My Dutch trip - The ride itself (pt 1)

After looking at all of the bikes and velomobiles arriving at the start (pics at bottom), dinner was eaten and we were all lined up ready to go.
20.00 was the start time and we had a lead out with cars at either end as we rolled along the dual carriageway ring-road.
It was the best audax start I've ever done probably only second to PBP (next year!)
Once we were out of the town we followed cycle-paths N/westwards around the Ijsselmeer and along the Afsluitdijk a 32km dike stopping the sea flooding the area.
I'd been riding mainly on my own along this part as I'd had a puncture and had lost the group but after leaving one group I joined up with Hector (a Greek lad) and we positively flew along here at about 40kph.

After the food stop at Den Oever we (Me, Hector and Adam) headed south passing close to Amsterdam and Den Haag in the dark so no sightseeing. Crossing the Noordzeekanaal as the sun was rising and eventually arriving at Maasdijk at 9.30 for breakfast.
The day was getting hotter and after food and bottle filling (many times!) and application of suncream we were on our way again for ferry number 2 at Maasluis.

The temps were up in the 30s and it was hard to find water stops filling our bottles up at garages when needed. The ride around the paths and park area was lovely and the cycle tunnel under the Maas with glass lifts was brilliant.
The 400km control came rather quickly at Geertruidenberg at just after 15.00 (19hrs) Still in the middle of the field but making good time.

The sky started to darken a bit after we crossed into Belgium and we hid under an underpass at just the right time as the heavens opened. Apparently the storm was one of the worse the area has had for a number of years with trees being uprooted and caravans being turned over.
This made the ride towards Maastricht slow as all the cyclepaths had branches and trees all over them.
Navigation was a bit dodgy also with the routesheet not matching the gps, the track on the latter sending us across fields and along unpaved canal banks. Hector decided to go along a road that didn't allow cycling, me and Adam found another route to the control.
We eventually got to Maastricht a couple of hours later than expected at 01.00 tired and a bit irritable due to the navigation issues.
I was pleased though with a distance of 564km in 29hrs.

Bikely route part1

Various bike at the start (crappy phone pics)