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Jens Sommerer's "L'Alpe du Jens 2021": With the racing bike from the Lower Allgäu to the Mediterranean

2022-02-28T13:12:58.122Z


Jens Sommerer's "L'Alpe du Jens 2021": With the racing bike from the Lower Allgäu to the Mediterranean Created: 02/28/2022, 2:00 p.m By: Michaela Breuninger Arrived at the finish of "L'Alpe du Jens 2021": Jens Sommerer in the "yellow jersey" on the Mediterranean. © Sommerer Unterallgäu - "If someone goes on a journey, he can tell something..." is the well-known quote at the beginning of Matthi


Jens Sommerer's "L'Alpe du Jens 2021": With the racing bike from the Lower Allgäu to the Mediterranean

Created: 02/28/2022, 2:00 p.m

By: Michaela Breuninger

Arrived at the finish of "L'Alpe du Jens 2021": Jens Sommerer in the "yellow jersey" on the Mediterranean.

© Sommerer

Unterallgäu - "If someone goes on a journey, he can tell something..." is the well-known quote at the beginning of Matthias Claudius' (1740-1815) poem "Urian's journey around the world".

Although Jens Sommerer from the Lower Allgäu has not yet traveled the world, his trip last year took him from the Lower Allgäu to the Mediterranean Sea - on a racing bike.

Once upon a time in a small village in the Taunus (west of Frankfurt) in Hesse, little Jens Sommerer was given his first bicycle at the age of four or five.

In Hesse, where well-known classics such as the “Rund um den Henninger Turm” road cycle race took place, Sommerer was rooted for the cycling stars from the Deutsche Telekom team from a young age – above all Jan Ullrich.

When the German professional cyclist won the Tour de France in the yellow jersey after 21 stages and 3,942 kilometers in 1997, the then 13-year-old watched the event on the television screen.

Ullrich's victory triggered a veritable "tour fever" in Germany at the time.

Which also captured Sommerer: This event sparked his passion for racing bikes (and the color yellow) and he called Tour winner Ullrich his role model.

"I wasn't fast enough for the race, so my focus was initially on day trips," the extreme athlete told the Memminger KURIER.

Despite the daily range of 250 kilometers at the time, over time he had had enough of the repetitive routes and was looking for something new.

From Hesse to the Allgäu: First long tour in 2018

A short break: A rain shower makes a stopover under a bridge.

© Sommerer

After buying a used children's bicycle trailer, which he converted into a trailer for his luggage, and purchasing various travel equipment, film accessories and technology, nothing stood in the way of the first big tour.

This led from Hesse to the Allgäu, along Lake Constance, to the Rhine Falls in Schaffhausen, to the Feldberg in the Black Forest, through the Vosges and through the Palatinate Forest back to the Rhine-Main area.

He covered more than 1,400 kilometers.

As a result of a career change, Sommerer took up his position as a manager in a large building technology company in Ungerhausen, and his center of life also moved to the Unterallgäu.

A year after his first big bike tour, he crossed the Alps in 2019, including over the Stilfzer Joch down to Lake Garda.

For the first time, it went into the high mountains and on the famous routes of the big cycling tours.

This tour was also a wonderful experience, says Sommerer, and further cycle tours followed.

Unfortunately, the tour planned for 2020 had to be canceled for health reasons.

Nevertheless, it was an important year for him: He bought a new racing bike, a new trailer and other equipment such as a helmet and tires specially made in Italy - all in yellow, of course.

Over 1,800 kilometers and over 24,000 meters in altitude: Jens Sommerer on the road in the Alps

Remembering the 1997 Tour de France, when Ullrich, Pantani and Virenque struggled up to L'Alpe d'Huez, he felt the desire to walk or ride in their footsteps.

It all started in mid-July 2021 – with the new Colnago C64 and 15 kilograms of luggage in the trailer.

The journey first went over the Funka Pass in Switzerland, Col de la Forclaz, the Little Saint Bernhard, Col de L'Iseran, Col du Télegraphe, Col du Galibier, L'Alpe d'Huez, along the lavender fields of Provence to the Mont Ventoux.

After a good two-week journey, he reached his destination, the Mediterranean Sea west of Marseille, returning via the Rhone Valley.

He was on the road for a total of 3.5 weeks and had covered more than 1,800 kilometers and more than 24,000 meters in altitude.

He recorded his experiences in the film "L'Alpe du Jens 2021".

Traveling with luggage and a trailer on the Col de L'Iseran at 2,770 meters in altitude - fitness was required here.

© Sommerer

To go on such a long bike trip, you need health, fitness, vacation days and a certain budget.

For this year, Sommerer already has his fourth trip on the agenda.

He is once again following in the footsteps of the 1997 Tour winner and plans to scale the peaks of the Pyrenees in 2022: from Aubisque and Tourmalet to Andorra Arcalis (where Ullrich took the yellow jersey in 1997), up to Luz Ardien.

The extreme cyclist has planned to start in mid-June, as the Tour de France is also in the Pyrenees at this time.

Perhaps the 38-year-old single from Babenhausen will meet his female counterpart on one of his next extended bike trips, who shares his passion for road cycling.

From the bike to the big screen: "L'Alpe du Jens 2021" at the "Babenhausen Culture Days"

His film about his last tour "L'Alpe du Jens 2021" even made it to the "big screen" and will be shown as part of this year's "Babenhausen Culture Days" in the Theater am Espach.

Anyone who would like to find out more about Jens Sommerer and his cycle tours can do so via his Instagram account #jensontour1.

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2022-02-28

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