October 6th, 2008
The Andes Trail crosses the Salar de Uyuni
It’s the first time
in history that a group of 13 cyclists crosses the Salar de Uyuni; the biggest salt lake in the world. Lonely cyclists have done it in the past, but it’s unique what's done. Heaps of pictures are shot and the film camera is running out of batteries. Too much to shoot unique pictures.
It’s bizarre to cycle on the Salar de Uyuni. It’s unreal, it’s surrealistic. It’s Salvatore Dali in optima forma.
Read the Correos and have a look at the special Salar de Uyuni
Slideshow.
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September 30th, 2008
Start La Bella Italia / Les Six Alps
The start date of "La Bella Italia" has been moved two days forward. The start in Palermo is Friday May 22nd and the finish in Como is Tuesday June 23rd, 2009.
The new tour over six great Alps from Como to Nice is planned from Thursday June 25nd till Thursday July 2nd, 2009.
After the finish in Nice you have the possibility to visit the "Grand Depart" of the Tour de France in the neighbouring Principality of Monaco on Saturday July 4th.
More news will follow...
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September 29th, 2008
SOS Children Villages
The
riders of “The Andes Trail” visited the
The atmosphere was exuberant. Everyone had good fun, the riders
and the kids. We could stay for hours and hours, but
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August 25th, 2008
Oncology Children's Foundation
Bike-Dreams co-operates with
OCF Australia in 2009.
OCF ( Oncology Children's Foundation ) is a not-for-profit children's charity dedicated to helping sick and critically ill children suffering from cancer, leukaemia and other serious cancer related illnesses.
"La Bella Italia" is one of the OCF-charity challenges in 2009.
Next to that a new extremely challenging 8-day tour across the Italian and French Alps is organised with OCF.
"Les Six Alps". 6 passes above 2000 meter : Col de St. Bernard (2,188m), Col d'Iseran (2,764 m), Col du Galibier (2,645m), Col d'Izoard (2,360m), Col de Vars (2,111 m) and the Col de la Bonette (2,715m). In addition you will be
enthralled by the views of Lago di Como, Lago di Lugano, Lago Maggiore and the Mont Blanc, Western Europe's highest mountain.
More news is coming... Get
the OCF-brochure
for "La Bella Italia" and "Les Six Alps".
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August 5th, 2008
The Andes Trail is counting down...
It's just a few days before "The Andes Trail" starts to run at the Mitad-del-Mundo monument near Quito. You can already follow the last preparations via our newsletters from South-America. Click no Correos to read the lastest news. There is still a lot of work to do, so we can't update you with everything.
We are counting down...
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July 7th, 2008
La Bella Italia 2009
The second edition of La Bella Italia starts May 24th, 2009. The route is 95 per cent the same as the route of 2008. We add two hotel nights to avoid some busy roads and to get an even more balanced and scenic tour. It’s good to know for people - who don’t prefer sleeping in a tent - that there is the possibility to rent bungalows or site caravans at 70 per cent of the campsites. Next to that we offer for participants the possibility to buy from us tents and mattresses. You can get a revised version of the brochure of "La Bella Italia".
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June 24th, 2008
A container have been packed in Rotterdam ( NL ) with a 4x4 car and a lot of equipment to support "The Andes Trail". Destination : Guayaquil, the main harbour in Ecuador. A journey over the Atlantic, through the Panama Canal and down over the Pacific. Hopefully the container arrives on time to support the riders during their epic bicycle expedition in South-America.
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June 12th, 2008
All participants arrived after more than 3000 kilometers at Madonna del Ghisallo, the pilgrimsite for cyclists in the middle of Lake Como. It was wonderful to see how all participants overwon the Dolomites and the impressive Passo dello Stelvio in the last week. Everyone had enjoyed the tour through Italy very much and arrived happy, healthy and with a lot of sweet memories.
Next year another "La Bella Italia".
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April 8th, 2008
The Andes Trail - Update
“The Andes Trail” is definitely running. We are very busy with all preparations and get lots of help of Ewald Kuiper, our car and bike mechanic during the first "Paris-Dakar by Bike". We prepare two extended 4x4 cars, fix roof racks and ship them with loads of other stuff in a 40 foot container to Guayaquil in Ecuador. There is still a lot of work to do behind the screens before the kick-off in Quito.
Cyclists from Canada, Ireland, France, Belgium, Czech Republic and the Netherlands join the first bike expedition on the South American continent. You can be part of them. There is still the possibility to join this heroic bike expedition. 11.000 kilometers through, over and along the longest mountain range in the world. It has never done before. Inca temples, salt lakes, deep valleys, volcanoes, canyons, glaciers, international friendships, different countries, and a lot, a lot more. The diverse conditions make the expedition the ultimate challenge for body and mind. The cyclists will have an unforgettable time to the End of the-World. So, be part of it. You will not regret.
Another 4 months to go...
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April 8th, 2008
La Bella Italia - Update
The group of cyclists which starts in Palermo is coming from all around the world and is probably even more international than the pack of the Giro d’Italia. The cyclists which gonna enjoy the beautiful Italian country are coming from France, Denmark, Switzerland, Australia, Qatar, Brazil, UK, Belgium and the Netherlands. Male and female. Let us know if you still want to be part of them. A few spots are still available.
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April 7th, 2008
The first
Bike-Dreams Weekend
was
organized April 5th and 6th in the south of the Netherlands. It was not really Bike Dreams weather. The conditions were anything but ideal. A lot of rain, cold and wind. The thirty cyclists got probably more rain on the first day of the weekend than they got in total over two editions "Paris-Dakar by Bike". Despite the bad conditions outside, the atmosphere was very pleasant inside. The ex-participants shared their memories during dinner with a glass of wine or beer.
We thank the ex-participants and other interested cyclists who made the journey to
Epen, especially Jørgen from Denmark and Kees and Jenny who came all the way from the south of
France. The reactions afterwards were very positive and inspires us to organize with full enthusiasm another Bike-Dreams Weekend in 2009.
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March 20th, 2008
After the commotion around the cancellation of the Dakar Rally at the beginning of this year, the situation in Mauritania has been stabilized. The travel advices for the country are back to normal. That's good news for the local population and for everyone who considers taking part in the third edition of "Paris-Dakar by Bike" in the autumn of 2009.
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February 6th, 2008
We organize a “Bike-Dreams Weekend” on April 5th and 6th. It’s for the participants of 2006 and 2007 a nice opportunity to have a chat and to revive stories. The weekend gives for potential participants the possibility to get acquainted with the Bike-Dreams organization in an informal way and to hear the experiences of former participants. Read more...
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February 1st, 2008
"Paris-Dakar
by Bike 2007" was not only a success for the participants and
organization, but also the sponsorship
was a great success. The total amount that has been collected in
several countries is :
€ 20.265,27
This
amount is divided equally and handed over to SOS Children Village
and Right To Play.
The
cheque has been handed over to Ronald Hemerik of SOS Kinderdorpen and
Willie Rozendal of Right To Play. They will take care that all donations are used in an effective way, so that tens, as not, hundreds of children head for a better future.
We want to thank all persons and companies who donated an amount. Small or big, all donations for the sponsorship were warmly welcome. The organizations and the children in Africa are very grateful with all donations and we are very grateful to the donors for the support to these children.
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January 11th, 2008
Bike-Dreams present at the international Fiets- en Wandelbeurs.
Date : 2 & 3 Februari 2008
Location : Amsterdam Rai
Standnr. : 11.D.093
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January 5th, 2008
We have also read the news the Dakar Rally has been cancelled.
It is very sad to hear that an event with such a rich history has to bow for terror threats, but we understand
the decision of the organizers completely : “safety first”.
It’s a pity that a very small minority manages to ruin the life and the feeling of safety for the rest of us. That’s not only in Mauritania, but also in the rest of the world.
We have crossed last autumn Mauritania with 28 cyclists plus an 8 person’s crew without any incidents. All people in the country were very kind and helpful, like everywhere in the world.
In November 2007 we already made the decision to organize the next edition of “Paris-Dakar by Bike” in 2009. This decision wasn’t related to any terror threats, but was given by the fact that we want to focus on a successful first edition of “The Andes Trail”.
We hope of course that the situation for the Mauritanian people is safe and that the circumstances stabilize at short term. We also hope that all future events, including “Paris-Dakar by Bike 2009”, can pass Mauritania without incidents. In the meantime we will follow the situation.
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December 18th, 2007
A slideshow ( 5 minutes, 5,6 MB ) has been compiled of the best shots of the second edition of "Paris-Dakar by Bike".
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December 12th, 2007
The 19 year young Dutchman Bob Martens, who finished on a well deserved 2nd place, has been interviewed by Jensen on RTL5 television. ( Note : The item starts after about 5 minutes )
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November 20th, 2007
The third edition of Paris-Dakar by Bike will be organized from September 6th till November 14th, 2009. In 2008 Bike-Dreams organizes a new 11,000 km cycling race/expedition in South America, called “The Andes Trail”.
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November 18th, 2007
The cyclists of Paris-Dakar visit the SOS Children Village in Dakar. The food which was left in the truck, the chairs and clothes were donated. Besides that the amount of money which the participants raised was handed symbolically to the charity organization. The cyclists were welcomed warmly by happy kids and saw that the money is spent in a well-considered way.
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November 17th, 2007
After racing through the Pyrenees, the Atlas mountains and the Sahara desert John Faulkner from New Zealand showed up as the strongest endurance athlete. Second in the race was the talented young Dutchman Bob Martens and Christian Billet from France completed the podium.
Female winner was Mieke Arendsen from The Netherlands.
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