Tour of 1956

The Elfstedentocht started that morning in a fairytale-like atmosphere with light snowfall. Expectations were high at the start with many prominent names participating. From IJlst, a lead group of 30 riders formed, including several notable figures from previous editions. At every town, people would ask, "Is Jeen van den Berg still with the lead group?"

The race

Between Harlingen and Franeker, the ice was poor, so there was more walking than skating. The "hell of the north" was where the decision would be made. A lead group of eight started, but riders quickly fell off. Jeen van den Berg, already struggling with fatigue since Bolsward, couldn’t keep up with the pace. He switched his skates and, after fifteen difficult minutes, began chasing alone.

By one o'clock, it was already on the radio that the five men in the lead group would not sprint but instead wanted to cross the finish together. This news reached all of the Netherlands, except for the Frisian Eleven Cities Association, which was too busy to pick up the news. On the way back from Dokkum to Leeuwarden, Van den Berg passed them in the opposite direction shortly after Dokkum. He had previously protested the idea of crossing the finish line together. The lead group, shocked, then increased their pace.

At the Oldehove, a large crowd had gathered, but there was barely any applause or cheers when the five skated hand in hand over the finish line. Discussions immediately began. Would there be a draw for the winner as stated in the race regulations, or would the group be disqualified for skating "hand in hand" (as it was deemed "imposed")? After the five, Van den Berg crossed the finish line, receiving a loud welcome as the favourite. For a moment, it was rumoured that he would be declared the winner, but after a while, the board made the decision: no prizes would be awarded this time.