Tour of Flanders, KOTK, Cannibale and Climbing For Life Vosges.
The first challenge of the year: Tour of Flanders with the start in Antwerp. We started in a little rain. It went wrong on the cobblestones of the Paddestraat. My front wheel got stuck between two cobllestones and I fell to the ground. Luckily close to the supply point where I could visit the medical services to have my wounds on my knee and elbow treated. This didn't stop me from riding up all the slopes without getting off. After almost 11 hours I reached the finish for, at that moment, my longest ride.
With some colleagues I participated in the charity "Kom op Tegen Kanker". As a team you collect money and ride 1000km. The event is 4 days and each day one cyclist is riding 250km in a peloton. So two months later I broke my record again with the longest ride.
A few weeks later the next challenge was already there: Cannibale. Three days of cycling around and over the Ventoux. The first day we climb the Ventoux from the Sault side while first passing the Gorges de la Nesque. Next day we climb the Ventoux from the Malaucène side. And the last day, a ride of 194km with the following climbs: Ventoux Bedoin, Col de l'Homme Mort, Col St Jean, Col de Perty and Ventoux Sault. I took me more then 11 hours to finish in a, for me, too warm environment. After the ride I said to never do this again...