my bike-tomtom, a Garmin Edge705. Some time ago Antonio from Loja do GPS upgraded my Edge with extra memory and a map for Europe rather than Portugal alone. Using web-based mapping software, I can plan a route and download it to my Edge which will tell me where to go…but I’ve already found out that a map is essential because the routes the Edge dictates when you haven’t planned anything, may not always be the best way to get somewhere by bike.
To test the Edge out of Portugal, and to train a bit more, I went to Holland last weekend to cycle Limburgs Mooiste with friends – a 150 km cyclo with 2000+ climbing meters in the hills of southern Holland, Germany and Belgium. A wonderful ride, with beautiful weather. During the day I cycled together with my friend Jeroen, who lives in Switzerland, and Rutger. Jeroen trashed me on every single hill bar one where he had a mechanical. Sobering. But the map worked fine ;-)



1st photo:
myself, Rutger, Jeroen (left to right) on the Vetschauerberg



2nd photo:
after the ride, with Victor, Twan and Jeroen: Broeva! Haro!




To follow up, this weekend I did a sprint-triathlon in Oeiras. After the swim it was quite obvious that I should not try to swim to Holland – cycling is obviously more my thing…