Marco Wagner, a former European Junior Champion from Naurod (GER) is very active in the international development of cycle-ball. His recent project Marco calls it a “love story” and “a very big thing”:
From 5 September to 10 September 2018 Marco Wagner, Piere Klinger (Bechhofen/GER), Christian and Martin Frey (Waldrems/GER) organised a trip to Bath (Great Britain). With a bus from the German Cycling Federation (BDR) the foursome started out to Bath and Bornemouth, to fill in two white spots on the indoor cycling world map with colour. That Felix Young and his team from Bath are going to play in the cycle-ball tournament at the 2022 UCI Indoor Cycling World Championships seems no longer unthinkable.
The clubs from Waldrems and Naurod have donated used cycle-ball bicycles and balls for this mission and with four rental bicycles from Indoor Cycling World Wide (ICWW) the four friends started on their way to Bath via ferry to Dover. Exactly according to his plan, which Marco has discussed at the end of May at the German Pupils Indoor Cycling Championships in Worms with Rolf Halter and Claudia Bee (ICWW), he started realising this project. Marco Wagner had told that he saw on Instagram British cyclists playing cycle-ball on mountain bikes.
The destination of the four German cycle-ball players: Felix Young, a well-structured athlete full of ideas and passionate about cycle-ball. This passion Felix wants to share with interested young riders in Great Britain, with big goals: the organisation of a cycle-ball league with four teams from four clubs from 2019 on, participation at the 2022 UCI Indoor Cycling World Championships.
The first training lessons have been varied and encouraging. Several training units were held, as well as the UCI cycle-ball rules were discussed. Marco Wagner was very surprised about the skills of the players. These have been much better than the skills of newcomer for example in Germany, when they are on a cycle-ball bicycle for the first time. Probably because of the exercises which they already had on the mountain bikes.
From Bath on they continued to Bournemouth for some training sessions there as well.
Marcos’ conclusion in a very inspiring diary about their first trip to Great Britain: “Many moments in Bath have made our exchange to a very special experience.” Marco also gives thanks to ICWW and to the BDR for supporting the project and to Indybike for covering the costs for clothing.
Further activities: The next exchange is being planned for October 2019.
Klaus Dieter Kullmann