A turn for the worse with heavy snowfall: the first Alternative Dutch 11-City Tour cancelled
A sharp plot twist in the Weissensee ‘ice story’: the first Alternative Dutch 11-City Tour of 2023 has been cancelled because of “heavy snowfall”, according to Visit Weissensee, the tourist board of this playground of nature.
Only days ago recreational skaters were enjoying wonderful conditions on the Austrian mountain lake.
The first Alternative Dutch 11-City Tour of 2023 cancelled
Chairman Toine Doreleijers of the AEW speaks in a explanation of a deep disappointment.
“(…) That is a disappointment for all those people who are there, which is you. Who give up their holiday days to come and skate here in the hope of putting in their laps.”
“And then you get this news, because we are guests on the Spielplatz der Natur.” And it is that very nature now standing in the way of a skating celebration.
Snowfall: lots of snow on the ice, and water pushing up
“Unfortunately we are no match for snowfall like this”, writes the communications management on behalf of the Dutch organisation behind the event.
“A lot of snow is falling on the ice and the increasing weight pushes water up onto it. Which also makes clearing the snow more and more dangerous.”
The Weissensee Alternative Dutch 11-City Tour stresses that safety comes first. “It would be too dangerous to start”, the statement reads.
‘Will we skate on Wednesday, then?’
Some skaters will pin their hopes on the first tour being moved. But that is certainly not happening. “There can be no skating on Wednesday either. So Tuesday's tour is not being moved, but entirely cancelled.”
Doreleijers saw the question about Wednesday coming and sounds resolute in his explanation. “As things look now, and as they will stay over the next 24 hours, Wednesday is a no go.”
“That is a great shame, because Norbert Jank, the ice master… – we really did talk at length, what is possible, what is not, but the water is already coming up.”
“And then he can no longer take his vehicles onto it. It is simply too dangerous. (…) Our focus turns to this coming Friday, which is our next tour.”
What remains of the 2023 programme
The remaining programme, if this is the only cancellation, is as follows:
- Friday 27 January 2023 Weissensee Alternative Dutch 11-City Tour – 200 kilometre tour
- Tuesday 31 January 2023 Weissensee Alternative Dutch 11-City Tour – 200 kilometre tour
- Friday 3 February 2023 Weissensee Alternative Dutch 11-City Tour – 200 kilometre tour
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Magical ice between the mountains. Oases that are a feast for the eyes under the sun. Team dionvacation is made up of recreational skaters and sun lovers, people who savour life. We share that zest for life from the Weissensee all the way to the Catalan coast. The holiday home ‘Vida Daurada’ (the golden life) suits that lifestyle, between mountains and sea. All articles are written by our own travel editors. Vida Daurada sponsors the Sun destination section.