A typical day in the life of a student usually consists of attending classes, cramming for the next exam, and quite a few also go to work to finance their studies. The Sports Center of the University of Magdeburg offers countless sports courses where you can work out and get in touch with other people. If you feel comfortable on a bike, the racing bike course might be something for you.
The regular rides not only train endurance, but also how best to ride together in a group. A student initiative called FlaR Cycling Club has also been formed from this group, and it's not just in Germany that they pedal together. Members of the student initiative and a motley group of ambitious athletes put in a solid 7 days of mileage on their racing bikes at the FlaR Cycling Camp in Mallorca at the end of March. "We definitely want to use sports as an opportunity to network students with Magdeburg residents and thus contribute something to 'staying here'," says Tim Maihold from FlaR. In addition to enjoying the sport, the tours also required a good dose of team spirit.
The 13 participants of the FlaR bike camp discovered together with their two guides on different tours, the diversity and beauty of the island and passed picturesque villages like Sa Calobra or the northernmost point of Mallorca, Cap Formentor. "At the beginning of our tours, we usually started with the whole group and then at a later time also sometimes separated. So the more ambitious could exhaust themselves and the connoisseurs enjoy," says Tim Maihold. The physical well-being of the athletes was taken care of by a talented amateur chef who had applied to the student initiative especially for the camp.
At the FlaR Rad Camp in Mallorca, team members prepared for the upcoming cycling season. (Photo: Tim Maihold)
Since the Balearic island has a pleasant climate all year round and the varied landscapes offer different levels of difficulty, it is ideal for preparing for the cycling season. For the FlaR Cycling team, while the fun of cycling was paramount, they were also concerned about their environmental footprint. Therefore, there was also an alternative arrival route by public transport and all participants who arrived by plane compensated their flights. For the next Rad Camp, members are already looking for alternative travel destinations to make the journey as short and environmentally friendly as possible.
Interested students and employees who want to get to know road biking as part of university sports need only bring their own bike and helmet as well as a good dose of good humor. "The racing bike courses by the Sports Center are super for beginners and connoisseurs and can also be combined with our racing bike rental. For advanced riders, our own weekly group rides, on Wednesdays, Thursdays and irregularly on weekends, are ideal. You can find out where and when these take place and who else in Magdeburg offers group rides via the web app ridee or from time to time via the Instagram account of the FlaR Racing Team," says Tim Maihold.