Marathon Cup 3 Amsterdam

Written by T Dobbin

It has been a week and a half of uncertainty for Shane Dobbin and his team mates, Ingmar Berga, Arjan Smit, Jan Maarten Heideman and Jens Zwister. With the bankruptcy of their sponsor DSB Bank this left all marathon team members, long track team members and their individually sponsors skaters lost their sponsorship. The Marathon series is no long the DSB bank Cup but just the Marathon Cup after only two races for the 2009-2010 ice season.

Right now the marathon team are hoping to find a new sponsor to keep the team together, but it’s a time of uncertainty and patients for each of the team members. Tonight the X-DSB Bank marathon team will be racing with red colours but free of sponsor’s logos.

Tonight’s marathon race is being held in Amsterdam with the usual start time of 20:00. It’s the only open air ice rink in the Netherlands with the weather forecast to be cold, wet and very windy.

Keep posted for results coming soon.

DSB Bank Cup Heerenveen

Written by T Dobbin

Last Saturday was the second marathon of the season for the DSB Bank Cup. It has been a long and stressful week for all the skaters from the DSB Bank marathon team, long track team as well as all the individual sponsored skaters of DSB Bank. However, the team got it together as best they could on Saturday night for the what turns out to be their final marathon in the DSB Bank colours.

After an attack from seven skaters directly after the first prime sprints, the race was over for the remaining skaters in the peleton who missed the break, yet still 74 laps remaining in the race at that point.

After many long attacks and a fast race, it was left to four skaters in the final five laps to see who would fight it out of the victory. Finally the race results from Saturday are as follows:

Mens Final Standings:
1 15 Arjan Stroetinga BAM Schaatsteam 2 30,1
2 3 Douwe de Vries Adformatie 2 28
3 1 Bob de Vries BAM Schaatsteam 2 26
4 22 Kurt Wubben TNT Express 2 25
5 27 Christijn Groeneveld Equipe Renault Eco2 1 19
6 13 Jorrit Bergsma Equipe Renault Eco2 1 18
7 2 Cedric Michaud Nefit HR Ketels 1 17
8 90 Durk Fabriek Marathonteam Windkr88 1 16
9 19 Karlo Timmerman Adformatie 10
10 5 Ingmar Berga DSB Bank 9

Ladies Final Standings:
1 D41 Maria DSB Bank 20,1
2 D87 Elma de Vries Marathonteam Jaap.nl 18
3 D21 Mireille Reitsma Landjuweel 16
4 D13 Carla Zielman Pro Horeca 15
5 D56 Lucy Hutten-Witteman Witteman Tuinen/Groenrijk 14
6 D12 Bianca Roosenboom Viks Parket 13
7 D84 Lillian van Haaster Marathonteam Leontien.nl 12
8 D5 Daniëlle Bekkering Frisia Financieringen 11
9 D76 Mariska Huisman Viks Parket 10
10 D14 Chris Witty DSB Bank 9

Dsb Bank Cup 2 Heerenveen

Written by T Dobbin

Tonight is the second DSB Bank Cup which is held in Thialf rink in Heerenveen. The first division starts at 17:30 followed by the ladies at 19:00. The final event of the night is the men's A grade which starts at 20:00. It could be the last race for the DSB Bank team to race in red tonight and starting for the team is Ingmar Berga, Shane Dobbin, Arjan Smit and Jens Zwister. Keep posted for results coming from tonights marathon race.

DSB Bank Cup One in Alkmaar

Written by T Dobbin

Last night was the first of the DSB Bank cup marathon races on ice which was held in the DSB home town of Alkmaar. Starting for the DSB bank team was Shane Dobbin, Ingmar Berga, Arjan Smit and Jan Maarten Heideman.

With the top division starting later this year at 20:00 they were the final event of the evening. The marathon races this year are longer being 125 laps instead of 100, with prime sprints during the race which are three sets of three and no eliminations.

Like every marathon each race is on from the start and many breakaway attempts. Ingmar Berga of DSB bank having a spectacular race was extremely active off the front trying to form a breakaway. Shane Dobbin of DSB Bank having a strong race for his team helped being back a few breakaways that were serious threats to his team mates.

It wasn't until after the final sprint primes that a breakaway group of three formed with Jorrit Bergsma (Renault), Bob de Vries (Bam) and Ingmar Berga (DSB Bank). These three skaters worked together with the help of Renault and Bam's team mates to bring these three skaters one lap up on the peleton. Once the breakaway had caught the peleton, the unfortunate incident with Ingmar Berga and another skater caused a crash and Ingmar went down.

It was the hard team mate of Shane Dobbin and Arjan Smit and the sportmanship of the peleton that went back to get Ingmar to bring him back to the two lead skaters.

In the final sprint of the peleton with five laps to go it was Renaults Rob Hadders that crossed the line first in the pack sprint for fourth place, fifth was Karlo Timmerman (Adformatie) and sixth Sjoerd Huisman (Nefit).

In the remaining four laps, the young Jorrit Bergsma made a solo attack which carried him to the line and took the first victory of the season for his team. With one lap to go Bob de Vries (Bam) made his sprint but coming down the final straight it was Ingmar Berga (Dsb bank) who got to the line for second place, and third went to Bam's Bob de Vries.

Mens Results

1 Jorrit Bergsma - Equipe 13 Renault Eco2 1 25,1
2 5 Ingmar Berga - DSB Bank 1 23
3 1 Bob de Vries - BAM Schaatsteam 1 21
4 8 Rob Hadders - Equipe Renault Eco2 15
5 19 Karlo Timmerman - Adformatie 14
6 24 Sjoerd Huisman Andijk - HR Ketels 13
7 12 Pieter Jan van Eck -Marathonteam Van Werven 12
8 6 Jan Maarten Heideman -DSB Bank 11
9 7 Cees Juffermans - TNT Express 10

Ladies Results

1 Elma de Vries - Marathonteam D87 Jaap.nl 20,1
2 D13 Carla Zielman - Pro Horeca 18
3 D21 Mireille Reitsma - Landjuweel 16
4 D5 Daniëlle Bekkering - Frisia Financieringen 15
5 D41 Maria Sterk - DSB Bank 14
6 D76 Mariska Huisman - Viks Parket 13
7 D84 Lillian van Haaster - Marathonteam Leontien.nl 12
8 D47 Anniek ter Haar - Marathonteam Ripca/Aavas Gr 11
9 D66 Margo van de Merwe - Marathonteam MKBasics.nl 10
10 D12 Bianca Roosenboom - Viks Parket 9

Next weekend is in Heerenveen for another 125 laps and the second stage of the DSB Bank Cup.

Erfurt International Open Day

Written by T Dobbin

Last weekend was the first long track race on the calendar in Europe for Shane. After getting a race in Salt Lake City and still six weeks out from his first World Cup, it was a good time to be able to go to Erfurt and get another race in before the next five weekends will be taken up with the DSB Bank Cup Marathon races.

Arriving Friday afternoon in Erfurt Shane Dobbin had an interview with one of the biggest newspapers in Erfurt. After the interview it was onto the ice track for an easy training session to flush the legs after a long drive.

The races started Saturday afternoon with Shane racing the 1500 meter on the first day and the second day a 5 kilometer. Below are Shanes times for the weekend's races:

1500m - 1.54,25

5km - 6.40,21

The 1500 meter time allows Shane to start in the World Cups during this winter as well as his seasons best 5 km time. Shane was happy with both times set on the weekend. Of course both times can be improved alot but it's a good start to the winter with still so many weeks out from the World Cups, there is still alot of room for improvement.

From now and for the next few weeks it's off to the Marathon races on Saturday night with the first race being held in Alkmaar.

Keep posted for all the results and news that will be posted soon.

Erfurt Qualification

Written by T Dobbin

This weekend is the second race of the season for Shane Dobbin who is racing the ISU Qualification event in Erfurt, Germany. On Saturday afternoon Shane will be starting in the 1500 meter to get another race under his belt before the marathon season starts next weekend with the first of the DSB Bank cup kicking off in Alkmaar. On Sunday morning Shane will then race the 5 kilometer to set another time before the World Cup races start in November. Keep posted for results and updates from this weekend.