Published May 2011





GERMANY - It was the first time, footbikers could start at the "Skoda Velotour", one of the last real professional cycle races in Germany with all the top cycle stars and the follower of the famous tradtional race "Rund um den Henninger Turm". Because of the early start on sunday, some of our participants already arrived saturday afternoon and joined the festival right in the center of Frankfurt at one of it's nicest places "Alter Oper". Due to the 50. anniversary of the race this year it was over 2 days and there was a big programm at "Alte Oper" saturday night with a sport's fair, show races, live musik, food and beverages. Thank you very much to footbikedealer Olaf Pott and his partner Waltraud who representated our sport and the DTRV saturday and sunday with an information stand!

Sunday morning (May 1 2011) two german women, eight men and Stephan Bouman from Netherlands started in the really big field of cyclist and with 500 skaters waiting right behind them. As it was the first time we partcipated, our number was low, but this race really deserves more steppers and we will do our best, to double or triple our number next year. As in Steinfurt 3 weeks ago Lars Kessler started fast (and it still seemed to be just warming up for him...), and after a few ups and downs he and Joachim Sternal were alone, followed a couple of meters behind by Ralf Exeler and Stephan Bouman.

The weather was perfect the whole sunday ("Kaiserwetter") and the race was on really nice roads and great scenery around Frankfurt and Eschborn and went on the main street directly through Frankfurt and Alte Oper. There Lars was able to leave Joachim behind. But the course was more hilly than expected, with short uphills and with lots of very long downhills, perfect for heavier footbikers. So Joachim (first time racing on the new Effendi RTR28 with big rear wheel ; it still does not win the race for you, but it seems it rolls and rolls and rolls at higher speeds) was able to get near again.

Also Lars Kessler unfortunately was ordered to stop by the organizers about almost one minute to let a big group of skaters pass. So the finish between him and Joachim was close, but at the end Lars won cearly. Same was true 5 minutes later between Stephan and Ralf behind him, close but clear. Then the same little fight like in the last races between Dietmar Funke and Mark Wohlrab, after them one of the new german talents, 16 year old Nils Deppen. The fairness price went to Matthias Klarhost and Lutz Grillo, which did the whole race together and in the middle of the race spent a lot of minutes in calling and waiting for the ambulance for a bad accident right in front of them. The women part was won by Heike Funke, second Betty Sarabia. So the actual result for the DTC after two races is Heike funke leading the women, Lars Kessler the men, followed bei Stephan Bouman and Ralf Exeler. All results can be found here: http://www.deutschertretrollerverband.de/SITE/index.php/tretrollersport/dtcb/standdtc11x

See you all in the 3rd DTC race in Gütersloh (GER) on friday, 10th of June
and the next two days in the german IKSA Eurocup 2011 11th/12th of June in Steinhagen next to Gütersloh.

Joachim Sternal (DTRV)