Following the demise of the Reichelsdorfer Keller race track, there is now a cycling track in Nuremberg once again. When the track there had to make way for a housing complex, Stefan Böhm and a small group of cycling enthusiasts looked for an alternative to continue practising and passing on their passion for track cycling. They came across the ASN Pfeil Phönix site in the Ziegelstein district of Nuremberg, where a race track lay buried under rubble. In the recent past, it had been used for greyhound racing. Beneath the layer protecting it from frost, sun and water, a track came to light that was "in surprisingly good condition", Böhm explains. It took two years of digging and countless hours of voluntary labour before the cycling track was ready for use. Now cyclists can do their laps on the well-preserved concrete track.
Radrennbahn-Nürnberg: Newly founded department pursues an inclusive approach
One condition of the local club ASN Pfeil Phönix was that Böhm should set up his own cycling department within the club as part of the restoration of the track. He and his team made this possible. The cycling department pursues an inclusive and educational approach and "wants to cater for all niches", explains Böhm. The club's focus is on amateur athletes, but Special Olympics and Paralympic athletes and schoolchildren also have the opportunity to use the track regularly. Böhm has already been able to attract a broad base of co-operating clubs, schools and inclusive facilities from the metropolitan region that are already using the track.
Races could also take place on the Nuremberg velodrome in the future
A three-stage plan is intended to ensure that the railway is also sustainable in the long term. First, it was "made ready to ride, potholes were removed and the floor was sanded," says Böhm. A balustrade is also to follow in the near future. The next step is to build a tunnel to the indoor area, add lines for competitions and also take further precautions to comply with UCI guidelines. This means that races could also be held on the track in Nuremberg-Ziegelstein in the future. The third and final step could be to install wooden panelling and partially re-roof the track. The future vision of those involved is to build a green club that is self-sufficient in terms of electricity - in the form of solar panels on the roof - and water storage tanks, should grants, sponsors and supporters continue to support Böhm and his team.
Cycling track in Nuremberg-Ziegelstein once opened by cycling star Gino Bartali
In 1949, the newly revitalised cycle racing track in Nuremberg-Ziegelstein was opened for the first time. The star guest at the opening was Gino Bartali - one of Italy's most successful cyclists. He won the Tour de France in 1938 and 1948, as well as the Giro d'Italia three times. In Nuremberg, 12,000 fans cheered him on at the opening of the track. Over time, however, the track lost its relevance. In 1967, the track at Reichelsdorfer Keller was modernised, which is why the racecourse in Nuremberg-Ziegelstein was closed and fell into oblivion. Now it is flourishing again thanks to the commitment of cycling enthusiasts.
Initiator dedicated to young talent and especially track cycling
Stefan Böhm has been at home in cycling for 30 years, first as a racer and now for 15 years as a coach and official. Born in the Allgäu region, after his own junior and elite career at Velo Club Mindelheim, RC Landshut and RSG Ostallgäu, he trained young cyclists in Bavaria as an LV coach, especially on the track. Back in the 2000s, he founded an inclusion training group at his home club in Mindelheim, which he still maintains close contact with today. After moving to Nuremberg, he joined the RV Union Nuremberg, where he is now the first board member, and in 2020 he founded the Bahnradsport.Bayern e.V. association, which promotes track cycling events in Augsburg and Niederpöring, the two other Bavarian track locations, as well as inclusion and junior competitive sport. All projects were and are designed to be sustainable, which is particularly important to the father of three.
