IVe Trophee International Motocycliste de Monaco
3 - 4 - 5 July 1953
Arrival in Monaco!
Finally it was the 15th of June. After looking forward to it more than half a year. The day of my new motor-area. It is a big change , three years driving a 200 cc Z¸ndapp '39 and then a 250cc twin fabric-motor (6-days engine) with 4 gears instead of a 3-handgear.
Well, I had the feeling finally the real motor driving began. Thanks to the directive of the Adler-fabric in Germany. They provided me the motor to participate in the 4th TrofÈe International de Monaco.To get used to my new "horse" I decided to make a try-out of the traject. So, during the official race I could be more quiet. It felt strange to be able to mount a hill with the speed of 60 km/h instead of 20. It was flying over the mountains, even without temperature problems. And no problems following the Swiss Condor group, also training!
In Monaco they communicated me that I would be the only female participant. Now I had to defend the female honour all alone. But I was firm to defend the honour; even more after hearing the gossips of some male drivers, I would not be able to finish the rally.
Friday morning 3th of July, 5.45 pm, Stadhouderskade / Amsterdam. Many motorbikers, packed and helmed, with signs with the promising word "Monaco". KNMV-officials, press and interested people. The first participant just started, but I still had 20 minutes to prepare my first (and hopefully not the last) rally: eating sandwiches, taking some aspirins and answering questions.
6.09 pm, my time. It was a great sensation to have the same kind of start as the "big" ones: a press photographer on his knees in front of me. At the moment the flag went down my Adler jumped forward and was on its way to Monaco. [ ]
Slowly I got used to the idea that this was really happening, this was the Rally International de Monaco! Just at that moment some 500cc bikes passed me, but I stayed calm. As a new comer I kept my own sped. Very fast I was in Utrecht. Now I had company of a French friend, Chahunau. But moment by moment the rain became worse, so I lost him. I had to put on my rain clothes. That went easy, but to drive away gave me more problems. Although all the kicking the engine failed to give any signs of life. To push 135 kg would be too much. An interested farmer gave me a hand (better said a foot) and very soon the speed indicator went to 80 km/h. Just before Eindhoven the big raindrops changed in a real shower, so visibility was only a few meters which blocked all the traffic. But the more rain felt, the more the Adler started running; like that it will finish earlier. In Eindhoven I had a warm welcome of the family v.d. Mortel and my companions, who were trying to get a little bit dry . Although all the water the good humour and optimism was bigger than ever.
The start in Eindhoven was not as fast as in Amsterdam, but here were schoolchildren to help this monster going. Finally going it worked perfectly. At the border this problem disappeared!
Shortly afterward some heavy's, like Cees van Rijssel on Jawa. I thought it was a 250cc machine (not knowing there also existed 500cc Jawa's) so I had to be able to follow him. I did for 30 km's. But all the time I was surprised by it's fast acceleration, because the Adler 250cc was the fasted in it's class. It also good win bigger bikes.
In the mean time my glasses broke because of all the rain. To drive without one was impossible, because the flies were attracted by my eyes. But in Luik the president of the motor club spontaneously putted an other one on my nose. Still I am very grateful for that.
The etappe Luik-Luxemburg had a surprise: an other natural phenomenon ...... fog.
Because of the extra half an hour we had to cross the border to France, at our third control we had a lot of time to put petrol. I ate all the fruit sugar, otherwise it would change into sugar water.
The etappe Luxemburg - Reims was known to me. I remembered everything. Also that it was the most boring part of the day. According to my calculations, Reims was the last control to have enough time to eat
The 3th of July would be for me the fire baptism. The most afraid I was rain. And raining it was! More than a shower. The roads changed into slides. The motor went of the road, in a trench. Without damage, but completely wet I arrived in Troyes. It was dark and wet when I left Troyes. The coming traject was not difficult. Half way Dyon I met some Dutch of the same class. This was the first time that I drove with others. The intentions to drive together with Jaap Haaker didn't work out, taking petrol. We had to get somebody out of is bed to get service. But he was so fast outside, he must have stand behind the door. After some time, the first driver of the row, Pelikaan, got problems with his nerves and started racing like h... As the second, I was not able to follow him. But the ones behind me loyally stayed behind me, so the little red light disappeared very fast into the darkness. Arriving to Dyon, he was quietly eating the traditional ham and eggs: a miscalculation of his time.
Because of a fault in my own time-calculation, better said a broken watch, I started some minutes to late and had to enter into the darkness all alone.
The darkness always gives me the feeling of driving very fast, but also this time it was not more than 60 km/h. I was very happy when two belguim drivers were overtaking me, so I could follow them. This resulted in a speed of 80 km/h, although I had the feeling of 100. Initially the road was very quiet, but passing Chalon we came on the important main road Marseille - Paris. Big "trains" of trucks rumbled by. Now I had to pass such big monsters in the dark. I felt so incredible small and insignificant on my small motorbike. The belguim scooters passed them in a constant speed and didn't stop till 70 km of Lyon. As soon as my motor was turning stationary it produced such a noise that my stomach was turning too. It sounded that something down there could use some lubrication, so I had to continue in the slow tempo of 50 km/h. In Villefranche I found a light in a garage. But they only sold "car-oil", so I went on to 5 km of Lyon to a gas station. The son just filled up a college, but for my case he woke up his dad. Soon he was trying to make the bolt round with pincers. I had to take it out of his hands to avoid a disaster and do it with an other key. The gear-box needed urgently some filling. The last few kilometres to Lyon I drove with my class-college Sannes. He started after me, but in every traject he passed me.
Leaving the city I got in troubles, as well as on the left and the right, as in front and the back.............. Overtaking a tractor with trailer a truck came in my way. The only place left for me was in the space between the wheels of the tractor and the trailer. It was fitting exactly!! But to me it gave a strange feeling to SEE this enormous tire in from of my nose and to KNOW that just behind me there was another one. I came out of my "garage" alive, but I will never forget it!
Finally we could put of the lanterns, the night was over, although it was 5 am. A night I was very afraid for, but which was not as terrible as I expected it would be, because of all the different company I had. Of course there were some moments I had problems not to fell asleep. But the most difficult moments to keep my eyes open yet still had to come. But till now I felt fine and not even the feeling of being on the bike for all night.
After Grenoble would be the first mountain, Col du Lautaret (1.058 m.) My calculation was to drive without penalty-points till Grenoble. Afterwards my arrival hour in Monaco would be 2 hours after my "heure ideale". The Trophee was based on penalty points, with this 2 hours I would be on the limit. The first part was very flat, so I could keep a high tempo. The col was so easy that I had a lot of time to take quietly some petrol. The "misere" started after BrianÁon. Because of a hill my few of the road was zero. Instead of going to the right my bike went strait on and had the plan to dive into an abyss. Because of my perfect brakes and my cool mind I was able to let it fall on it's side in the verge. The results of this manoeuvre were not very serious, the Monaco-sign was a little crumpled. Of course the motor was spoiled with petrol and didn't want to start. But I was in the mountains, so going downhill was no problem at all. My try to get my lost time back was prevented by a big herd of cheeps on the road. With a tussle wool I continued to Guillestres and the next col, Col de Vars. This one was more difficult then the one before, but still easy compared with the Col de la Cayolle; a sprinkling tar-cart, stones, the accident just in front of me warned me to be very careful. Although all this circumstances I only arrived 9 minutes late at Entraunes. Because of my penalty points I decided to be very careful not to make any accident.
All the curves of the traject made a mess in my head, so the order and the place is not clear of all what happened afterwards. The swiss had given me the advice to use the horn every time I was make a curve. That was what I was doing. Sometimes I forgot and just at that moment was coming a car. The first time nothing happened, only leaving behind me a wildly with his arms waving chauffeur. The second time was a little bit more precarious and I had to choose between the nose of the car and the abyss. Also this time my breaks worked very well and we stopped with the front wheels next to each other on the edge of the abyss. An other thing was the train-crossing which was blocked. The chain was easily overlooked, but it was a good catcher. Running and going again.
The sleep was coming up now and it was difficult to keep them open. And behind the glasses it became very warm with the full sun burning on them, so I took them of. But with the result that I had a big fly in my eye and ended up in a trench. So I put them up again and gave my eyes some fresh air sometimes.
I did not notice the time anymore. I only asked for the distance to Monaco, every time I passed a control-pass. I did not see many other drivers. That was a good sign, I was not as slow as I thought at first. Only some heavy german bikes passed me. The service at the controls was great. I did have to get of the bike anymore since the train-crossing. Not even at the last one to take of my raincoat.
At 10 to 4 pm. I entered Monaco and had 6 minutes to do the last 2.500 meters to the finish-line. The Rally was at the end.
Because of the warm Riviera sun I felt perfectly well, not even tired. The saddle of the Adler was very well. The 1.600 kilometres were gone, almost without noticing. The motor was still OK, so the didn't gave me penalty points for that. Only the 45 for the 45 minutes I was late at the finish.
The receive in Monaco was very cordial, the family Hengelmolen were ready to catch all the incoming dutch motorbikers.
Although the Rally was over the tension still was present, the next day had to be done the egalitytest. So at night many still had to do some work. There was not a lot of time to rest, the "heavy weights" had to start at 7 am. This test was won by the swiss condor-group.
It was great to participate in the "Trophee de Monaco" and I hope I will be able to participate again next year. But hopefully with more female resistance.
[Back to front-page]
[Fire Baptism - 1949]
[Seeing Napoli and ........ back! - 1950]
[Ve Trophee International Motocycliste de Monaco - 1954]
[5 Days Of Rest - july 1954]
[Unforgetable Eilat - 1957]
[Interview - 1997]
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