Do you fulfil the requirements for kids-tour? Wheel Divas e.V. is currently checking this. The goal: We want the kids-tour! The most important thing: It is now officially registered with rad-net.
Wheel Divas eV is the organizer of the international kids tour. The course of the last few years has been unfortunate. We had to cancel it in 2023 and had to resort to the courts. This is not good for Berlin, cycling or youth development. We don't just ask ourselves the question of letting go or fighting once. The arguments for both decisions are the same and both are correct.
What would be possible
The 30th international kids tour Berlin 2024 is scheduled to start again on the traditional weekend. The kids could start, ride and win in and around Berlin from 22nd to 25th August 2024.
1. Requirement - appointment
Most of it is still open, we'll start with the basics. Rad-net as the german official organ publishes the date under recent dates and competition announcements. Registration does not mean approval.
2nd prerequisite: peaceful coexistence
A consensus with the Berlin clubs is desirable. This is difficult to produce. The new statutes no longer provide for member participation in important questions in day-to-day business. So the main committee died quietly as an organ. Decisions continue to be made by President Claudiu Ciurea, his Presidium, the Board of Directors, etc. And even if there was no consensus, peaceful coexistence would be effective.
The question of BRV dominance, supremacy and taking advantage of its members must also be discussed. The BRV represents the interests of its members, is not an end in itself, and does not operate itself. This is also why we are asking the Executive Board on November 14th, 2023 for a discussion date on the International Kids Tour process by January 19th, 2024.
3. Organization team
The organizing team has to form. The desire to do something with another brutal expenditure of time is restrained, the history is heavy in the stomach. It will be our job in the coming weeks to assess whether we can and want to manage the event together. Above all, this means complex planning, organization and implementation. 1000 little things.
4. Approval procedures in public spaces
The core task is complex and specific preparations for cycling events in public transport areas. Tours and stage races represent the highest requirements. In a metropolis of millions, the licensing and approval authorities responsible for traffic law must be convinced of the value of cycling in particular. Its intention is to provide a clear and cross-authority/institutional presentation of how to deal with cycling events. And no, it does not replace the regulations of the StVO, the VwV-StVO, the implementing regulations, safety concepts, BDR competition regulations and so on. The question of where we start is a question of where we are allowed.
The offices, authorities and administrations such as the Berliner Verein involved must learn from and understand each other. This takes a while. The authorities would prefer not to have a bike race. Politics and we as a sport are against this. We would like to have the kids tour in Berlin. An antagonistic-seeming contradiction. It is solvable. With qualified work by experts.
5. Finances, sponsors
Last but not least, everything depends on finances. The club as organizer bears the main burden. He is supported by his sponsors. In 2022, this will make up a total of around 95%.
While it was the case until 2021 that the kids tour could count on public funding, that will change in 2022. The BRV is now claiming the funding for its own event. The competition is distorted, Wheel Divas eV comes away empty-handed. We need to talk about the now missing 5%. This is especially true since the money goes to the teams as a proportionate reimbursement of costs.
“Our greatest glory is not never to fall, but to rise again every time.“ (Nelson Mandela)
Are the requirements for kids tour met? We are working on the exam. The most important thing: Kids-tour is officially registered with rad-net.
We keep everyone informed here. Check back regularly.
Fairness comes first.