Cycling Wacken: Delmenhorst riders defy storm and rain!

Cycling Wacken: Delmenhorst riders defy storm and rain!

At Pentecost the time had come: the Urania Delmenhorst cycling club and a member of the Delme-Cycler made their way to Bimbach to take part in the top-class cycling event “Radsport-Wacken”. In this spectacle, which attracted thousands of participants, the cyclists had not only prepared for sporting challenges, but also for difficult weather conditions, which gave the organizers and riders many unpleasant surprises. Weser courier reported that the athletes battled heavy rain, cold winds and temperatures that dropped to as low as 7 degrees in some cases.

Oliver Führer, Ingo Köster and Christian Oltsch started the cycling marathon at 6 a.m. After the first of 27 climbs, the riders were soaked and in urgent need of warm drinks and blankets, which were provided by paramedics. While Köster and guide had to cancel the tour due to the extreme weather conditions, Oltsch decided to continue despite the adverse circumstances. Another team, consisting of Kai Hofmann, Cord Lange and Christian Evers, started at 8 a.m. and reached the next aid station just in time.

Difficult circumstances and freezing temperatures

The weather increasingly deteriorated and the drivers were faced not only with heavy rain, but also with storms and thunderstorms. “It really wasn’t the best weather for such routes,” noted one of the participants. The cyclists eventually had to ride individually as group rides became difficult in the strong winds. When they left for the next aid station, the participants were cold and needed warm food and a heated tent for much-needed recovery.

Only Oltsch triumphed and was able to take part in the Bimbach400 special classification, which covered 422 kilometers and 7,260 meters of altitude in two days. On Pentecost Sunday he covered 262 kilometers and fought his way through a marathon that took him over 11 hours and 25 minutes and burned 6,700 kilocalories. Despite all the hardships and exhaustion, the participants were satisfied with their experience.

Cycling – an issue even in bad weather

The challenges that the Delmenhorst cyclists had to experience are in line with a current study by the WWU Münster, which examines cycling behavior in bad weather in 30 German cities. It was found that in cities such as Münster, Oldenburg and Göttingen, cycling hardly decreases in unpleasant weather conditions. In contrast, cycling traffic fell by up to 30 percent in cities with a less developed cycling culture.

A decisive factor seems to be the high level of resilience to bad weather conditions - an aspect that is reinforced by dense cycling networks and a high number of young residents. The ADFC advocates further expansion of the cycling infrastructure so that cycling remains safe for everyone, even in unfavorable conditions.

Confidence in one's own abilities and the belief that one can reach one's destination even in rain and storms is high in cities with active cycling. Integrating cycling into everyday life can make a decisive contribution to more sustainable mobility - a finding that can also be derived from the experiences of the Delmenhorst cyclists.