Germany's first women's brevet: Riding along on the Werdenfels Women's Tour

On 20 July, the first women-only brevet took place. The Werdenfels Women's Tour was quickly fully booked. Without further ado, the organisers ARA Munich decided to double the number of starting places. To do this, they offered a second route on the same day, where only the first 70 kilometres or so were actually different.

Stamp card

The day before, we met at 3mills, a bike café in Munich, where the Brevet cards were issued and the final registration took place. The Brevet card was available as a stamp card and as an e-version if you register there. With the e-card, the coordinates must be transmitted at each checkpoint using a smartphone and a photo uploaded as proof.

The participants of the Werdenfelser Frauenrundfahrt were well spread out in time to complete their registration. I certainly didn't experience any traffic jams in the late afternoon. Afterwards, I treated myself to a piece of chocolate cake and had a few nice conversations with the Brevet participants. Then off home to pack my things.

My brevet bike was the Liv Langma Advanced 1 Pro. My tool bag contained a multitool, a mini pump, a tyre lever and an inner tube. I was able to borrow the inner tube for emergencies from Sara Hallbauer, as I didn't have a suitable one.

Sara is also the one who initiated the event. Why? She rode the Paris-Brest-Paris Superbrevet last year, For years, only six per cent of German starters there have been womenwhereas the percentage of female participants is increasing in other countries. Something has to happen, thought the long-distance cyclist, who encourages long-distance cycling and provides helpful tips on her blog bikepackers.de.

Last minute to the start

The alarm clock rings, it's 6 o'clock. Enough time to leave the house at 7:15 and be at the start 7 kilometres away at 7:45. Or so I thought. And then I was too relaxed at breakfast. Quickly put on sun cream, helmet, shoes, sunglasses, grab the bike and off I go. It's 7:39 when I leave the house. I rush through the city, red traffic lights, stop, take a deep breath. "Don't stress, Sandra" I say to myself, "you'll just set off a few minutes later".

I reach the start as Sara gives the last words of her welcome speech, applause. And then the first riders set off. I load my route and am pleased to see familiar faces. As everyone now receives their first stamp on the brevet card, the field is spread out. This is practical, as there aren't 100 women with their racing bikes at the traffic lights at the same time.

From checkpoint to checkpoint

It's just under 70 kilometres to the first stamping point. I arrive together with a group. Inside there is the longed-for stamp. And we buy drinks and snacks - rubber animals are very popular.

It's about 30 kilometres to the next checkpoint, and then another 30 and another. You can easily make your way from one stamping point to the next, which are sometimes at petrol stations, sometimes on a mountain pasture, sometimes at an ice cream parlour.

Some cycle in larger groups, others in small groups, in pairs or alone. You see happy faces everywhere, but you also realise that it gets exhausting the further the time of day goes on. Some decided to stop in Wolfratshausen. This counts as a 200 brevet, the 30 kilometres back to Munich are a bonus. Others took up the challenge and still others cycled home to complete the 250 kilometres. A total of 100 of the 106 starters reached the finish line.

What a day! It was the first brevet for me, it had never fitted in before. And I'm sure I'll do it again.

Small hurdle: 9 Euro registration fee

The registration fee for a brevet is usually low. The registration fee for the Werdenfelser Frauenrundfahrt was 9 euros. The barrier to registering is therefore correspondingly low. But the hurdle of not starting is also low at only 9 euros. Injuries, illness and more led to many cancellations.