Ergohead sets a 6000m challenge

From the Netherlands, Braas is a regular at the Ergohead and broke his own record for the 6000m piece which he set at the previous Ergohead. This record also earned Braas 1000 euros.

For Braas, the Ergohead acted as a measuring point for his winter training. It also meant the event changed from 20 minute races to the 6000m distance so that rowers trying for the Dutch national team could meet requirements of the Dutch national team testing profiles.

Brass said after the race that it felt easier than he expected as he had not prepared himself for the race. Braas said that he hoped it was a good start to an improved 2015 season. The Dutch sculler finished ninth in the single at the 2014 World Rowing Championships in front of his home crowd and for 2015 he is aiming higher.

The lightweight men’s race was a very tight competition between former Ergohead winner, Steffen Bonde of Denmark and Tycho Muda of the Netherlands. Muda got to 6000m first. His time of 19:25.5 was four seconds outside of Bonde’s winning time at the last Ergohead (held in January 2013).

Ilse Paulis of the Netherlands was the fastest lightweight woman, winning in a time of 22:45.1. This caps off an impressive season for Paulis which included a World Championship title in the lightweight women’s quadruple sculls and also becoming the Under-23 World Champion in the lightweight women’s single sculls.

In this 18th edition of the Ergohead, the event attracted a record number of 520 participants, up from the last edition of 350. Organiser Stefan Kools commented that the growth in numbers was possibly due to the event being changed from the January date to this earlier time of December. Instead in January, the Euro Open will be raced in Amsterdam with the race distance at the standard 2000m distance.

The next edition of the Amsterdam World Ergohead will be held on 24 January 2016.

For full results: www.ergohead.nl