Dutch TT 1925 – A lap at the old circuit

A photo tour around the 28.4 Km. long version of the first circuit of Assen, which was not really in Assen, where the first ever Dutch TT was held in 1925. By Herman Liesemeijer.

Here at the Grolloërstraat in Rolde was the Start/Finish of the first ever Dutch TT.
The firs corner was also the first angle of the triangular race track. Above in 1925, below the current situation.




Leaving Rolde we enter this nice little country road…

But than a fence is blocking the road!

It’s the new highway N33 that takes a bite from the first Dutch TT circuit.

After a detour we contunue the 1925 Dutch TT circuit.

In 1925 this was an S-corner…

Today it’s a junction. The 1925 course was where now the cycle path is.

A remarkable point at the circuit was a very narrow bridge which is now replaced by a modern one. The motocycles had to pass here one by one!

At 2/3rd of the leg Rolde Borger was a series of fast kinks which is well recognizable today.

Close to Borger we turn right. This was the second angle of the track.

In front was the old road to Schoonloo…

That road was in the middle of this meadow!

Somewhere here it conected to the current road to Schoonloo.

Halfway the leg Borger Schoonloo was the intersection at Westdorp. In 1925 this was a real corner, but now it’s rounded for traffic-technical reasons.

The long sweeping corner just before we’re reaching Schoonloo is still there.

In Schoonloo we turn right at the third angle of the track.

Accelerating towards Grolloo, 1.8 Miles further…

Here they changed the road to lead the traffic around the village of Grolloo. In 1925 the road was on the left side, where now the cornfield is.

The site of the red white fence is where the original road was. After this corner we will continue the original course of 1925.

If you think away the van it looks like time have stood still here.

The right hand corner leads to the new road, in 1925 they go straight to the narrow road in front.

Looks like 1925…

But not for long, because classic has made place for modern from here…

After the fence the modern road continues.

Modernism all around complete with roundabouts. The fly over in front is from the road N33 which we have crossed before at the beginning of our lap.

And than we’re back in Rolde where we started our lap.

© Text & pictures: Herman Liesemeijer