What initially sounded like the purest madness project was, in retrospect, one of my best experiences of the past years.A team of 34 tech bikers from the German startup scene defied all adversities and put the route from Prague to Berlin back for the good purpose dotHIV .
We went on Thursday afternoon in a side street in Berlin, where we met for the departure to Prague. Some bikers had already taken the direct route to the Czech capital. Most of them chose the bus to get to know the fellow bikers on the trip.
In Prague, the tour began with a joint dinner before the next day, the first 120 kilometer stage went to the Czech border. We were warming up and taking the first relaxed conversation. Especially lunch and water breaks were used for a lively exchange. For me there were many interesting conversations with Startup employees, I got to know the latest ideas of the German startup scene. Maybe salesforce.com can support some soon ...
Our first stop was Decin , which is just outside the border with Germany. The group arrived here towards the evening - exhausted but happy.
The second day was not only the longest stage but also the hottest: 42 degrees betrayed the weather forecast! Real "bikram biking" so;). 170 km lay ahead of us. A few water breaks and a short jump into a lake along the route made the day bearable. In particular the good support in the team and our marching companions brought us successfully through the day.
Berlin, Berlin, we go to Berlin, that was the motto of the third day. After the hot Saturday we were more relaxed 120 kilometers before us. A few stops for the 'regroup' and spontaneous bathing in the lakes of Berlin kept the group together, so we could cross the Brandenburg Gate together!
And how good I felt on arrival, hopefully you can see in this photo! :)
We spent the evening at a joint dinner, to which Ernst & Young had invited and let the tour end.
Thanks to Lea Bauer and Karen Lanfermann for the entire organization team! For the coming year you can already put me on the list! ;)
And here you can find out more about what's behind the "Foundation" of salesforce.com.
