2022 Day 1 of the 14th Annual 5-day SUP 11-City Tour

Leeuwarden to Sloten

With a slight breeze and a lovely sunrise the first official day of the Sup 11-City Tour 2022 has arrived. Today the 14^th of September all the athletes will start their challenge and attempt to paddle 220 kilometers on the Frisian waters. As the Sup village is getting more crowded as the morning progresses, the first Tour athletes are lining up at the start. The first ‘bang’ of the day reverberates across the water as the athletes move forwards. A train of suppers with dark blue race vests make their way out of Leeuwarden.

Between the start of the Tour and the next start of the Ladies, Divas, Grand Divas & Ladies/Mixed Teams we have a 40-minute time window. All volunteers are still busy with all their tasks whilst the athletes are busy with their match preparation. Buzz filled the Prinsentuin whilst everyone was awaiting the next start. At 9:10 the expected starting gun was sounded, immediately followed by another one at 9:15, meaning that the Grand Masters and Men Teams were allowed to start as well. At 9:20 a starting gun was expected to start the Open Men, but due to a false start of multiple athletes a restart was necessary. Luckily the restart was done smoothly, and the athletes sprinted their way out of Leeuwarden.

Athletes paddled their way true a peaceful scenery of vast meadows and many bridges. This edition the Tour athletes have a different resting point then the other athletes, to improve the flow during their breaks. Meaning that the first stop of the day at Scharnegoutum was colored blue with Tour athletes. Calm reigned over the resting place as athletes came and went. On to the next resting place, in Sneek, which was for all the other athletes many boards were laid out on the large shore. Some athletes were eating, some were stretching against the cramps and unfortunately one athlete needed some bandages for his headwound that he got from bumping into a bridge. Thankfully a lot of volunteers have completed their first aid prior to the event, so the athlete was appropriately cared for.

After rest, it is bell ringing time! The bell ringing was done at the lovely Waterpoort in Sneek and in IJlst as the athletes proceed their journey to Sloten. Before reaching the fishline in Sloten they need to cross the Slotermeer, which can be quite tricky.

“The Slotermeer felt like a washing machine, but I fortunately stayed up!“

Theresa Bristow

With some choppy side wind, the paddlers had a difficult time on the Slotermeer. But by putting in the hard work they passed the lake but before finishing they got to enjoy the small canals of Sloten. This year the organization arranged the finish in Sloten in a different way to improve after race comfort for the athletes. Once the athletes got of the water the masseuse as well as some food where ready.

Tomorrow the athletes will paddle from Sloten to Workum. The first start will take place at 8:30 sharp.

Provisional race results 14.09.22

Open Men

1. Bruno Hasulyo 5 hrs 8 min 29 sec
2. Joep van Bakel 5 hrs 14 min 46 sec
3. Ricardo Haverschmidt 5 hrs 36 min 39 sec

Masters

1. Michiel Keesmakers 5 hrs 31 min 22 sec
2. Andrej Spelic 5 hrs 43 min 02 sec
3. Jochum Steur 5 hrs 47 min 21 sec

Grand Masters

1. Pascal Bleys 5 hrs 48 min 37 sec
2. Gunther de Bin 5 hrs 48 min 37 sec
3. Peter Mulhauser 5 hrs 54 min 20 sec

Open Ladies

1. Petronella van Malsen 6 hrs 01 min 35 sec
2. Tanja Ecker 6 hrs 02 min 53 sec
3. Nicoline Rasmussen 6 hrs 15 min 35 sec

Diva’s

1. Hanneke de Jong 6 hrs 36 min 55 sec
2. Annelies Loots 6 hrs 46 min 00 sec
3. Priscilla de Boer 7 hrs 29 min 53 sec

Grand Diva’s

1. Tineke Merkus 6 hrs 16 min 51 sec
2. Marion Behrens 6 hrs 32 min 44 sec
3. Dorthe Nielsen 6 hrs 43 min 44 sec