Cancellation of Circuit Cycling and Rad am Ring - Fraas writes open letter to politicians

This is the letter in full:

Federal Minister of Health Jens Spahn
Minister President Malu Dreyer
Prime Minister Dr Markus Söder
District administration of Ahrweiler, District Administrator Dr Jürgen Pföhler
Munich City Council, Lord Mayor Dieter Reiter

Dear Minister President Dreyer,
Mr Spahn, Federal Minister of Health,
Dear Prime Minister Dr Söder,
Dear District Administrator Dr Pföhler,
Dear Lord Mayor Reiter,

As an ardent football fan and cycle race organiser who has now failed for the second year in a row with his hygiene concepts, I have a few questions that I would like to ask you to answer below.

I get the impression that things are not always "right" in Corona Germany at the moment.

I would like to deliberately leave open the question of whether the standard ultimately only concerns general fairness, justice or even German law. I'm not enough of a lawyer for that. But the obvious application of double (or even multiple) standards feels wrong.

So my request: set the record straight. Explain to me why my impression and not the result of political action is wrong. I need to understand it so that I don't break down. Citizens should understand it in order to keep their faith in politics.

It would be desirable if one person did not refer to the competence of the other. The idea is rather that everyone only answers or has answered the questions that they can answer either by virtue of their office or expertise. Then no question should remain unanswered. I would like to see short, clear, fact-orientated answers.

The background:

1. initial situation on 15 June 2021

Nürburgring/District of Ahrweiler

Our cycling event, planned for 26 June 2021, could not be approved, nor could we be given any framework data (e.g. incidences, occupancy of intensive care beds, R-value) on which to assess the risk posed by our event on 26 June. We were informed about this on 10 June 2021. Reference was made to the current ordinance situation in Rhineland-Palatinate, which does not allow amateur sport in the size of around 700 participants that we are aiming for. The content of the new regulation, expected for 21 June 2021, is not known.

Munich Fröttmaning / City of Munich
A few weeks ago, Minister President Söder announced that up to 14,000 spectators could be admitted to the Munich football arena due to an excellent and special hygiene concept.

2. experience

Nürburgring/District of Ahrweiler

Since March, professional sporting events have been taking place at the Nürburgring, during which around 1,500 people are permitted in the Nürburgring paddock due to the hygiene concept. Four such events, including the 24-hour race, have taken place so far without any particular risk (increased risk of infection) emanating from these events. This is easy to understand, as AHA rules apply in the paddock and only those who have recovered, been vaccinated or tested are permitted to enter the paddock.

Munich Fröttmaning / City of Munich
Bergamo (Champions League match in spring 2020) provides a tragic illustration of the dangers of coronavirus for spectators in football stadiums. Reason: increased aerosol formation (singing, shouting), "boiler situation" (lack of wind), proximity (hugs). The Munich stadium is certainly no more "open" than the one in Bergamo.

3. incidences

7-day incidences as of 14 & 15 June, trend continuing to fall, partly due to increasing vaccination rate)
District of Ahrweiler: 5.7
City of Munich: 15.7
Rhineland-Palatinate: 14.7
Bavaria: 15.7
Germany: 13.2
France: 36.6

4. group of persons/ hygiene concept or perceptions

Nürburgring/District of Ahrweiler Circuit Cycling event

Planned for approx. 700 amateur athletes
Prerequisite: vaccinated, tested or recovered
Dangerous situation: Distance of at least 1.5 metres and mask until approx. 1 minute before the start, then typical cycling race situation with strong topography, in which the field of riders quickly spreads out. Turbulence and dilution of aerosols due to actual wind (if present, which is always the case in the Eifel) and airstream.

Munich Fröttmaning / City of Munich

14,000 spectators, including over 2,000 French fans (The professional sports argument does not apply here, as we are not talking about the athletes, but about spectators. There may be reasons for the special treatment of professional athletes, but these certainly do not apply to spectators at a professional event)
Condition: vaccinated, tested or recovered?
Dangerous situation: In the French block no distance and hardly any masks, hugs

Germany in general: Public viewings for up to 1,000 people without a mask

Based on these facts and perceptions, a number of detailed questions arise, but one is central:

On the one hand, isn't a blunt, monosyllabic reference to current regulatory texts being used here to deny approval for an event that is highly unlikely to be critical, while on the other hand, applicable regulatory texts are cancelled by special regulations and even compliance with AHA rules is not guaranteed?

Questions about Munich

What distancing rules applied in the French block?
Was it compulsory to wear a mask?
How was this monitored?
Does the French player Paul Pogba have to go into quarantine after his bath in the crowd? If not, why not?

Questions about Nürburgring/Ahrweiler

If 2,000 spectators are allowed in a narrow block in the Munich stadium on 15 June (see above for the infection situation), why can't rules be announced on 10 June, according to which 700 cyclists will circle the 5.1 km long Nürburgring (GP track) on 26 June?

General questions

Professional football has enjoyed extensive special treatment for months, even though footballers are repeatedly becoming infected despite obviously the best concepts. The sport can be watched on television by all fans. Should the need for spectators in the stadium be weighted more heavily than the need to watch amateur cycling?

Aren't there double standards in the case of the European Football Championships anyway? Even if only half of all the warnings issued by politicians and scientists are based on real dangers, public viewing is an extreme risk for rising incidences. Moreover, with regard to the delta variant that threatens us. Is football allowed to do anything, but another part of German sport has to do without in solidarity with the community?

The coronavirus rules are complex, inconsistent across Germany, subject to significant change and based on parameters that are not undisputed (incidences). So why are there also special regulations (spectators at the European Championship in Munich, French block)?

The authorisation for spectators in Munich was certainly not randomly selected, but was granted to the best of our knowledge and belief on the basis of scientific facts, experience and forecasts. So why are these findings and rules not generalised? So that others, e.g. amateur cyclists and their organisers, can use them as a guide?

Personal situation and a final question:

Our agency essentially lives from two cycling events a year. Last year, our events were not approved. The cancellation in 2020 came to us in a situation of 7,000 infected people throughout Germany (not 7,000 new infections per day, but 7,000 out of 83 million Germans were infected - 0.0085%!!!). So far, so bad, so accepted.

This year, we had to cancel the events again, as we were unable to obtain parameters in mid-June for either the event on 26 June or the one on 23 July that would be used to decide on the feasibility of the event at the time (e.g. incidences). Organisers and participants therefore lack reference points for assessing probabilities and risks. The cancellations were therefore unavoidable.

We have been working without turnover since August 2019. We are still waiting and hoping for bridging aid III.

Since March 2019, we have been living in a constant back and forth between fear, readjustment, hope and fear again and readjustment and ...

Our economic and emotional situation is devastating. Of course, we are not alone in Germany. There are many people who have been left behind by coronavirus in particular - without a political voice, without public awareness.

As a politician, is it acceptable for society to be divided into a few coronavirus winners, many not dissatisfied coronavirus survivors and harsh, unappreciated coronavirus losers? And it's not about money, but about respect!

I would like to emphasise once again the importance of a reply.

Yours sincerely
eventwerkstatt GmbH

Hanns-Martin Fraas
Managing Director