Written by T DobbinLast night was the first Natural Ice race for the 2008-2009 ice season. The first ice rink to announce the first race was Haaksbergen which is in the East of Netherlands close to the German boarder. The ladies race started first at 19:00. Elma de Vries skating with the DSB Bank team race both on Saturday and Sunday in Heerenveen at the All-Round National Championships finishing in second overall to qualify for the European All-Round Championships finished her 5km and got straight in the car and raced to Haaksbergen to race in the Natural ice race.
Elma de Vries (DSB Bank) broke away in a group including her team mate Maria Sterk (DSB Bank), Mariska Huisman (Viks) and in total 14 girls were in the first breakaway group. These 14 ladies lapped the peleton and it would come down to a sprint finish where DSB Bank's Elma de Vries took the victory over Mariska Huisman (Viks) and third went to Chris Witty (Landjuweel).
Ladies results1st Elma de Vries (DSB Bank)
2nd Mariska Huisman (Viks)
3rd Chris Witty (Landjuweel)
4th Carla Zielmann (hoolwerf)
5th Maria Sterk (DSB Bank)
The mens race started shortly after where the race was very fast and very hard for the first 35 laps. The pace was on the whole time with breakaway attempts and the face ice. One straight was tail wind and the other head wind. At the mid race point there was a breakaway of approximately 17 skaters. Some skaters were originally in the breakaway and went back to the peleton and some skaters including Ingmar Berga (DSB Bank) crossed over to the breakaway. 
Finally these 17 skaters lapped the peleton and the peleton got the bell with 11 laps to go for their sprint finish. Shane Dobbin (DSB Bank) was sitting in second place from laps 18-11 setting himself up for the sprint for the peleton. In the end Shane made a great sprint for the line and passing many people down the final straight ending up in 23rd place. The breakaway group still had 10 laps remaining where Bam's Rob Hadders was at the front making sure there were no breakaway. After chasing down the final attempt of a breakaway with approximately 3 laps to go Rob Hadders (BAM) pulled aside once the group was together Safan's Roy Boeve made him move with Sander Kingma (Team Care Group) and Bob de Vries (BAM) crossing over. These three skaters were in front just enough to stay away for the final lap and Bob de Vries (BAM) crossed the line in first for the race victory.
Men's results1st Bob de Vries (BAM)
2nd Sander Kingma (Team Care Group)
3rd Roy Boeve (Safan)
4th Karlo Timmerman (Renault)
5th Joost Juffermans (TNT)
6th Cedric Michaud (Nefit)
7th Arjan Stroetinga (BAM)
8th Ingmar Berga (DSB Bank)
9th Bart de Vries (Schuurman)
10th Yoeri Lissenberg (Foekens)
Announced last night, on Wednesday evening there will be another Natural Ice race in the north of Netherlands. The race will be confirmed in the new 24 hours with the possibility of being a New Years Eve race with another race on Thursday in Biddinghuizen.
For full results go to : http://www.knsb.nl/natuurijs/wedkal.asp
For more photos go to : http://www.fotohdeboer.nl/
