The Bike Leg at Westfriesland: 90 Flat Kilometers Where the Climb Is the Wind

The Course at a Glance

A single 90 km loop from Hoorn out into the Westfriesland countryside: polders, canals, dikes. The official elevation gain is 55 meters. That's not a typo: there isn't a single climb, period. The roads are generally smooth and fast, with two exceptions we'll cover below. On paper it's one of the fastest bike courses on the European half-distance circuit.

The Wind Is the Climb

On a course like this, the difficulty isn't elevation: it's the wind. The historical average in the area is around 17 km/h, with variable direction, and out in the open there's no shelter whatsoever. No woods, no houses, no walls: just fields and canals. That changes how you manage the race.

The basic rule: push into the headwind, recover with the tailwind. Don't chase your average speed in the favorable sections, because you'll pay for those watts when the wind turns against you. If you race on power, treat the headwind stretch like a long climb: same target power, much lower speed, zero panic. Several race reports from past editions confirm that the wind is the factor separating a personal-best day from a day of suffering.

Cobbles in Medemblik and Farm Roads

Two technical points to know. First: there are cobbles in the center of Medemblik. Watch your lines and, above all, your bottles: check that your bottle cages, bottles and repair kit are secure before that section. A poorly fastened behind-the-saddle hydration system won't survive it. Second: some stretches between the fields can be muddy or slippery from farm traffic. Nothing dramatic, but keep the bike upright and don't brake on the dirty bits.

The Final 20 km: The Dike

The finale runs for roughly 20 km along the top of the Markermeer dike, completely exposed. It's where many riders empty the tank before the half marathon. If the wind is against you, that stretch becomes the hardest moment of the race: get there with something in reserve, not running on fumes. Also note that drafting packs have been reported on this course in past editions: keep the legal distance, the officials know about it.

Position, Gearing, Equipment

Here your aero position is worth more than any upgrade. Train to stay in your aerobars for 2-3 hours without breaks: on the polders there are no descents or corners where you can sit up. Modulating power in a crosswind is a specific skill: practice it in training, especially with deep-section wheels, which pay off here but demand bike-handling skills in the gusts. On gearing, nothing special is needed: with 55 m of elevation gain you'll spend almost the whole ride in the same two or three cogs.

How Long It Will Take

Our rough estimates, not official data: a relaxed finisher can count on around 3:15, a mid-pack target is 2:55, a fast athlete 2:40, a top age-grouper 2:25. With strong wind, add minutes; with a kind wind, this is a course where you fly.

What to Do Now

Three concrete actions. One: build long aero rides on open, windy roads into your training, working at constant power rather than speed. Two: do at least one ride on cobbles or rough surfaces with your full race setup, bottles full, to verify that nothing moves. Three: define your target watts for the headwind sections before the race and write them on your top tube, because on race day instinct will tell you to push with the tailwind — and that's exactly the mistake not to make.