In spite of there apparently being a lottery to get in - such is the demand for places for the Netherlands' biggest mass ride - I'd managed to get my spot relatively easily by registering early, as I think had all the other members of ATAC who'd wanted to take part.
I left Amsterdam at around 7.30, was guided to a huge car park just outside of Valkenburg (3km from the center and €5 to park there, FYI) and collected my race number from the sports center (no problem doing this the morning of the race - not even all that busy at number collection). I watched as others pinned and zip tied their numbers to their bikes and persons, followed their example, and was lining up to start by 9.45, well before the 11:00 cut-off.
The first few kilometres were busy, as you may expect of a race that boasts 15,000 entries. The problem was compounded by a bus and van getting stuck on the route, holding us up for 10 minutes just a few kilometres after the start. I was using this ride as a training session for my Ironman in July and was muttering under my breath that I'd have been better riding at home. But soon the traffic cleared and the field thinned after the first of the many, many climbs; and the rest of the day was a fun and invigorating experience.
My coach had set me certain power numbers to push both on 'flats' and on hills (I was riding with a Powertap on my bike) and I worked on keeping to those throughout. The first point to make is that, despite the initial traffic hiccup (and a people-based pile-up on the Keutenberg - a 22% stinger of a climb - that left a whole group of us unable to ride up due to the sheer wall of walkers in front!) the organisation of this event was fantastic. The routes were well-marked and all the volunteers did an incredible job.
Just as nice a job was done by the locals who not only filled the streets of Valkenburg, but also enjoyed the sun while cheering us up all the big climbs. In many places, they'd set up tents, BBQs and make-do terraces to cheer on hour-after-hour of cyclists while tucking into beers and burgers. Smart folk!
The 150km route was definitely challenging, featuring 2,500m of elevation by my reckoning. Although, as someone who is by no means a climber, it was achievable. The climbs are hard but they're quickly over - there are no long col ascents here.
Even so, riders climbing abilities differ greatly and I noticed that a lot of groups were riding as teams and the better riders stopped to wait for the weaker climbers at the top of each climb. Some even stopped at the numerous bars and cafes en route for espressos and sustenance. That's the sort of atmosphere a sportive holds - very different to the races I'm used to.
Such camaraderie did make me regret my approach to the AGR a little. As I said, it was very much a training event for me, and I soloed pretty much the whole thing. I finished after 5 hours and 45 minutes , back and hamstrings sore and starting to seize thanks to just completing my longest ride in 12 months and second hilliest ride ever - and I was proud and happy with my day's training. I definitely felt a step closer to Ironman fitness. But, at the same time, it would have been nice to ride the AGR with some of my ATAC team mates (I did see Chloe, Ashley and Paula briefly as we climbed the Kruisberg) and enjoy a more social day and crossing the finish line arm-in-arm. Maybe next year... when I'll definitely be back for more sportive action!
A final paragraph on nutrition as a lot of folk, knowing my different fat-adaptation approach to eating and fueling, tend to ask me this. I rode with one bottle filled with 4 x sachets Ucan superstarch (a modified starch that doesn't spike blood sugar like gels, bars and energy drinks), a drop of natural local honey and 2 x tablespoons of MCT oil (to keep in fat-burning mode). I took in about two-thirds of that during the ride (around 400 cals total) along with one coconut Raw Bar (an organic breakfast bar made entirely with natural products - not ideal but lower GI than all the usual clobber and also necessary as, although I didn't need to fuel, I did just feel like eating something after about 4 hours). Around 600 calories in total, then, and three bidons of water. Watching the way they were handing out mass-produced Isostar, energy bars, Snelle Jelle (a hideous Dutch sugar crash which they've cleverly marketed as a sports/healthy-eating product) and the way most riders gobbled them all up at the aid stops as though their lives depended on it, I was reminded what a great thing it is to be a fat-adapted athlete. I ended the ride sore but with plenty of energy, drove two hours home, ate dinner and then went out for drinks with my other half and some friends. Still not an energy bonk in sight!