Cycling For a Good Cause – Tour de Kreisle
The “Tour de Kreisle” took place for the 22nd time last week in the district of Göppingen, Germany. Around 60 cyclists took part and spent five days collecting donations for the hospices in Faurndau and Geislingen. Marc Dizdarevic, CEO of RAMPF Machine Systems, also pedaled diligently and took part in one stage.
Cycling through the entire district of Göppingen in five daily stages? No problem for the cycling enthusiasts of the Tour de Kreisle! As every year, the participants cycled to town halls, companies, and institutions to receive donation cheques for two important institutions in the region: the hospice in Faurndau and the hospice which is under construction in Geislingen. The start and finish of the daily tour was a company site in Göppingen, where the e-bikes could also be charged overnight.
Marc Dizdarevic, CEO of RAMPF Machine Systems based in Wangen (Göppingen), also took part. Although this was the 14th time the company had taken part in the charity cycling event, it was a first for him.
I wanted to take part one of the stages because I wanted to be part of this great campaign for a good cause and not just be there for the donation handover. It was also important for me to get to know the participants better and experience for myself what a great achievement this project is,
says Dizdarevic.
Via Salach to the Schurwald
Together with the other cyclists, he put in a good effort on the second stage of the Tour de Kreisle.
We started in Göppingen at 9 a.m. and arrived back at our destination at 6 p.m. The tour went via Salach, Ottenbach, and Hohenstaufen into the Schurwald. In total, there were twelve stops on a route of around 40 kilometers.
Klaus Riegert, the initiator of the tour, cycled every stage. He was supported every day by an active or former athlete from the region. The Tour de Kreisle has a long tradition – launched back in 1998, Riegert, then still a member of the Bundestag, combined campaign tours with fundraising. Since 2008, the tour has been a permanent charity event to support the two hospices in the district.
Impressive group dynamics
Marc Dizdarevic was particularly impressed by the dynamics of the group. “It was a great experience to be on the road with such a large group. It's impressive to ride on a long country road and see cyclists riding behind each other as if they were on a string over a distance of 250 meters.”
The discipline and organization of the participants were essential. “What is really important in such a large group is the discipline of the cyclists and good organization. Hand signals and commands were passed through the group to warn the cyclists behind of dangers or obstacles.”
RAMPF Machine Systems will remain loyal to the Tour de Kreisle in the future and continue to donate to the hospice facilities. “I'll try to take part in at least one day again next year,” announces Dizdarevic.
Hospitality is a top priority
At the end of the day, Marc Dizdarevic not only enjoyed the great organization and motivation of the participants, but also the hospitality of the local companies.
It was great to see how companies in the district contributed with donations for the hospice and made every stop a treat in the truest sense of the word – from freshly grilled sausages and delicious cakes to burgers and fries. At one station, we were even served a locally distilled fruit brandy.
The work of the guides, who ensured the safety of the cyclists and that the group stayed together, was also impressive. “The guides, who closed off the roads, had to overtake the entire group again and again in order to be the first at the next junction. Despite a few traffic jams caused by this, most drivers took it well.”
The Tour de Kreisle 2024 ended with a new donation record of a proud 53,000 euros, new experiences and the firm resolution to pedal for a good cause again next year.
The title picture above shows from left to right: Steffen Handschuh, Ulrike Amann, Marc Dizdarevic, Mary-Ann Schröder (Mayor of Wangen), Eduard Schin, Thomas Arbogast, Klaus Riegert, Dagmar Jäger-Riegert, and René Manigk (Wilhelm Julius Teufel GmbH).