29-year-old Marc Rasche has been unable to walk since early 2007 following a failed knee operation. However, he has not let this get him down. To demonstrate that disabled people should not be underestimated and also to encourage other people, he developed the plan to travel to Mallorca on his handbike - from his home town of Elsenfeld (near Aschaffenburg) via France and Spain to Mallorca. "I have close ties to Mallorca. I met my wife there. We worked on the island and later got married."
From October 2007, Marc Rasche trained for the tour, recruited sponsors and mapped out the route. He got on his handbike every day to prepare for the stages, some of which were over 100 kilometres long.
On his way to Mallorca, he also crossed the Vosges mountains and the Pyrenees - all with just the strength of his arms. But after the start, things went anything but smoothly for the hand cyclist and the two community service volunteers who accompanied him in the car: Rasche had to brave a spell of winter weather in Alsace and had difficulties with the satnav. He struggled with pain in his shoulder and the handbike had to be repaired time and again.
After 19 days and 1,780 kilometres, Marc Rasche had reached his destination: Cap Formentor at the north-eastern end of the Balearic island, which he had reached by ferry from Barcelona.
At the end of the long and gruelling journey, the hand cyclist relaxed in a wellness hotel in Camp de Mar. After the flight home, he was given a triumphant reception in Elsenfeld. Despite the great joy of finally being able to embrace his family again, his thoughts were also centred on something else: "I miss cycling."
Marc Rasche recorded his experiences in a travel diary: http://www.marc-rasche.de
