" Ve Trophee International Motocycliste de Monaco "
2 - 3 - 4 July 1954
Arriving in Monaco
We drove with 110 km/h over the highway Amsterdam - Utrecht to try to catch up again with Sannes and Van Ommeren. I drove with them before, but I had to let them go. Near Amsterdam it came to my mind that I forgot to take the carnet of the motorbike with me. On the place were it should be, it was not, so I already saw me racing back home and having my first penalty-points in Eindhoven. After a more detaillistic search I found the so decired document at the bottom of my tank-bag. Probably I'd put it there without thinking.
Near Utrecht the sky became very dark, but it stayed dry and it didn't become a repeat of last year. Everything went well, and I had the luck to drive with Jaap Haaker (started 4 minutes after me), because in Eindhoven I started too late because of buying classes, which were a real necessity later!
In Luik Jimmy Snijders was waiting for me (an enthousiast member of the K.N.M.V. living in Luik) to bring me by a fast and short way to the control. Still I'm greatfull for that, Luik is a difficult city to find your way.
In general the Trophee was much more heavy this year. Also because of the never ending rain at night. I was so happy not to drive alone, because of the continously slipping of the wheels, although without falling. Sanne would save me of a big falling. He and Van Ommeren passed us, followed by a car. The car suddenly stopped in a curve and there could not be an other reason than a fall. And so it was, Sannes just got up from the floor and was looking for his bike, which was on the middle of the road. I stayed on the road to give some light to him. Suddenly my bike started moving and felt down. Only with a lot of force we could lift it. We agreeded that oil on the road had to be the reason.
Now Jaap tryed to follow Sannes and Van Ommeren, their tempo was a little bit faster than ours, so I didn't feel well with it. In silence there was sounding: "Let them go, let them go, let them go!". Finally he let them go and I let a sigh of relief. Also this night passed and the rain stopped. The new day gave us even a warm southern son.
The whole mountain-traject I drove alone. In the beginning It didn't go very well, but changed when some workers let me stop for nothing. and the motor felt quiet. Of course it didn't want to start again, so I became so incredible angry that afterwards driving went a lot better. Even so well that I had enough time at every control. Till the second last control.........
By accelerating energicly up the mountain a strange sound came from down. Even with giving a lot of gas, the motor had not much power. Conclusion: the chain needed some attention. Nothing else could help but the fix it and make it more tensed. It happened on the most hard traject of this rally, on Col de Turini. So with the next control I took 12 penalty-points! I even passed Jaap by the way. His horse didn't seem to have much force anymore (or the jockey ate too much).
At the control at Sospel my bike thougth it was the end of the travel and failed to start. An active control-commissaris came with some petrol but without succes, and the only thing I could tell him was "trop chaud" (too hot). After such an intense traject my bike wants to get to a stop very slow, which I forgot in the heat of the battle. After pushing he came to life again.
Still one controle and a big disappointment. After a big climb coming to the control one things to be on the top of the mountain. But what a disappointment, the mountain just started! And what mountain........ ! But finally the famous curve came and there was Monaco, sleeping in the bright sunlight at the site of the light blue Meditteraneum Sea.
At the finish I drove in the arms of mister Hengelmolen, waiting full of enthousiame the drivers and mister Van Der Berg making all possible foto's. Although they told me already in St. Jean la Riviere that miss Bottema and the franÁaise were out of the competition and the german paticipant was very late at a control, in Monaco they told me she only had very few penalty-points.
Not till the next morning I new I had won again the womencup of the "Trophee International de Motocycliste de Monaco!!!!
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[Fire Baptism - 1949]
[Seeing Napoli and ........ back! - 1950]
[IVe Trophee International Motocycliste de Monaco - 1953]
[5 Days Of Rest - july 1954]
[Unforgetable Eilat - 1957]
[Interview - 1997]
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