There is a blank spot on the world map of indoor cycling: Great Britain. Still! Because on Instagram there are videos with surprising activities. We can see students on mountain bikes who are very committed and quite successful shooting a football across the court. Obviously with a lot of pleasure.
It was by chance that Marco Wagner (Germany) saw these films in the middle of June. Marco is a 21-year-old student, who became European Junior Cycle-ball Champion in 2015 together with his partner Till Wehner and celebrated the greatest success in the club’s history for RVW Naurod. He promptly contacted his new cycle-ball colleagues from Bath (GBR) which is situated about 200 km west of London. Marco Wagner told that about 10 to 15 young people, mostly road cyclists and mountain bikers, had committed themselves to the fast-paced game and also set themselves a big goal: the participation at the 2022 World Championships.
Wagner also had initial talks with the chairman of Indoor Cycling World Wide (ICWW), Rolf Halter, and Claudia Bee, member of the UCI Indoor Cycling Commission. Halter and Bee expressed great interest in an intensive contact with the guys from Bath and assured Wagner their support. Rolf Halter: “I see a great opportunity for a sustainable development of indoor cycling in Great Britain. We must take this chance.” Four cycle-ball bikes are in preparation to be sent to Bath. Marco is already planning the trip to Bath for a few days in August.
Marco Wagner has already been in Canada for three times, where he supported the Canadian cycle-ball players to improve their skills. To expand indoor cycling in Canada is also an important project of ICWW. Kathrin Igel from Germany is the coordinator of this project.