That evening, the fit guys on the side of the road on Bismarkstrasse were curious about our somewhat worn-out group, and they suspected Holland. But the length of our route was a bit impressive, so in patronizing mode, they added a "machine" to the mix. That can bring a benevolent smile to your face after a day in the saddle...

Audax, brevet, cycling marathon - it doesn't matter, the main thing is that it's long.

The spirit of a long-distance ride suits us perfectly, in our opinion. After leaving Düsseldorf300, there was a gap. We wanted to do something with our vibe, regardless of whether it was a guided tour or a route based on GPX data. When John from Albion suggested a ride to Maastricht to see our lovely colleagues at Off the Map, the first piece of the puzzle fell into place. And the idea that Maastricht and back is a good distance, fun for experienced riders, and not absurdly far from the realm of possibility for newcomers.

The title was obvious, given what we consider to be a completely unnecessary discussion about borders: we value a Europe without borders and consider anything else three steps back rather than one step forward. This is where "Crossing Borders" came into play, with its ambiguity. The first tour was planned as a one-way trip because no one knew what weather would await us in March. Luckily, it was the first summer day of the year, so while the coach that took the riders from Maastricht back to Düsseldorf was quite full, there was also a decent group of riders who cycled back the same route in a relatively direct way.

But the XL version, of course, was planned to follow farm tracks and small county roads rather than the hard shoulders of federal highways. Düsseldorf's route expert, David, offered his help and set out to find the ultimate cycling route between Düsseldorf and Maastricht. Our random refreshment station from the first edition in Linnich became a fixture; the idea of ​​a figure-8 route allowed us to provide supplies to all riders at a reasonable distance without too much effort.

Meanwhile, our idea was gaining traction, and our circle of partners expanded. In addition to John, Alex von Hunt, and Cyril from Off the Map, Max from Climaid, Max and Thorben from the German Brooks distributor Sports Nut, and Ondrej from Chimpanzee joined us. Joel and Jessica from Klub Karacho offered help, a camper van, a boombox, a camera, support, and fantastic motivation. We enjoyed the results along the way and will soon be able to view them in the form of all sorts of images. Even more images are coming from Peggy, who also shouldered a small social media package for her long-distance debut.

Fifty participants gathered at the start, enjoying espresso, Bulle-Mürbchen (a type of sausage), and a humorous briefing at 8:00 a.m. As is well known, all beginnings are difficult, but the four flat tires in the first 40 kilometers in our group of 25 were a real bummer—a real mood-booster. But after the first visit to the aid station, everything went smoothly until Maastricht, including a semi-merger and another breakup of the individual groups.

A brief break at what is probably the largest man-made hole in the Western Hemisphere made us wonder why renewable energies have only been developed in recent years. Anyone who gets worked up about solar panels and wind turbines should take a look over Garzweiler.

Long-distance rides, by the way, offer the opportunity for philosophical reflection on the burning issues of our time. Not all passengers are always in the mood to chat; sometimes you can simply let your mind wander and revolve around yourself in the monotonous rhythm of pedaling. This is certainly especially exciting on rides that are completed entirely alone. Twelve hours of rolling along small roads between endless fields can certainly have an enormously liberating effect on the mind. Although that also depends on the kind of thoughts that pop into your head.

Our peloton confidently covered the final kilometers toward Mütze, and at the finish line, chilled music, the entire organizing crew, and a fantastic pasta salad awaited us. Respect to all those who still had a bike ride home beyond the 5 kilometers after the break; personally, the short inner-city trip was enough for me.

In the next few days, we'll be posting more pictures in a gallery here, so check back soon...

See you soon…