Augmented Journalism

The Dutch military approach, where victory was the only goal, was sustained for seven ugly World Cup matches. Understanding that this method was needed to reach the finals of the tournament, Dutch soccer fans were hopeful that their national team would eventually start playing the real football again. In vain.

In the end the Dutch team became the metaphor for a pale tournament, with hardly any highlights. Hope was cherished for over a month, but it didn’t last after all – justice was done by Spanish goal getter Iniesta and what was left was one big pool of disappointment.

Dutch newspapers this morning don’t focus on the ugly game that was played by their national team, nor on the un-Dutch approach (at moments the fans thought they were watching German, Italian or Argentine players instead), but only on the disappointing grand finale.  There even is some anger against the English referee, although this man obviously could have given the Dutch one or two extra red cards. And of course there is pride. “We fought like lions”, De Telegraaf writes.

In the mean time, the rest of the world (including the non-Spanish part of it) concludes that it would have been much better if the Dutch wouldn’t have reached the finals at all. That won’t stop the Dutch authorities – and fans – from giving their heroes a warm welcome when the return home. An “almost victory”-tour in the canals of Amsterdam will be held on Tuesday, next to a bunch of other celebrations.

1988, the national Dutch soccer team celebrates their European title in the canals of Amsterdam. (C) NOS

Not only in case of a Dutch victory in tonight’s Soccer World Cup Final, the city of Amsterdam is preparing “strong crowd management” for the next couple of days. “When we will become world champions, or even when we lose after a heroic battle, we consider asking non-residents to stay away from the city”, a spokesperson told city newspaper Het Parool.

Amsterdam expects at least 1.5 million visitors in case of a victory. Measures like closing highways or not allowing trains to travel to Central Station will be discussed on Monday morning. Buses and trams will be free of charge, but won’t ride in the city centre. Official celebrations are planned for Tuesday afternoon. In the World Cup scenario a canal tour will be the highlight of the celebrations. The 30+ generation has strong memories of the national team’s canal tour after winning the European Cup in 1988.

The city has already advised car owners not to park their vehicles alongside the canals in any case for the next days. Inhabitants of floating “housboats”, which are found in almost every Amsterdam canal, have already been working on reinforcement of their property. In 1988, many of them were severely damaged by the fans who climbed on every one of them, just to get a glimpse of the national players. “Chances are high that the fans again will use anything, including cars and houseboats, as a platform”, the spokesperson said.

Some smaller bridges will be closed in order to prevent their collapse should the crowds swarm over them. Starting Monday morning, the same “strong crowd management”-measures will be taken as on Queen’s Day. Which means that not only security guards but also speakers and information panels will lead the crowds into the right directions.

UPDATE: Hours before the beginning of the World Cup Final (and even days before an eventual celebration), the mayor of Amsterdam has declared his city “full”. He strongly calls upon all non-residents not to come to Amsterdam anymore today.

In preparation for the World Cup final between the Netherlands and Spain all Dutch newspapers are preparing “Orange attachments”. From one or two extra pages, an orange-colored front page to complete extra magazines, every single newsroom is spending long hours in the preparation for their publications before and after next sunday’s World Cup final.

Popular newspaper De Telegraaf will publish an extra magazine on saturday. On top of that, the paper will print extra issues in countries like Spain, Italy and France. Editor-in-Chief Sjuul Paradijs says that “the need for information is spectacular. We have to help the Dutch people who are on a vacation outside the Netherlands”, he told press agency ANP.

Free newspaper Metro, which normally doesn’t appear in the weekends, will publish an extra edition on saturday, which will be distributed in public transport. Competitor Sp!ts intends to come with “a spectacular deal” on monday. Editor-in-chief Willem Schouten – who just returned from South Africa where he watched the semifinals – says that the emphasis will be on “all the joy and sadness around the ‘national experience’ of football.”

One big exception is found at the newsroom of the religiously based Reformatorisch Dagblad. This small national paper won’t publish a single word on the Soccer World Cup, or on any professional sport activity.  RD-readers won’t even find the final results in their newspaper. Antoon Stam, secretary of the editorial board, argues that right at the creation of the newspaper the founders have decided to ignore sports, as many games are played on Sundays, a “body cult” is created around it and excessive amounts of money are being paid in transfers of the participating players. ”So we have no sport at all,” Stam told a Volkskrant-reporter.

Celebrations all over the country after the Dutch soccer team beat Uruguay for the world cup in South Africa. With this sixth consecutive victory during the championships, the Dutch have reached the finals. Next sunday they will play against the winner of Germany – Spain.

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The so called “sober” Dutch seem to have massively left their homes to shout their Hup Holland Hup slogans in millions of variations. The cities look mediterranean with tens of thousands of people outside. In some cities, like The Hague and Rotterdam, police have cleared certain areas in an attempt to keep them safe.

Immediately after the match thousands of people have tried to book a flight to South Africa in an attempt to watch the finals. KLM has decided to charter at least four extra planes.

Le Grand Départ, the official start of the Tour de France, is said to bring Rotterdam more than $30 million. And although nobody exactly knows how and where that kind of money will benefit the city, Rotterdam celebrates the event in every possible way.

Official Tour de France merchandise, sold by official French salesmen. Will it benefit Rotterdam?

Today, the day of the prologue, and tomorrow, when the official first stage is on the programme, are of course the heart of the activities. Hundreds of thousands of spectators surround the streets where the cyclists pass by. The first of them were already there a day before the first rider would hit the streets – wanting to be certain of the best spots on the track.

Most of them will also visit one or two of the supporting activities. The choice is not easy, with an official programme containing tens of different events, from cycling theater to continuous concerts, and – obviously – cycling races for the fans that want to find out the “real pro experience”.

(It is, by the way, a small wonder that Rotterdam gets all this attention from the Dutch audience, as the whole country is still recovering from the sensation of yesterday’s victory of the national soccer team against the world’s number one Brazil. We all drank a glass or two…)

The city of Rotterdam is covered by gigantic quotes from famous cyclists. Like this one from Lance Armstrong.

The final touches for my book on cycling (in Dutch, in stores May 6th), have been the main reason for my absense on T/S the last couple of weeks. I hope I can make up by translating part of this book for you. It’s full of tips and tricks on buying, repairing and riding bikes and contains loads of anecdotes from my own experience. Furthermore, it helps you decide what clothes to wear, what food to eat and how to improve yourself as a cyclist.

The title of the book is just “Cycling”, although it might as well have been “No Excuse For Not Cycling”, as I spread 30-something well known excuses throughout the book. I’ve tried to debunk every one of them. A selection of them might be a good starter for national bicycle month.

1. Bad Weather
There is no such thing as bad weather for a cyclist. When it’s raining, the raindrops will get you wet; when the sun shines, your own sweat will do the trick. Either way, after a nice shower all your problems will be washed away. If it is too cold, just wear some extra clothing (don’t forget your overshoes). And if it is too hot, be sure to take a lot of water with you. After they finished their ride, complaining about the circumstances is a rare phenomenon among cyclists. Instead they will brag about the cold, the heat, the rain, the everything – in the mean time re-enjoying every meter of the ride they just finished.
2. I’ll make a longer trip tomorrow
Typical excuse from the excuse-specialist. Today is the day! Get up on your bike and take that ride. You’ll be happy at the end of it and you know what, you can still make that longer trip tomorrow.
3. I don’t know what to do with a flat tire
First of all: flat tires are an exception. I ride about 15,000 kilometers a year and have about three or four flat tires. Furthermore, if you always take a new tube with you, the changing is a piece of cake: it’s done in only 5 to 10 minutes. Other complications are very rare too, but be sure to take your mobile phone, so you can get assistance if things get really out of hand. Just like you would do while driving your car.
4. Cycling is tiring
It may look like it, but it isn’t the case. In fact, cycling gives you energy. The cyclist wins strength every day. Not only physically, also mentally. The harder the  effort, the sharper the mind. Your boss will be happy too: the more you ride, the better your performance at work.
5. The wind is always against me
Cycling is a lot like life: sometimes circumstances are in favor, sometimes they are against you. But never all the time. Especially if you ride a circle, your own direction will change more often than the wind will ever do. Mathematically spoken, there is as much wind in your face as there is in your back. But most of the time it is somewhere in between. If it is not blocked by something like a building or a forest. Not to speak of all the occasions that there is no wind at all. The person that keeps saying he always has the wind against him, will just have to start counting. On his bike, that is.
6. I don’t have my car for nothing
Hey, that’s true, you didn’t buy your car to leave it in the garage. Just like they didn’t invent trains, plains and space shuttles without reason. That’s precisely why bikes are around. They don’t compete with cars, because they have another purpose.
7. I don’t have the cash for a good bike
If you visit an average bicycle store, you can easily get the impression that you need an awful lot of money for some good biking. And that real achievements are only possible after donating a couple of thousand dollars for a bicycle and another one thousand for clothing and shoes. Not to speak about the computers that will show you the way through your neighbourhood. Nonsense. Most second hand bikes – the ones that can be found in the attic at your mother-in-law’s – will do. And if you don’t find one there, try Craigslist. Either way, you don’t have to spend much. Only be very sure the bike is still safe to ride on. And if, after a couple of months, your cycling ambition is still growing, there is enough time to visit the store where your dreambike is on sale. You will have had the advantage of having saved some more money.
8. First I have to go on a diet
Another one from the professional excuse-finder. If you feel you have gained too much weight, there is no better reason to take the bike. You’re losing time every day, so hop on your bike very quickly. You can always go on a diet afterwards. Be careful though to go cycling with too little nutrition. An athlete needs good food to be able to perform. Your body needs it. It is burned away in the action, so there’s no need to be afraid that you gain weight again.
9. I’m a woman
Cycling is as fun for women as it is for men. Moreover, men and women can do it very well together. For a young couple in love, there is no better way to spend their vacation than cycling through southern states.
10. It’s bad for my sperm production
A former world cycling champion once said that the only time his private parts felt badly, was outside of the cycling season. “Just ask my wife”, he was quoted by the interviewer. Moreover: cycling is historically strong in catholic parts of the world. And in China. Do I need to say more?

Front Page De Telegraaf: "Fatal Change of Lanes"

Just a couple of days after the world has noticed that the Dutch want to back off from Afghanistan, the country’s self esteem has received two more blows. They seem to hit the Dutch even more.

First, the certain gold medal winner Sven Kramer (speed skating) made the unforgivable mistake to choose the wrong lane, and got himself disqualified. At the crucial moment he was in a winning position,  a little over half way in his 10,000 meter race. His coach, Gerard Kemkers, took all the blame – he had a moment of uncertainty and gave his skater the wrong signals. The Dutch were so shocked that it even made “Sven Kramer” a worldwide trending topic on twitter.

But maybe even worse, a couple of hours later the bob sleigh team led by Edwin Van Calker decided not to compete at all. Van Calker had a feeling that “he wasn’t able to control the bob”. After four years of training, spending incredible amounts of money in the best bob sleigh the world could build, he just backed off. Leaving the rest of his team – and country – in frustration.

This morning, there is only one thing people in the Netherlands can talk about: where did we go wrong?

The Tour de France is about to begin, so nobody is surprised to read the word “doping” in the sports pages of every newspaper. Will it be a clean tour? (of course it won’t be) Will there be new doping ‘victims’? (of course there will be) Will Lance Armstrong finally be caught? (probably not – although that won’t be enough to win the race).

But in the midst of all those predictable doping related stories about cycling and the Tour de France it was a huge surprise to most, that right now, in the heart of summer, the long time German speed skating champion Claudia Pechstein (37) was associated with blood doping. Her coach, the American Peter Mueller, was quick to state that Pechstein also had two other coaches during last season. Her lawyers have immediately asked for a counter-expertise. But Germany already lost its faith in a different result. In fact, the Germans are totally fed up with athletes using doping.

The country lost its doping-innocence a couple of years ago, when cycling champion and former Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich admitted to have taken doping on a large scale. It left the sports loving part of the country in shock. Not having a tradition in cycling like for example the Belgians, French or the Italians, the German love for bicycle racing had been growing fast in the 1990’s. The nation found heroes in Erik Zabel, Stefan Schumacher, and of course Jan Ullrich. It attracted a lot of sponsorships and tv-attention.

But it didn’t last.

Where in the traditional cycling nations the fans seem to understand that the athletes are only human and may be attracted to illegal performance-enhancing drugs (they even feel pity instead of anger for them), the German reaction was quite opposite. Sponsors stepped out, the Tour of Germany was cancelled, tv-stations stopped theire live race reports and pulled back most of their reporting force.

Only a couple of years ago the Germans would, on a day like this, be discussing the chances of their heroes in the Tour de France. Just like most other western European people – and maybe some Lance Armstrong or Levi Leipheimer fans in the United States as well – still do these days. Today, there will only be a sigh of recognition because of the news about Claudia Pechstein.

“Unsere Sonnenschein” (our sunshine), as Pechstein is always called, is Germany’s most successful Olympic Wintergames athlete, with as much as 5 golden medals. She was world champion in allround speedskating and always had a lot of respect from her competitors, not only because of her talent but also because of her open en happy character.

It is to be feared that all of this, including her magnificent track record, will not be enough for her to keep the sympathy of the German people.