Viking Wheelers Completed 335 Km Eastern Seaboard Ride

On Friday 14 December the DTCC/SSS cycling team returned to Bangkok, having completed the about 335 km ride from Ban Chang (near Pattaya) to Koh Chang.
On Saturday morning 8 December, and not yet completely recovered from the Christmas Luncheon the day before, Henrik Friis, Rasmus Ellefsen, Bent Laasholdt and Na, Claus Bergenfelt, Morten Luxhoei, Mads Tranum, Hans Henrik Melchior, Alan Valtas and Marion (visiting from Australia) and Jesper Madsen (visiting from Denmark), drove from Bangkok to Ban Chang, to start the ride there. In Ban Chang they met up with the “Pattaya gang”, consisting of Oskar Joergensen and his family (Norwegian) and Claus Birk Thomsen.
The Saturday ride was about 50 km to Mae Rum Phung Beach, partly along the beach road, through the Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate, and Rayong, with only a small stretch on HW 3. The Sunday ride was the longest of the Tour, a ride of about 95 km taking the team to the Wiman Beach, initially along the beach road through Phe village, then inland towards Klang, a small stretch on HW 3, and then back towards the coast and on to Khung Wiman Beach. The team stayed overnight in the primitive, but very cosy, Khung Wiman Resort, enjoyed a dip in the ocean and the wonderful sunset, followed by an excellent dinner in the resort.
The Monday ride was a short 55 km ride bringing the team on to Laem Sing Beach, initially on a scenic route inland towards Thai Mai and Chantaburi, with a brief stop at the Nong Wan Fortress, inspecting some cannons Thailand bought from Denmark in the early stages of the relationship between Denmark and Thailand. Just before Chantaburi the team turned southwards towards the coast and did the remaining distance on scenic and idyllic side roads. The Viking Wheelers arrived in Laem Sing, in time for lunch and to enjoy an afternoon on the beach. Overnight stay some in Le Village de Napoleon, some in Siri Charoen Hotel, both right on the beach.
Henrik Friis, Rasmus Ellefsen and the Oskar Joergensen family had to return to Bangkok/Pattaya resp. from Laem Sing, however the rest of the team continued on Tuesday all the way to Koh Chang, a ride of about 75 km. The first part of the ride on small side roads to Khlung. Then a stretch of about 25 km on HW 3, which in this part of Thailand is quite scenic and with less traffic. The team then turned south towards the Koh Chang Ferry landing, and encountered the first serious hills on this Tour. At the ferry landing the bikes were loaded on the van and car, as the hills from the ferry landing on Koh Chang to White Sands Beach are very steep and dangerous for cycling. The team stayed 3 nights in the nice Koh Chang Lagoon Hotel, right on the beach. Nothing said about the temptations of the Koh Chang night life, apart from 3 fantastic dinners and the impressive fire show on the beach.
Wednesday was a day of rest. Thursday the team was back in the saddles again for a 30 km ride along Koh Chang’s east coast down to Salak Phet for lunch in a cosy lagoon there and then 30 km back again. This was a beautiful and scenic ride with several challenging hills, which all participants conquered.
Again the red and white team jerseys were an impressive sight in the landscape the team passed through.

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