A 15-year-old boy came up with a wizard wheeze to beat the boredom of the school summer holidays – a cycle ride from his home in Swansea, South Wales, to his father’s birthplace in southern Germany. And his family fell for it!
Tane Dietzig, son of long-time GB Team sports physiotherapist and then Olympics marathon swimming lead Bernie Dietzig, got the whole family cycling to Hüfingen in Baden-Württemberg. They enjoyed themselves so much that they then carried on over the Alps into Italy!
“Tane came up with the idea and was pushing to do the cycle. At first his 17-year-old brother Tilo was a bit reluctant because he wanted to go surfing in Northern Spain like the previous year but he eventually came round and enjoyed himself”, said their mum Bec after they had completed their 1,001-mile cycle from Wales across England, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Liechtenstein and into Italy.
“My husband would have carried on to Croatia if he’d had his way but we’d run out of time and had to get back to Wales. As a couple in our twenties, we cycled all over Europe – so it was nothing new for us.”
The family wanted to leave a bit of legacy from their summer adventure so they chose to raise money for the ME Association and PoTS UK, the dysautonomia charity.
Bec, who works as senior technician in the Sports Science Department of Swansea University, added:
“Tilo and Tane dedicated the ride to Milli and Fleur, two of the most beautiful and courageous souls who, over the last couple of years, have been suffering with ME and PoTS”, said Bec.
“This has meant that they haven’t had the chance to go out and adventure and have fun like other teenagers are able to; often they don’t even have the energy to leave their own house.”
On the day the ride finished at the Splügen Pass on the Swiss-Italy border, Bec wrote on their Facebook page:
“Tilo and Tane spent over 80 hours in the saddle and climbed over 12,269m in altitude – under their own pedal power! They’ve had to cycle for hours in temperatures in the high 30°s and sometimes reaching 41°C!
Photos show: journey's end at the Splügen pass on the Swiss/Italy border (the boys were so cold at that point that they didn't have the energy to make a big thing of it!); various scenes, various borders; family group photo at the Caen Hill Locks, on the Kennet and Avon Canal outside Devizes in Wiltshire.
“We’ve had the most incredible and rewarding three weeks cycling together as a family! We’ve been through some stunning scenery and made some unforgettable memories.
“Bernie and I swapped the driving and cycling (dropping the van at the end point then cycling back to meet them), whilst the boys completed the entire distance by their own pedal power”, Bec added.
“We’ve also been unbelievably lucky with the weather – no rain until day 13 (last day into Germany), where the short shower was a welcome cool down! Since then, we’ve only had to sit out one day in the Swiss Alps where the heavens opened!”
Bec and Bernie drove a VW camper van flying the Welsh flag, with the boys sleeping under canvas on the roof.
They used the Commute app to plot a route away from motorways and autobahns – but, as followers of the Tour de France know, some of the best, most scenic and steep routes on the Continent seem to be designed with cyclists in mind.
“It was the most amazing trip”, said Bec. “We all came back safe and sound – not even a puncture!”
What an adventure! And thank you so much for taking it on to raise money for us.
If you would like to support the family, please visit their fundraising page at
https://www.justgiving.com/team/dietzigsontour
Horse troughs played a big part in their adventure! Bec Dietzig said: “The troughs were all in France. It got so hot – up to 40C – that we needed to cool Tane down; kids of his age don't have the ability to sweat to cool down. We were often able to drink the water from local springs as we went through the mountains. So much sweeter than tap water!”
Tony Britton
Senior Fundraising Consultant, The ME Association
tony.britton@meassociation.org.uk Mob: 07393 805566
