Sabotage at the Rhön Cycle Marathon: Police investigate the dismantling of signage

Whitsun is the time to ride in Bimbach! The Rhön Cycle Marathon has been attracting cyclists from all over Germany to Bimbach for over three decades. Not everyone is obviously well-disposed towards the many cyclists. Between Friday, 22 May, around 21:00 and Saturday, 23 May, 08:00, the signposts for the Rhön Tour were stolen along a stretch of around 20 kilometres. This affected the section from the B275 / L3139 junction near Herbstein to the entrance to Bimbach. The signs were removed along the entire route. A total of around 50 route signs were missing. This was discovered during a morning patrol by volunteers. "This is not just damage to property - the signposting is part of the officially authorised event requirements and primarily serves the safety of our participants. Missing signposts can lead to riders being directed onto unsuitable roads or losing their bearings," warned the RSC Bimbach on its Instagram page. Thanks to quick improvisation, the club members were able to put up new signs. However, the systematic removal of over 50 signs shows that this was not a prank, but deliberate sabotage. "There is a suspicion that it was a racing bike hater," Christoph Blum, press officer at RSC Bimbach, told TOUR. "He deliberately dismantled it over 20 kilometres and then disposed of it far away in the forest. That's no trivial offence."

Signs found after search

The signs were soon returned after public appeals: a forest worker had found them far away in the forest and brought them back. "The search for the perpetrators continues," explained RSC Bimbach. "We are offering a reward of 500 euros for decisive clues that lead to the investigation," it added. It is not uncommon for signposts to be destroyed, removed or stolen before cycling events. Organisers repeatedly report similar problems. An obvious suspicion: motorists are annoyed by the large number of cyclists. However, the majority of people in the region support the cycle marathon. Over 180 volunteers organise the entire event weekend surrounding the Rhön Cycle Marathon. The majority of the helpers come directly from the village of Bimbach (Großenlüder) with its 2,000 inhabitants and the surrounding region.

Speculation about motifs at the Rhön Cycle Marathon

Both participants and club officials speculate about the reasons for the removal of the signs. "Teenagers would steal a sign for everyone and hang it on the wall at home as a trophy... but not 50 signs. It's more likely that some cyclist-hater wanted to sabotage the event," replied one user on Instagram. Christoph Blum, the association's press officer, knows of no major conflicts with motorists or residents from previous years. "We avoid extra destinations like the Wasserkuppe at Whitsun." In the past, there were more conflicts on the MTB and gravel routes. In the forest, the signs were often twisted or removed. The cycle marathon has great support in the region - many people go on the route themselves or help with the organisation. This year, 5,300 starters came to Bimbach - the majority on the RTF routes.