Members of the MeadWestvaco Mont Ventoux Challenge

  • Jan Theelen, MeadWestvaco Venlo, Netherlands, Racebike
  • Sylvain Thibaut, MeadWestvaco Deols, France, Racebike
  • Celio van Gerwen, MeadWestvaco Uden, Netherlands
  • Santiago Casado, MeadWestvaco Hemer, Germany, Walking
  • Georg Reinhard, MeadWestvaco Trier, Germany, Mountainbike
  • John Sturkenboom, MeadWestvaco Uden, Netherlands, Racebike
  • Martijn van Diepenbeek, MeadWestvaco Uden, Netherlands, Mountainbike
  • Mark van der Cruijsen, MeadWestvaco Uden, Netherlands, Mountainbike
  • Steve Cooke, MeadWestvaco Bristol, England, Walking
  • Julien Rayée, MeadWestvaco Roosendaal, Netherlands, Running
  • Twan Beurskens, MeadWestvaco Venlo, Netherlands, Racebike
  • Peter Theelen, MeadWestvaco Venlo, Netherlands, Racebike
  • Chris Schuts, MeadWestvaco Venlo, Netherlands, Racebike
  • Jeroen Evertsen, MeadWestvaco Enschede, Netherlands, Mountainbike
  • Dick Klein Egelink, MeadWestvaco Enschede, Netherlands, Racebike
  • Ramil Nigmatullin, MeadWestvaco Moscow, Russia, Running
  • Patrick de Laat, MeadWestvaco Uden, Netherlands, Racebike
  • Michel Tanguy, MeadWestvaco Troyes, France, Racebike
  • Christophe Raby, MeadWestvaco Troyes, France, Racebike

Non MeadWestvaco members

  • Ronald van Heertum, Uden, Netherlands, Racebike
  • Marcus Gluth, MWV Contractor Hemer, Germany, Racebike
  • Heiner Korschewski, MWV Contractor Hemer, Germany, Racebike
  • Thomas Nicolai, MWV Contractor Hemer, Germany, Racebike

MeadWestvaco's Mont Ventoux Supportteam

  • Daniel Westphal, MeadWestvaco Hemer, Germany
  • Michael Hofer, MWV SHE SBS Europe, Austria

Saturday, 29 March 2008

Trouble for me!

Hello,

Yesterday during my training my heart got in problems again. My heart rate went up to 210 /min. and this means I will probably have another surgery to fix this problem. It also means that I'm not going to ride my bike on the Mont Ventoux. This hurts me really.
I will contact my cardiologic on Monday and hope that I can have the surgery as soon as possible. But even then it will not be possible to climb the Mont Ventoux in May.
But for all of you the challenge goes on, and I will be in France to support you all in your personal challenge on the slopes of our mountain.

As soon as I now more you hear from me.

ps.

I also had from Daniel a message that he will not be able to climb the Mont Ventoux on his bike due to medical circumstances. He will also be a supporter on the side line like me.

Monday, 24 March 2008

Cincle, who is ready for this?

Two people from Venlo ( Twan and Chris) attempt to do the "Cinlcle" on the 25th of May (see my older posting in January). This would mean that they will start on Sunday very early and climb the Mont Ventoux from Sault to the top. Then they go down to Bedoin to join the rest of us in the climb from Bedoin to the top. And after that they have to go down to Malaucene and climb him for the third time from this side. After this they will go down to Sault to finish there challenge. I personally wanted to do this too, but after my surgery I don't think I'm ready for that. Who of the bikers of our group thinks also to do this? Are there more people who think this is possible and would try it? 136 Km ( the half of them are down hill) and 4390 meters of climb, if you think you want to do this, then read the instructions down here.
To get member of the club of "Cincle" you have to sign in at Mr. Pic in France. http://www.clubcinglesventoux.org/index.php?pcr=1&tpe=id_pry&ad=ASC

CLUB des CINGLÉS du MONT-VENTOUX
Address: 13 rue Chateaubriand
Zip code: 42290
City: SORBIERS - FRANCE
Telephone: 04.77.53.16.18
E-mail:

Send him an E-mail with the question what to do to get the card for the stamps, this card do you need to get alle stamps at the villages and top. After you finished this challenge you have to send Mr. Pic your card with stamps and he will send you your membership of "Le Club des Cinglés du Mont-Ventoux".
As far as I now cost the card about 14 euros.

So if there are more people who think to do this, start as soon as possible to get your stamp card and let me now that you will, I will bring you all in contact with each other so that you can make your own planning for that day.

"N'est pas fou qui monte au Ventoux, mais est bien fou qui y retourne." " You aren't crazy to climb the Mont Ventoux, but you are if you do it ones again."
This is a Provencal proverb.

Tuesday, 18 March 2008

Patrick de Laat


Hello Mont-Ventoux challengers,
I am Patrick de Laat, I am 36 years young, and I am working at AGI Media Uden as a printer. I’m married and have 2 daughters. We live in a cosy place Schijndel between Eindhoven and Den Bosch ( Netherlands )Riding my bike is one of my favourite hobbies, I ride several big tours during the year, together with other club members.. Beside bicycles I love spending time with my family, nice food and going on holidays. I hope we that we have a nice weekend and a big challenge . I wish everyone a lot of fun during the training and see everyone in May.


Thank you Patrick for your contribution, who is next?

Wednesday, 12 March 2008

Bike in China

This week I'm in China for my work and if you did not see this you will not believe it. We have regular bikes, mountain bikes and race bikes in Europe. Here in China they have also transportation bikes. It is incredable how these people act on a bike. They can put 2 m3 of load on a bike and are still able to ride this thing. If they would go to the Mont Ventoux with a racebike they would be on the top as first.

This is an experience that I never forget my whole life. Crossing a road here is as dangerous as riding down the Mont Ventoux without brakes. The traffic lights are there to show people what nice collours they have. Red doesn't mean automatically stop, it's just a colour. Where ever green means drive and this they do understand.

We use the horn to make contact to others for a hazard or to say hi to a friend. Over here they use this button for everything. This is the button that is used the most of the whole car.



I wanted to do some training over here but I have to commit that I didn't, so the challenge for me is getting bigger and bigger.

Thursday, 6 March 2008

Celio van Gerwen


Hello Mont Ventoux challengers,
My name is Celio van Gerwen and I am 44 years young. I ‘m married and have three daughters. I live in Aarle Rixtel a small village near Eindhoven. I’m working as KAM Manager for AGI Media in Uden . I have several hobby’s like making music and organize Disco Dance Party’s, working in the garden and cycling in the summer. In the winter I train in the gym twice a week, spinning. I am not going to climb the Mont Ventoux, because I’m not trained enough. I shall take care that everyone gets what he wants during his climb and support them. I look forward to meet everyone and hope that this challenge will bring us a lot of fun.

Concept drawing for shirts

Today we finished the drawing which we want to use on the shirts. We are still working on it to get this done and it looks that we will succeed in this (keep your fingers cross). One of my colleague Tim van Dijk has made an nice image what express our challenge. I want to thank Tim from us by this.
I could publish the image over here but then there is no surprise left so you all have to wait until the 23th of Mai in France.
Next week I will be away for my work to China, so I won't be able to update the site.
My training is not so good at the moment and I was already thinking to take a "riksha" in China and do the biking on that for my training but my wife said that this wouldn't be a good idea from me. So I will go ones again to the gym in the hotels.
I already know that the challenge on the Ventoux will be a real challenge for me due to the little time of training on my race bike this year. But this makes the Ventoux so special.

Monday, 3 March 2008

New participant

Last week in England I met Santiago Casado from the Hemer plant in Germany. When I told him from our challenge he got interested and today he send me his "YES I WILL JOIN" mail. This is nice and at this moment we are now with 32 people at the mountain.
Welcome Santiago we are very happy to have you in the group. We will make this to a great happening you will always remember.

Saturday, 1 March 2008

Visitor increase on the weblog

Hello,



Friday the MeadWestvaco intranet was updated with an article from our tour. Immedialtly we could see an increase of visitors on the weblog, at this moment allready more then 1700 visitors. I also got a lot of comments from MWV people who liked what we are doing. This is good because if we would go for another challenge next year we would probably have even more people together

And the countdown goes on as you can see on the left. I suppose that everybody is hard at training, I have to commit that I did not train so much as I would like to do. Last two weeks I was in the UK for work and trained in a gym. This is ofcourse different then on the road on my own bike and today we have a storm over the Netherlands so training will be inside or for the hard ones outside and then it will be extra hard.

I'm still hope to get some info and pictures from some members to post it on the weblog, so if you did not send some info with pictures to me, think about it and if you would like then send me some info so that I can publish it on the weblog.