2024.01.14 European Championships cycling track

This was a sunday. It would be my first time to try and get in person signatures from Track cysclists ever. The championships were to be held at the cyclingtrack of Omnisport in Apeldoorn just a 45 minutes drive from y home. I got some expert advice from fellow collector Erik de Weerd who had been to the event before. He told me that the teams of the Netherlands, Poland, Germany and Italy would all be in the same hotel. I prepared 85 photographs and got to the hotel at 7.00 in the morning. There were hardly any contestants to be seen and as it turned out Germany and Poland weren't there. Instead Denmark, Norway and Israel were at the hotel but i hadn't prepared anything from those teams. Bummer.

So i deceided to go to the venue. I was able to get access (thanx to security) to the backstage entrance were all the athletes and all the staff would have to go through. And so it began.... To be honest: it was not very good. Since this was my first time seeing most of the athletes i did not recognize most of them. When they entered the building i had a 10 second window to recognize them, get their photo out, and get it signed. Nevertheless i am happy because i got 21 photos signed and i was able to get two of three dutch superheros Roy van der Berg and Johnny Hoogerland for myself and my friends Erik de Weerd and Gustav Zomerschoe.

So not such a bad day although i had hoped for more....:)

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