Dutch Adventure Racing Team

The Dutch Adventure Racing Team was founded in 2000 by Raymond Beeren and Christine van Donselaar.

We are a team of 8 athletes that is competing on international level in Adventure Racing. In an adventure or expedition race a team should race non-stop through remote and rough scenery. A race is divided in several stages. Each stage has its own discipline: trekking, mountainbiking, rafting, (sea)kayaking, horseback riding, climbing, swimming etc. A team consists of 4 to 5 persons with a minimum of 1 woman. These races get a lot of media attention (Discovery Channel, Eurosport, Runner's World etc.).

These last years we competed in several races like The Dutch Extreme 2001 (450km) and the Discovery Channel Adventure Racing World Championships 2001 in Switzerland (420 km). Next to this Christine has raced in the Raid Gauloises 2000 in Nepal en de Bjelolasica Adventure Race 2001 in Croatia with other teams.

The Team:

Christine van Donselaar

Through the day I’m a civil engineer. It’s a man’s world but a good learning school for adventure races. My life is sports, as much as possible. In 1999 and 2000 I became Dutch Champion in survival running. I’m a multi sports woman. Often I grab my mountainbike for a ride in the woods, preferably after a period of rain. Lots of fun in the mud! During holidays I hike into the French or Italian Alps or go for a white water kayak ride with friends. I like to explore nature and learn to know other cultures. Especially in third world countries you learn how lucky you are with your fancy gear. I do not accept boundaries. Every few months I have to jump into the outdoors to gain energy for every day life. In adventure races there are no limits. We will go for it with our team!!

Raymond Beeren

During my studies I got involved with different outdoor sports. These years I went kayaking, mountainbiking, skiing, snowboarding, surfing, running and mountaineering. Next to this I did some climbing, scuba diving, canyoning, rafting, parapenting and hydro-speed. From 1992 until 2004 I catched the podium several times in the Dutch Championships survival running. Now I’m more concentrating on adventure racing. I did a lot of adventure racing since 1999 and now I feel it’s time to compete against the best teams of the world.

Jeroen Vermeulen

I’m a sport teacher. I began with survival running 10 years ago. A few years ago I got infected with the Adventure Racing virus. I finished a 500k race from the north to the south of The Netherlands called the Dutch Extreme. Now I’m proud to be a member of the best adventure racing team in The Netherlands. I also do a lot of solo AR with some first places.

Henri Drieshen

I started my sports career as a three time Dutch Champion in swimming. After that I changed to triathlon. I was a semi-professional and a member of the Dutch selection. My best Iron Man I did in 8.37.44. After my triathlon career I became a member of the Dutch rafting team and did some World and European Championships. In 2001 I started Adventure Racing and did Eco-Challenge. The next years I want to keep the Dutch title in our team and go for the World Championships in 2007.

Bas d’Herripon

During my life I practiced a lot of different kinds of sports: Windsurfing, climbing, speed-skating, triathlon, running, snowboarding, mountain biking en last but not least survival running (5^th Dutch Champs). I’ve participated in several adventure races.

Sports is not the only challenge in my life. Important are also my family and my own business.

Four years ago I started my own company called IDBike. IDbike is specialized in development of innovative bikes and bike parts. Take a look at www.idbike.com.

Jeroen van den Berg

I’m a team member since October 2001. I graduated from sports academy and practiced different kind of sports on high level, like horse back riding, karate and triathlon. Since four years I’m participating in survival running and adventure racing.

For a few years I’ve been working as ambulance personnel and now I’m a member of the Dutch SWAT team.

Sven Platschorre

I’m the Benjamin of the team, but was already a Dutch Champion in AR in 2002. Through a sports club I got involved with adventure racing. First some 12 hour races and in 2001 the Fjallraven Extreme Marathon, a two day mountain run in Sweden. In 2002 I became Dutch Champion and second at the Red Bull Dutch Extreme. Next was the Salomon X-Adventure in Great Britain, my first race with 4 people. Now I want to gain experience in the bigger races in Europe and keep our team on first place in The Netherlands

Marie-Anne Marquis

Our French team member since 2005. I’m a sports teacher with handicapped children. I began my sports career in swimming with several podiums in the French championships. In 1995 I was a member of the water polo club of Lyon and became 5^th in the national premier league. In 1997 I became the French champion in triathlon in my age group (20-25 years) and 3^rd at the World Championships. At the end of this season I got seriously injured and never came back on this high level. After my injury I concentrated on Iron Man and adventure racing. In 2006 I’m going for the Iron Man of Embrun. I’m still a winner.

2006 RACE SCHEDULE AND GOALS:

Main goal is to become Dutch Champion again, the podium in a smaller European race and top 10 in a world class race.

Schedule:

25-02 Fox Raid (8h solo race) – The Netherlands

11-03 Defi 8 (8h, teams) - Belgium

18-03 A-track (12h duo race) – The Netherlands

Mai Dutch Championships in Scotland

03-06 Raid XL (30h duo race) – Belgium

03-06 Transardennes (24h, teams of 4) - Belgium

24-06 Adventure Race Slovenia (3 days, team of 4) - Slovenia

25-07 GKM (3 days, duo race) - France

Aug Born to Adventure (3 days, team of 4) – Czech Republic

16-08 Explore Sweden World Championships (5 days, team of 4) - Sweden

16-09 Outdoor Challenge (6h duo) – The Netherlands

29-09 Dutch Extreme (50h duo) - The Netherlands

14-10 8h Race Holland – The Netherlands

04-11 Nike ACG Adventure Challenge (12 and 24h, solo and duo race) – The Netherlands

25-11 Defi10 (10h, teams of 4) – Belgium

KEY RESULTS 2004 AND 2005:

2004:

1^st Dutch Adventure Race Series Bergschenhoek

1^st Dutch Adventure Race Series Arnhem

3^rd solo Dutch Adventure Race Series Arnhem

2^nd Dutch Adventure Race Series Amerongen

2^nd solo Dutch Adventure Race Series Amerongen

1^st mixed Outdoor Challenge

1^st Nike ACG Adventure Challenge

1^st solo Nike ACG Adventure Challenge

2^nd Dutch Championships survivalrunning

13^th Adventure Race Slovenia

2^nd GKM France

4^th AR Czech Republic

2005:

1^st A-Track 2005

1^st Dutch Adventure Race Series Arnhem 2005

2^nd Dutch Extreme

2^nd Transardennes

7^st AR Slovenia 2005

6^th GKM France

4^th Outdoor Challenge

1^st and 3^rd Dutch Championships

1^st Nike ACG Adventure Challenge

1^st solo Nike ACG Adventure Challenge

Explanation:

Survivalrun: 15 to 25 km’s of trail running with obstacles like rope climbing, kayaking, bow shooting, tree-trunk running, wood chopping etc. etc.

Salomon X-races: 2-days adventure races.

Lowe Alpine Marathon: 2-days orienteering race in Scotland.

Team training: 1- of 2-days of training with long distance running and biking with some training of technical disciplines.

Technical disciplines:

(sea)kayaking

rafting

horseback riding

snow shoeing

cross country skiing

via ferratta

snow en ice (rescue techniques)

abseiling with several devices

climbing with jumar tectonics

Informative links:

www.adventureracing.nl www.adrenalinrush.co.uk www.ecochallenge.com

www.arworldchampionship.com www.southerntraverse.com www.raidgauloises.com

www.dutchextreme.nl www.x-adventure.com www.bjelolasica.net/adventure

www.landroller.com