A life for cycling

Roland Kaiser

When the first starting shot of the German Road Cycling Championships is fired at 2 pm on Friday, Roland Kaiser will certainly be on the track. For him, an exciting but also nerve-wracking time is coming to an end. Over the past few months, he has been working with other organisers to plan the city's major sporting event. He is responsible for the sporting side of the event in the city's organisation office. With the German Road Cycling Championships, his organisational "end of the line" has been reached.

Mr Kaiser, there are still two days to go until the German Road Cycling Championships. Are you excited yet?
Roland Kaiser: I'd like to say I'm looking forward to it. But not really excited. I've been in the business too long for that.

But is it the biggest cycling event that Chemnitz has ever seen?
I have to deny that. There were already Olympic and world championship races on the track in the Sportforum from 1991 to 1996. Up to 6,300 spectators attended the events. That was very well received. We organised two German championships in Einsiedel for the U23 men. We also organised 25 Erzgebirge tours. That's a figure that you don't reach that quickly and one that you can be proud of as an organiser.

And the 77-year-old should know. The cycling official, who has been a volunteer for many years, is still involved in the cycling section of the Chemnitz Police Sports Club (CPSV) after his professional life, during which he was a trainer, among other things. Formerly as section manager, he is now responsible for organisation and sponsorship. With him, the track competitions and cycling criteriums took place in Chemnitz, from 1991 to 1998 he enjoyed the World Championship and Olympic races with thousands of spectators on the cycling track in the Sportforum and for 23 years he has been involved in the organisational management of the traditional race "Erzgebirgsrundfahrt".

How did you come up with the idea of organising the German Road Cycling Championships in Chemnitz?
That's not my doing. The two cycling clubs, CPSV and Radsportverein Chemnitz (RSV), were invited to a meeting organised by the city to discuss whether or not it would be feasible to hold the event in Chemnitz. The city then expressed the wish to organise such a large event here in Chemnitz. But only with us two clubs.

How labour-intensive have the last few months or weeks been for you?
I made a bit of a mistake. I compared the amount of work involved with the Erzgebirgsrundfahrt. But it's not comparable. The German Road Cycling Championships are more labour-intensive in terms of work, arrangements and the involvement of many decision-makers. Due to a lack of experience with such major events, the organisation and cooperation between those involved was complicated. Nevertheless, we will organise a well-prepared national cycling championship together.

With its long cycling tradition, is Chemnitz a worthy host for this championship?
From my point of view, I would say yes. The great tradition began even before the Second World War: with the three major bicycle manufacturers Presto, Wanderer and Diamant. They had their own professional teams with good riders at the time. After the Second World War, we tried to revive this tradition. Many successful cyclists came from Chemnitz. Examples from recent history include Michael Hübner, six-time world champion, and Matthias Wiegand, two-time world champion. (Roland Kaiser points to the photo wall behind him). And this is the youngest generation, which is attracting attention with world championship titles and outstanding results: Stefan Bötticher, Joachim Eilers and Max Niederlag.

Do you already sense enthusiasm for the race weekend in your environment?
Opinions are divided, even extremely divergent. They range from being very enthusiastic and euphoric about the whole thing to being totally against it. Some of the anger is understandable, for example the difficulties caused by road closures. We ask the people of Chemnitz for their understanding and unconditional support.

In cities such as New York, Boston, London, Paris and Berlin, major events like this are organised at least once a year, which affect traffic, and the residents can cope with them. If they can do it, so can we. Especially as it's probably a one-off event. I don't think the German Road Cycling Championships will be held in Chemnitz again for the next 15 or 20 years.

What are you most looking forward to this weekend?
I'm looking forward to energetic, battle-fuelled competitions without any incidents and, in the end, a successful German Championships for the region, the city and us as clubs.

Will you get any sleep during the weekend?
Well, I have to. I want to hold out for the whole weekend.

Will any cyclists from Chemnitz be competing at the championships at the end of June?
No athletes from Chemnitz in that sense. Marcus Burghardt is a local hero. He started cycling at RSV 54 Venusberg in the Ore Mountains and trained for many years under Bert Dressel at our club. So here in Chemnitz. We will know which of the youngsters from our region will be at the start after the closing date for entries. However, they will have nothing to do with the outcome of the race, i.e. the first places.

Why are you still doing this as a pensioner, taking on a project like this?
That's a very good question (laughs). When we finished the 38th Erzgebirgsrundfahrt on 14 May, I said that I would do my last big thing with the German Road Cycling Championships and then call it a day. Simply because I realise that the necessary energy and strength is dwindling. That's why I finally have to say that I've reached the end of the line.
We are still looking for one or two people to continue the story. Especially the Erzgebirgsrundfahrt. We want it to last. For us, it is vital to have such an important competition. Because it's also where we raise the money for our young riders. Of course, we would like to keep it alive.

Especially as the Erzgebirgsrundfahrt is considered to be very demanding?
It is one of the most difficult races in the "Bundesliga" competition series. The officials from the German Cycling Federation (BDR) are always keen to have the Erzgebirgsrundfahrt on the competition calendar. Because nobody can hide here. They all have to get over the mountain. This is where you find out who is a complete rider. The one who can do everything: Mountain riding, flat riding, sprinting, tactics.
In recent years, we have built up a unique lobby with the Erzgebirgsrundfahrt. We are highly praised from all sides. From the competitors to the team bosses to the BDR.

Were you an active cyclist yourself?
No, I come from cycle ball. I started in Chemnitz/Reichenhain and then played in Leipzig during my studies. In 1965, all non-Olympic disciplines were removed from the GDR's funding system. This brought me to the German Cycling Federation and I helped set up the federation's scientific centre in Leipzig. I returned to Karl-Marx-Stadt in 1969 and worked as a coach. My fellow coaches Willy Gruß and Werner Marschner as well as our club manager from SC Karl-Marx-Stadt Heinz Gensel supported me very well as colleagues.

Where do you see cycling in Chemnitz in the coming years?
We have developed well over the past three or four years, regardless of the top riders, including in the junior sector. We have coaches who are committed to their work. As a result, we can be sure that we will deliver good performances in the coming years. I also think that the cohesion between the two clubs - RSV Chemnitz and Chemnitzer PSV - has changed, creating better conditions for high-performance departments in all age groups.