“Here I am. Yes, right in front of you.” Huizinga waves from a distance to make himself known. Dressed in full cycling gear, with his helmet on and a gleaming bike at his side, he’s hard to miss in Maastricht’s busy market square. He’s about to head out for a training ride; conditions are good, with little wind and some pleasant sunshine. “I’ll probably do about 45 kilometres, maybe take on the Bemelerberg. A few days ago, I did 80 kilometres through the Dutch Hills and the Voer region – that went well.”
Raising money
Although Huizinga enjoys cycling, he never quite planned to take part in the Amstel Gold Race Sportive. That changed when he was approached by the Brain Battle Fund, one of the charities supported by the Limburg University Fund. It raises money for research into the treatment of brain injuries through various campaigns and events. “I worked as a student assistant at Development & Alumni Relations, and colleagues from the Limburg University Fund were just a few doors down. I’ve always found their work interesting. That’s how it all started – I was asked to take part”, explains Huizinga. With that came the challenge of raising money. “A thousand euros is the standard target. I think I’ve already passed that.” He checks his phone for the latest total. “Yes, I’m already over €1100, thanks to friends and family. I didn’t expect it to go so quickly.”
For a moment, it looked like he might miss out, as the event had already sold out due to high demand. “But someone dropped out, so I could take their spot.” He only got final confirmation about six weeks ago, which wasn’t ideal in terms of preparation: some cycling enthusiasts train all year for this event. “But I’ve got a good basic level of fitness. I referee football matches every weekend – that’s my passion. In spring and summer, when the football season winds down, I like to get out on my bike.”
“Spaghetti? No”
He hasn’t followed any strict training schedule or special diet in preparation. “Eating a big plate of spaghetti?” he laughs, taking another sip of water. “No, I haven’t done that yet.” A few bananas along the way, some energy gels and a feed zone stop should be enough to get him through all 100 kilometres.
Why not tackle a longer distance? The Amstel Gold Race Sportive also offers distances of 150, 200 and even 240 kilometres. “The 100 is just right. It means you don’t have to train too much and can just enjoy the ride. If I’d chosen a longer distance, I would’ve needed to do more training, and I simply don’t have the time.” Huizinga is currently finishing his degree and doing an internship at the Brightlands Chemelot Campus in Sittard. “Determination will get me a long way – and luckily, I’ve got the body of a climber.”
Huizinga is wiry, not too heavy and not particularly tall, which will help him when tackling some of the tougher climbs. “The thing is, what goes up must come down”, he says optimistically. “Picturing the descent makes it easier. And I’m not thinking of it as a race; it’s all for charity.”
An honour
On the Friday evening before the event, he will meet the other riders from the Brain Battle Fund in Valkenburg, where the race will start. They’ll collect their race numbers and exchange some final information, after which it’s every rider for themselves. “I think I’ll be out on the road for about four to five hours.” He’s looking forward to the atmosphere, the spectators lining the route (“my parents will be there too, they’re very proud”), the “beautiful places” he’ll pass through – and just the event as a whole. He feels lucky to be taking part, as it usually sells out in no time. “As an amateur cyclist, it’s not easy to get a spot. Getting this opportunity is fantastic. It’s a real honour.”