There is no cycling without crashes. Whether they turn out to be harmless or have serious consequences also depends on how quickly and comprehensively help arrives at the scene of the accident. Members of the organising team, who have been involved in the Transalp for many years, estimate that around ten people have owed their lives to Sebastian Zimatschek and his team since 2003. While racing accidents bring to mind a lot of blood and open wounds that make you want to turn your head away, Zimatschek's job is to take a closer look: "At that moment, I can't think that it's bad, I have to think about what to do. The thinking comes later."
Zimatschek's main task during the Transalp is to manage life-threatening situations: what exactly has happened, which emergency paramedics on the motorbike or in the ambulance can reach the scene of the accident as quickly as possible, should a helicopter be requested, where is the nearest hospital? He coordinates a team of 15 emergency doctors, emergency paramedics and paramedics, all of whom he motivates and organises to take part. "It's not about fees, it's idealism. People have to take holidays for the Transalp," explains Zimatschek. "He knows exactly who fits into the team and who doesn't," says anaesthesia assistant Wiebke Würtz about her boss.
The job is fun
The specialist in anaesthesiology with his own practice in Munich is actually sufficiently busy with additional assignments as a paediatric emergency doctor. But he enjoys his job at the TOUR-Transalp. The rescue team is a close-knit community, and despite all the tasks, the team members also get a holiday feeling when they sit together after the stage or over dinner. Zimatschek likes Italy and the mountains - in his private life, he is often out and about on foot or by mountain bike at Lake Garda and in South Tyrol. He also enjoys riding his motorbike on the TOUR-Transalp: "Combining my motorbike and my job is a nice counterpoint to my other work." Especially when the day is characterised by tight bends and long climbs instead of tricky rescue missions.
Profile Sebastian Zimatschek
Sebastian Zimatschek (55) from Munich studied medicine at the University of Regensburg and the Technical University of Munich. He then gained experience as a junior doctor in paediatric anaesthesia, paediatric emergency medicine and as an emergency doctor in mountain rescue. He has been running a specialist anaesthesia practice in Munich for 20 years. He is married and has two grown-up children. Sebastian Zimatschek has been responsible for the rescue team of the TOUR-Transalp since 2003.
However, the 55-year-old never lets himself get rattled. Regardless of whether he is at the finish line after 140 kilometres or discussing an accident on the race track: Zimatschek always speaks calmly and precisely. Both good prerequisites for his job. His soft-spoken manner has a calming effect. "I've always enjoyed looking after people," he says.
During the race, he steers the motorbike, with Wiebke Würtz sitting on the pillion and keeping in touch with the other team members, who are spread out along the route between the cyclists. As long as it remains calm, he can enjoy the ride on the motorbike through the mountain landscape: "This week in the Alps is always fascinating." However, if an emergency call comes in, he quickly localises the scene of the accident and decides whether to go there himself or send another team that is closer.
Acting quickly after an accident is one thing, but prevention is the most important thing for the rescue doc. Every day before the start of the stage, he discusses the next stage with race director Marc Schneider and the motorbike marshals and later the challenges of the day with the rescue team: neuralgic points along the route where it could be dangerous or where mobile phone reception could be poor. The aim is to make the bike race as safe as possible; the many years of experience of Zimatschek and his rescue team have long been incorporated into the route planning.
Avoidable accidents
From the point of view of the emergency doctor, who closely observes the race from his motorbike, many accidents could have been avoided. Too much ambition often leads athletes to make reckless manoeuvres during the race: "When they overtake a lorry on narrow roads or cut corners downhill, I sometimes have my doubts." However, this does not dampen his motivation: "It's bad that it happened, but it's good that we got there quickly," he summarises the task.
And he certainly understands what makes cyclists tick: "I try to familiarise myself with the racing mentality. Some people feel like they're on the Tour de France, and then dangerous situations arise." Because unlike the Tour de France, the TOUR-Transalp does not take place on closed roads, and in addition to the sporting competition, the traffic conditions play a decisive role in the event.
The Transalp race director Marc Schneider explicitly mentions the fact that he has taken his safety advice on board and that many things have been improved in recent years. Because despite all the professionalism, when serious accidents occur, the images of injured cyclists remain in his memory for years; for example, the bend on the Arlberg, where the only cyclist in the history of the Transalp to date was killed on the crash barrier.
Or a place in the Dolomites where a participant had to be rescued from a dangerous situation ten metres below the road by the mountain rescue team using a rope. "That does keep you busy," says Zimatschek in a low voice, but also gives an example of how help is possible with comparatively simple means: "I remember a participant who had an anaphylactic shock after a wasp sting and whose airways were at risk. We were able to help him quickly." These positive moments also leave a lasting impression - and Sebastian Zimatschek is already looking forward to travelling through the Alps again next year with his rescue team.
Kristian Bauer
Editor
