Ever had the displeasure of cycling against the wind in the Netherlands? Well, turns out Dutch people are crazy enough to make a sport out of it.
Introducing: the NK Tegenwindfietsen, or Dutch Headwind Cycling Championship, where 300 brave participants cycle 8.5 kilometres across the Oosterscheldekering storm barrier in Zeeland, facing wind speeds of up to 120 kilometres an hour. Why? Because it’s cool. 😎
The race originally began in 2013 but hasn’t happened every year. The organisers tend to wait until a big storm or strong winds are headed to the Netherlands.
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How does it work?
All participants in the race have to use a plain ol’ regular bike with simple breaks and no gears. Anyone can take part, but the competition limits participants to 300 for safety reasons (we just hope no one gets picked up by the wind and flies away like a kite).
Then, they just cycle headfirst against the wind — it’s as simple as that.
Curious to see what it looks like? Take a look:
As the best cyclists in the world, it’s no surprise Dutchies would create a competition to show off just how good they are at it.
Would you ever participate in a competition like this? Tell us in the comments!
