Together, both partners want to inspire children and young people for cycling. For children and young people, cycling is often the first step towards independence. The bicycle allows them to expand their own radius and broaden their perspective. The main focus is not on later sporting success, but rather on producing strong personalities who responsibly find their place in society.

Based on this common conviction and the shared values, various actions will be carried out from 2021 onwards. The partnership kicked off on the last weekend of March with a first joint seasonal ride in Traunstein starting at Wiggerl17 (Kaffee & Brotzeit Bar), which was also attended by multiple Paralympics winners and Laureus ambassadors Michael Teuber and Martin Braxenthaler.

The Laureus Sport for Good Foundation Germany is now cooperating with the Maloja Pushbikers cycling team. In addition to the annual jointly organised Tour Laureus Sport for Good, further projects are planned with the Bavarian Continental cycling team Maloja Pushbikers to raise funds for the charitable Laureus Sport for Good Foundation and for like-minded people to have a good time together on their bikes.

Sport is more than just physical activity – sport is central to personal development and this is also the shared belief of the Laureus Foundation and the Maloja Pushbikers. The work of the social sports programmes supported by Laureus Sport for Good is not aimed at producing the next Olympic champions or world champions, but strong personalities who later find their place in society in a responsible manner. Through numerous support programmes, more than 6 million children and young people have been reached worldwide so far.

“Getting children and young people excited about cycling has always been one of our goals in addition to building a professional road team,” summarises Christian Grasmann, team manager of the Maloja Pushbikers. From his own career as a successful professional cyclist, he knows how important sport is for the personality of young people. “Of course, once you’ve reached a certain point of performance, you want to win races and prove yourself. But cycling in particular is a team sport in which you learn to be a team player and to work for each other. Achieving success together can be significantly more fulfilling than going through the world alone.” In their road team, the Maloja Pushbikers focus on the promotion of young talents in the U23 range, whom they want to offer an entry into professional cycling – both athletically and personally. The foundation of the team is also its own cycling club, founded in 2007, which is one of the most successful in Germany with its youth work on the road and track. “Developing a deep joy for the sport instead of only looking at results is the right approach from our point of view,” says Grasmann. Sustainability, community and fairness, but also individuality and the courage to go one’s own way are in the foreground for the Pushbikers.

“For children and young people, cycling is often the first step towards independence. The bicycle allows you to increase your own radius and broaden your perspective. Along the way, friendships are formed and with increasing time on the bike, one develops bigger goals. Visiting your best friend, mastering the first ride to the bathing lake together, all the way to a concrete kilometre goal. This is exactly what Laureus Sport for Good conveys. Sport helps young people to believe in themselves and to develop a perspective for their own lives. To translate dreams into goals and to give everything to achieve them. Qualities that are crucial in everyday life for a self-determined life,” says Paul Schif, Managing Director of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation in Germany and Austria.

The first contact was made in 2019 at the first edition of the Tour Laureus Sport for Good, in which 30 enthusiastic amateur cyclists from the Laureus circle took part together with Laureus ambassadors, active and former professional athletes, and supported the social sports programmes with donations. In 2020, the Maloja Pushbikers were official partners of the Tour Laureus Sport for Good, which led through the Tegernsee region. The team was significantly involved in the route planning, organisation and implementation with their racing cyclists, material and support vehicles. The specially designed Laureus Sport for Good bike collection was presented with clothing from the Maloja brand, which is also offered in the Pushbikers Shop and is intended to support the foundation in fundraising. For the future, the experience and expertise of the German Continental cycling team is not only important for this project, but also for further cooperation approaches. Cycling – be it on the road, with a mountain bike off-road or with a so-called gravel bike on unpaved surfaces – is currently experiencing an increase in popularity and for more and more people it is a sport that can be integrated into daily life. This approach should be used jointly and expanded within the framework of events, accompanied rides or programmes for families. Always with the aim of highlighting the social value of sport and thereby communicating the importance of the work of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation.

Background Information

Laureus Sport for Good is an international charity. It promotes programmes that teach disadvantaged children the values of sport: Fairness, consideration, respect and responsibility. Programmes against discrimination, racism and violence. The foundation’s principle is: sport creates strong personalities and strong personalities have a better perspective in life. Worldwide, Laureus Sport for Good supports over 200 programmes in more than 40 countries that use the power of sport to make a lasting difference to the lives of children and young people. Over 6 million children and young people have been reached so far.

Photos |Manuel Übler