Dutch TT

This weekend Assen was packed with more than 100,000 people from all over Europe for the Assen TT, the Grand Prix for racing bikes in the Netherlands. It is the biggest one day sporting event in the Netherlands. Think of it as the motorcycle equivalent of NASCAR. As it is stated on their official website "To the hundreds of thousands of bike fans and the tens of thousands of day trippers who visit the TT every year on the last Saturday in June, the Dutch TT is what Monaco is to the Formula 1 fans, and Wimbledon to tennis enthusiasts." For 3 days out of the year, this town goes crazy. All roads leading to the center of town are shut down, stages are assembled everywhere, thousands of beer kegs are shipped in, the empty fields are filled with campers and the roads are full of motorcycles. Jason said the last band that played on Friday night didn't go on stage until 3am. Maybe next year we can get a babysitter and join in the festivites. This is what Assen is known for. I thought race car drivers were crazy but I don't think they even compare to these motorcycle racers.

The winner this year was Valentino Rossi and this was his 100th win. The racer who came in 4th place was an American. Jason went to the races with a coworker. He was amazed by the massive quantities of mortorcycles everywhere and the paths packed with bicyclers going to the race.


The festivities would not be complete without a carnival. Friday night we got on our bicycles and rode to the carnival. Lauren had a blast riding the carousel, driving a little jeep, riding on the caterpillar rollercoaster, and riding high in the ferris wheel. Justin was very upset that he could not drive a jeep or ride on the roller coaster.