Jeroen Hilster and Colin Velthuizen have regained their momentum following the season opener in Spain. Despite the cold weather, the two IDM Supersport 600 riders from Lentink Sports Racing completed three days of practice at Assen and even made significant progress in their preparations for the first IDM race.
The first round of the International Dutch Championship (IDC)—the national championship—was actually supposed to take place today, Saturday, April 9, 2021, but the current COVID-19 situation threw a wrench in those plans. Competitions are not yet permitted at the TT Circuit Assen. The good news: riders were still allowed to ride on the track. Saturday was converted into a training day under the name IDC Masterclass.
For Jeroen Hilster and Colin Velthuizen, it was their third in a row.
Despite temperatures that barely reached the low double digits, both riders were able to work on the setup of their Yamaha YZF-R6s. Hilster had to deal with a minor crash, but the Dutch rider came out of it unscathed and continued his upward trend. Last year, he finished 14th overall in the IDM Supersport 600.
The final day, Saturday, consisted of three sessions. The first two sessions took place on a dry track. Nineteen-year-old Hilster and 17-year-old Supersport 600 rookie Velthuizen were the fastest riders in their class on their Yamahas that day. Velthuizen, who finished third overall last year in the IDM Supersport 300 junior class, even managed to pick up the pace. The third day was set to end with a race simulation. Shortly before, it began to drizzle. It was too wet for slick tires, but too dry for intermediates or rain tires. The team decided to practice only the start.