It's simply worth living here

Thomas Lippold

When the cycling scene comes together in Chemnitz city centre at the weekend, the Chemnitz Cycling Club (RVS Chemnitz) plays a key role. They put their heart and soul into organising the three-day cycling event. This is the first time in over 20 years that such a major cycling event has taken place in the city centre. In our Maker of the Week interview, Thomas Lippold, club manager of RVS Chemnitz, tells us how this came about and why Chemnitz is a city with such a cycling tradition.

On the first weekend in September, the city centre becomes a cycle race track. For the first time in over twenty years. How did the idea of the "Chemnitz Cycling Days" come about?
Thomas Lippold: Road cycling in Chemnitz very often took place in industrial estates. This meant that we organised cycling races away from the spectators. By chance, we got talking to the Lord Mayor Barbara Ludwig and she said that we should come to the city. We then told her that the last time a cycle race was held in the city centre was 25 years ago. She then assured us of her support. Thanks to our good contact with the sports department, we then decided to organise this event. We looked for and found two courses for two event days. Now there is a night event on Friday from 7.30 pm to 11 pm with three very interesting races and on Saturday there are various races at the market hall for several age groups.

What will be the highlights?
That's difficult to answer. Every spectator has to see that for themselves. The cycling that we can offer there ranges from "purely visually spectacular" to "high-quality cycling race". On Friday we have a circuit race, a so-called criterium, around the town hall on a 750m course. The men's elite will be racing there. There are already a lot of entries for this, for example there are participants from Prague. The second is a fixation race. The special thing about this is that the bikes have a fixed hub and therefore no gears. This means that the riders have no freewheel, but have to pedal constantly. This is a huge challenge on the winding course around the town hall. And the third race is what I think spectators will find very exciting, namely the derny race. A kind of moped rides in front of a cyclist and creates a slipstream. So far, we've had twelve entries, and the battles are very attractive. In Germany, this is more of a fringe sport. Children and young people also have the opportunity to take part in the various individual races on Saturday.

With thin racing tyres on cobblestones. Isn't that incredibly dangerous?
Not really. When cycling emerged and became a popular sport, the roads were generally in a poor condition. Most of the roads in the GDR consisted of cobblestones. Even today, it is still a challenge for any cyclist to take part in the Paris-Roubaix race (editor's note: one of the most famous classic races with a distance of around 250 kilometres) or the Tour of Flanders (editor's note: the most popular one-day race in Belgium). These races consist largely of cobblestones. That is simply part of a good cycling race. We spoil our cyclists with perfect road conditions, but they can actually do that.

Why is Chemnitz, of all places, a good place for cycling? Where does this long tradition in Chemnitz come from?
There are various reasons for this. Even before the war, Chemnitz was the city with three large bicycle factories. There was Presto, Diamant and Wanderer. Diamant was also a household name after the Second World War. They produced the corresponding racing bikes for top-level GDR sport. A whole host of cycling champions also came from Chemnitz. The first gold medallist at the Olympics for Chemnitz was a cyclist. We also have two famous sprinters, Michael Hübner and Jens Fiedler. Christian Kux from Team MILRAM was a multiple German junior champion. So we are traditionally and currently broadly positioned. The conditions for the athletes in Chemnitz with the sports high school and the sports middle school are extremely good. Road cycling and track cycling are promoted.

Is the event also planned for next year in order to have a regular cycling event in Chemnitz again?
Our club organises four to six sporting events a year. We organise cyclo-cross races, basically off-road racing bike races. For the past five or six years, we have organised stand-up races at the Sportforum. In a stand-up race, a large motorbike rides in front of a cyclist, creating slipstream and heat, with the teams travelling at speeds of 70 to 80 km/h. Together with the municipality of Eppendorf, we organise the "Rund um Großwaltersdorf" race. This year we are organising our Chemnitz Cycling Days in the heart of Chemnitz, which we have also planned for next year. We have enough entries and there is a large field of riders. So the interest is there.

Where do the teams come from, apart from Prague?
The team from Prague is the headliner (smiles), but we also have entries from Thuringia and Brandenburg, for example. For the derny race, riders come from England, Italy and the Netherlands, they come from far and wide. The combination of two race days is interesting for most of them. Even a long journey is worthwhile. There is also a prize money scheme.

Is there such an event, on two days in the middle of the city centre, anywhere else?
I'm not aware of any. I don't know of any two-day events.

How much are you looking forward to the German Road Cycling Championships, which will take place in Chemnitz in 2017?
RSV Chemnitz, the Chemnitz Police Sports Club and the city have jointly organised it. We are really looking forward to it and, as a sports club, we will of course do our bit to make it a successful event.

Do you only cycle on the road or do you also use the cycle paths in Chemnitz?
Cycle paths are not really safe for us racing cyclists. We ride at speeds of 30 km/h and the cycle paths lead past car parks. That has a certain risk potential for us. But for family outings or the like, we have a very nice cycle path along the Chemnitz, which is really good for that. It is away from traffic and therefore naturally safe. There are also former railway lines in the Ore Mountains that have been converted into cycle paths. They are definitely worth a trip.

Is there a favourite route that you particularly enjoy cycling?
The scenery here is simply beautiful. There is so much variety, so many possibilities, so many routes are worthwhile. I don't really have a favourite route.

When the team comes from Prague, which places and locations do they absolutely have to cycle to? What must they have seen?
I would leave out the connection by bike for now. I would definitely send every visitor to Chemnitz to the Kaßberg. I would send anyone interested in architecture to the Villa Esche and the Gunzenhauser. Otherwise, I would say: "Sit down in the Miramar and enjoy the view." Chemnitz is very well organised. I feel right at home here. In Chemnitz, I can cycle through the whole city in 20 minutes. There are short distances.

Do you have to encourage the people of Chemnitz?
Why? For what? Unemployment is relatively low, the quality of life is high, we have an incredible amount of green spaces and a beautiful, tidy city centre. It's simply worth living here.