ISU Challengers Cup News

Today is the final day of the Challengers Cup Event in Hoorn, Netherlands. It's an official ISU event held three times during the winter for skaters to set times to qualify them for the World Cups.

Tonight both Shane Dobbin & Dj Nation from New Zealand will be racing the 5000 meter event. With only 5 pairings Dj Nation is against a skater from the Netherlands in the third pair and Shane Dobbin is against a Norwegen in the final pair. On the ice for both Shane Dobbin & Dj Nation will be DSB Bank marathon coach Peter de Vries who is still a famous skater in the Netherlands only retiring last year from the marathons and stepped straight into coaching. The 5000 meter is the final event for the evening and it will depend on the weather condition as to what times will be set this evening. Hoorn is a ice rink which is 80% closed but the inside of the corners are open air so if it's windy outside it can change the times set. Last year the winner of this event was a Dutch skater who won in a time of 6:47 which is still currently the track record. So no super fast times are planned for this evening just a good enough times to qualify for the World Cups next year.

Video will be taking through this evenings races and will be uploaded online so be sure to keep and eye out for the videos that will be coming soon this week!

Yesterday Wayne Begg from New Zealand skated the first round of the 500 meter and 1000 meter races as well as Australians Sophie Muir and Josh Loose raced the 1500 meter. Both Wayne Begg and Sophie Muir will be racing the second round of the 500 meter and 1000 meter events while Josh Loose will be starting in the 5000 meter race.

The results from yesterday are as follows:

Men's 500 meter Winner

1st Ronald Mulder (Netherlands) - 36.5

Men's 1000 meter Winner
1st Michel Mulder (Netherlands) - 1:13

Other Results
Wayne Begg 500 meter - 39.7
Wayne Begg 1000 meter - 1:19
Sophie Muir 500 meter - 44.2
Josh Loose 1500 meter - 1:59

Results from tonight will be posted soon!

Essent Cup 7 Amsterdam

Written by T Dobbin
Last night was the 7th Essent Cup race held in the open air ice rink in the Netherlands, Amsterdam. It was a cold night which lead to some good ice for racing in Amsterdam.

The men's race was the first event of the evening in Amsterdam. Two of the sprint finishers did not start in Amsterdam Karlo Timmerman (Eco2 Renault) & Arjan Stroetinga (BAM) as well as strongman Willen Hut (BAM) becuase they were in a training camp in Tenerife it left a hole in their teams for this weekend's race.

Throughout the race Bob de Vries (BAM), Douwe de Vries (Adformatie) and Cedric Michaud (Nefit) sprinter for the sprint points every 20 laps to race for the Gold Jersey. There were many attacks in Amsterdam with the serious attack right before the final 20 laps for the sprint finish.

The men's race finished with a breakaway in the last 8 eight laps with approximately 6 skaters including Sjoerd Huisman (Nefit). With Bob de Vries (BAM) chasing down the breakaway Sjoerd Huisman (Nefit) made his sprint for the finish with one and half laps to go and it was Sjoerd that crossed the line in first taking his second victory for the season. Bob de Vries (BAM) just behind by the finish line catching the rest of the brakaway group with Geert Plender finishing in third place who was in the breakaway with Sjoerd Huisman. Unfortunately Ingmar Berga (DSB Bank) crossed the finish line in the 8th place but because it was his second yellow card for the season, when you receive your second you are disqualified.

Men's Marathon Results
1st Sjoerd Huisman (Nefit)
2nd Bob de Vries (BAM)
3rd Geert Plender (Safan)
4th Roy Boeve (Safan)
5th Bart de Vries (Schuurman Schoenen)
6th Douwe de Vries (Adformatie)
7th Cedrick Michaud (Nefit)
8th Roel van Hest (Kooyenga groep)
9th Cees Juffermans (TNT Express)
10th Jan van Loon (Eco2 Renault)

The ladies race finished in a sprint finish with Elma de Vries (DSB Bank) crossing the finish line in first place but because she received a yellow card which was her second she was disqualified from the event as well as her team mate who is currently in the Gold Jersey Maria Strek (DSB Bank) because of her own offences and received her second yellow card. This left the results as follows:

Ladies Marathon Results
1st Mariska Huisman (VIks)
2nd Margo can de Merwe (Team de Sprinters)
3rd Yvonne Spigt (Foekens)
4th Andrea Sikkema (Van der Wiel)
5th Helen can Goozen (Frisia)

For full results go to: http://www.knsb.nl/content/marathon/wedkal_detail.asp?ID=307

For more photos go to: http://www.fotohdeboer.nl/

ISU Challengers Cup in Hoorn

Today is the first day of the ISU Challengers Cup event held in Hoorn, Netherlands. Tonight is the first night of racing in Hoorn with the first round of 500 meters for the ladies and men, as well as the first found of the 1000 meters. The final event for this evenings racing is the 1500 meter men's race and the 3000 meter ladies.

Tomorrow night both Shane Dobbin & Dj Nation will be taking the start in the 5000 meter for New Zealand. The other events on tomorrow are the second round of 500 meter & 1000 meter and the ladies 1500 meter. The start times for both Saturday and Sunday are at 18:00.

Tonight in the Essent Cup race held in Amsterdam. Starting for DSB tonight is Arjan Smith, Ingmar Berga, Jeron de Vries & Jens Zwister. To watch the marathon live to go http://www.sbs6.nl/web/show/id=259341/langid=43/media=23449/page=1

Keep posted for results coming soon.