Vier Sonnenaufgänge bis Paris

Sports Club Story - Four Sunrises to Paris The Oldest Cycling Race in the World Aired on Sunday, September 13, 2015, from 11:35 PM to 12:05 AM 1,230 kilometers by bicycle, and all in less than 90 hours. Sounds crazy, and maybe it is. Over 6,000 long-distance cyclists, known as randonneurs, take on this challenge in mid-August – at Paris-Brest-Paris, the oldest cycling race still being held today. Every four years, this classic race takes place through northwestern France. Starting in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, a suburb of the capital city, the route leads across the fields of Normandy and the hills of Brittany to the Atlantic coast and back again. "Paris-Brest is a mix of survival training, adventure, experiencing nature, and pushing your limits. You lose all sense of time during those four days. And afterward, you ask yourself: Was that all real?" 72-year-old Claus Czycholl beams as he talks. The retired social worker is a veteran of the German randonneur scene. Since 1991, the Hamburg native has participated in Paris-Brest-Paris six times and always finished in time. This summer, despite his advanced age, he wants to do it again. Even in the dark, the ride continues. Paris-Brest-Paris has little in common with the perfectly organized professional cycling of the Tour de France. Here, amateurs, passionate long-distance cyclists like Czycholl, take part. For them, it's not about leaving the others behind. For most, it's about simply finishing, persevering, not giving up – and that's hard enough. Checkpoints are located approximately every 90 kilometers along the route. Here, volunteers from local cycling clubs provide the riders with food and drink and also offer them places to sleep. However, few randonneurs allow themselves more than two or three hours of rest per night, as the time limit is constantly looming. And so they continue riding, even in the dark, with lights and high-visibility vests. 1,230 kilometers in less than four days Sina Witte already participated in Paris-Brest-Paris in 2011, as one of a relatively small number of women. The 38-year-old, who now lives in Paris, needed only 68.5 hours. In 2015, she wants to improve her time – primarily by shortening her recovery breaks. The engineer originally comes from Hittfeld, south of Hamburg, but has been living and working in France for over ten years. Michael Kopmann is participating for the first time this year. The 36-year-old nuclear physicist has already completed several cycling marathons in the past. But Paris-Brest-Paris will be the greatest sporting challenge of his life so far. "Four Sunrises to Paris" accompanies the three North German randonneurs on their adventure in the saddle – 1,230 kilometers in less than four days.