I believe we coordinate the rides in December and January with Randonneurs Belgium. Early december there should be an audax somewhere in Flanders. Although I woulnd't mind a second event in the winter months either. Flanders is an awfully long train ride from where I live (and more expensive than taking a train to a Dutch city).
Even from Amsterdam it's not quick, and it's far from cheap. Would be good to have something around the Veluwe that is in the woods out of the wind as much as possible.
About the Frank Simons Memorial: Nice route, perfect weather. Riders who finished around the 8hr mark were only hit by one short downpour: otherwise no rain, almost no wind, pleasant temperatures. Also a fast ride for me, but it's unlikely that I will ever beat my personal best on this distance (currently standing at 7h13 with a 31.2km/h moving average). The control at Lochem almost felt like an Audax UK-control with homemade sandwiches and friendly volunteers. I hope that Mrs. Simons also enjoyed the afternoon.
Sitting eating a sandwich at CP2 I did think "Is this what an AUK control feels like?"
I had a total moving time of 8:43. And a total time of 10:26. My fastest for a 200, was when I did Groningen to Amsterdam as a DIY, with a force 4 tailwind. That I did in 10:03, with just 8:33 moving.
We were just slow enough to get some wind issues on the way back, there were bits where the route turns west just for a km or two, then turns south again, and that put us enough into a cross wind to split the group a bit. We bunched up again when we turned south.
About 10km before CP2 the rain started. I stopped and put on a jacket, then continued. I passed a group about 3km before the control sheltering under the front of a shop. I waved at them as I went past. We discussed them at CP2, and they got nick named the pelaton of sugar (IIRC there's a Dutch phrase about riding in the rain and being made of sugar...).
I expected to get soaked again on between CP2 and CP3, but didn't. Lovely sunshine infact.
Please can you order the same weather for 2 weeks time. Light winds and sunshine!
J