Veluwe Weekend--Day 2

Saturday, 27-June-2015 - Nieuw Millingen - Today's route took us by the Staverden Castle (photo).  At the 40-km point, we split up into two groups.  the first group went straight back to the starting point.  the rest headed for Palace het Loo, about 9 km away.  Just two kilometers from the palace, I was surprised by a down-hill grade.  My brake just slid over the smooth asphalt without slowing me down enough.  I remembered the scary downhill rides last year in Limburg, and I didn't want to get my speed up.  I rolled into the grassy shoulder to stop.  I headed for a big tree, hoping to use my arms to absorb the impact.  I forgot that my wrist protectors were designed to slide over asphalt.  My arms spread apart, and my face ran into the tree at around 10 km/hr--I dropped to the ground.  My neck took a jolt.  I stayed there for a few minutes to recuperate.  Luckily, my teeth and nose were intact, and I could move my neck from side to side without pain.  It could have been a lot worse.  Frans watched out for me as we skated back to our starting point.  Seventeen skaters, three bicyclists, and two moped riders--good for 60 km. pics (180) gps-tracked route part 2