Mike Corder

THE HAGUE, Netherlands -- Organizers of the near-mythical Eleven Cities Tour dealt 16,000 skaters and the nation at large a crushing blow Wednesday when they decided the ice was too thin to hold the 125-mile (200-kilometer) skating marathon for the first time in 15 years.

"We can't let the tour go ahead at the moment," Frisian Eleven Cities Association chairman Wiebe Wieling told a nationally televised news conference. "We're not proud of this decision. This is the decision we had to make."

THE HAGUE, Netherlands -- Monique van der Vorst has completed a remarkable transformation -- from Paralympic athlete to road racing cyclist with a top professional team.

The 27-year-old Dutch rider signed with the Rabobank women's team, meaning the former wheelchair and handcycle racer will now line up against elite able-bodied cyclists.

"My development has been very quick. I never could have imagined one year ago I would be here," Van der Vorst told The Associated Press. "All the training I did in the last 10 years gives me a good base."

Van der Vorst lost the use of her legs as a young teenager following ankle surgery. But she didn't lose her drive and determination. She won two silver medals in the handcycling road race and time trial at the Beijing Paralympics.

Last year, after a crash during training, she began getting the feeling back in her legs and eventually managed to walk again.

MIDDELBURG, Netherlands — A Dutch court cleared the way Tuesday for 14-year-old Laura Dekker to embark on a risky attempt to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world, an adventure that could begin in the next two weeks.

THE HAGUE, Netherlands -- Soccer referees forced to make quick decisions on questionable foul calls are more likely to rule against the taller player, according to a new study.