{"id":2774,"date":"2024-06-25T21:36:29","date_gmt":"2024-06-25T19:36:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pedaleurdecharme.nl\/?p=2774"},"modified":"2025-08-04T14:30:59","modified_gmt":"2025-08-04T12:30:59","slug":"the-dragon-ride-the-welsh-version-of-the-round-of-flanders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pedaleurdecharme.com\/en\/wielerverhalen\/de-dragon-ride-de-welshe-variant-van-de-ronde-van-vlaanderen\/","title":{"rendered":"The Dragon Ride, the Welsh version of the Tour of Flanders"},"content":{"rendered":"

“Ah, you’re going on holiday in the UK? If you have the chance, you should definitely do the Dragon Ride. Even more, I’ll join you.”<\/em><\/p>\n

Om eerlijk te zijn had ik nog nooit van zoiets als een ‘Dragon Ride’ gehoord. Maar door deze opmerking van een Britse collega was mijn interesse snel gewekt. Wat speurwerk leerde me dat het evenement de Welshe variant was van wat de toertocht van de Ronde van Vlaanderen is voor de Vlamingen en de Amstel Gold Race voor de Nederlanders. Mooie omgeving, flink wat heuveltjes. Ik was overtuigd. Dus, ik schreef me afgelopen september in voor de 150 kilometer, en mijn collega ook.<\/p>\n<\/div>

Zwiften in de winter<\/h2>\n

Nu kom ik de winter altijd wel door qua fietstraining (beetje door de duinen fietsen, een hoop Zwiften), maar het is leuk om een concreet doel te hebben. Ik was er in elk geval wel klaar voor. De paar keer dat ik bij mijn collega polste leek hij er ook nog wel vertrouwen in te hebben. Z’n hometrainer was kapot gegaan, buiten regende het alleen maar en hij had het druk. Maar zodra het mooi weer werd kwam het allemaal goed. Nou ja, dat zei hij tenminste.<\/p>\n

Tot ik een week of wat voor de start een chatje van hem kreeg, niet lang nadat ik hem voor de grap had gewezen op de website www.indekken.nl,<\/a> voor al je wielersmoezen. Het ging hem toch niet worden. Druk op het werk, druk met kinderen, kortom: hopeloos uit vorm.
\nEn zo stond ik op 23 juni, de dag van de tocht, dus toch alleen aan de start.<\/p>\n

Dat wil zeggen, met de 4.498 anderen die g\u00e9\u00e9n uitvlucht hadden bedacht.<\/p>\n<\/div>

Natuurpark de Brecon Beacons<\/h2>\n

De Medio Fondo<\/em> (je kon afstanden kiezen tot wel 300 kilometer, maar ik vond ruim de helft daarvan wel prima) startte bij de kust en ging het natuurpark de Brecon Beacons in. Of, zoals ze het in Wales zelf noemen, Bannau Brycheiniog.<\/p>\n

Na een nog niet zo spectaculaire start langs wat drukke wegen en industrie werd de rit snel mooier. Tijdens de tocht moet je iets meer dan 2.000 hoogtemeters overwinnen, verdeeld over een paar mooie geleidelijke klimmen van maximaal 5 kilometer. Vooral de laatste paar liggen in een schitterend landschap.
\nMet de conditie ging het prima, als mechanicien zal het wel nooit wat worden met me. Door twee lekke banden heb ik zo lang aan de kant staan klooien, dat ik voor m’n gevoel driekwart van de andere deelnemers voorbij heb zien rijden. Ze vroegen wel allemaal netjes ‘Are you okay, mate?<\/em>‘<\/p>\n<\/div>

Fietsen in Wales<\/h2>\n

Die tegenslag daargelaten, kan ik de Dragon Ride zeker aanbevelen. Het landschap is prachtig, het evenement heel goed georganiseerd en de sfeer is top. Heeft fietsen in Wales mijn voorkeur pak ‘m beet, de Vogezen of de Eifel? Dat misschien niet direct. Engeland en Wales zijn wat minder op fietsers ingericht en het is wat tijdrovender om hier te komen.<\/p>\n

Maar als je toevallig toch in Engeland bent, en door een collega uitgenodigd wordt de Dragon Ride te gaan doen; laat die kans dan niet lopen!<\/p>\n<\/div>

\"\"<\/a><\/div><\/div>
\"\"<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2780,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[173],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2774","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wielerverhalen"],"yoast_head":"\nDe Dragon Ride, de Welshe variant van de Ronde van Vlaanderen - Pedaleur de Charme<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/pedaleurdecharme.com\/en\/cycling-stories\/the-dragon-ride-the-welsh-version-of-the-round-of-flanders\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"De Dragon Ride, de Welshe variant van de Ronde van Vlaanderen - 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