There is a new impetus for cycling in Germany: with the founding of the NGIY association, an independent initiative has been formed that aims to provide targeted support to young German cyclists on their way to the top of the world rankings.
Cycling is certainly not a marginal sport in Germany – but despite a lively club scene, a national umbrella organization called German Cycling (formerly BDR) and broad public interest, which is, however, very much focused on the Tour de France, it is not easy for young talents and junior athletes to make their mark in cycling and perhaps even break into the international elite. That is why the newly founded NGIY association has set itself the task of supporting young talents on their way. The abbreviation NGIY stands for “Next German in Yellow” – i.e. the next German to wear the yellow jersey (in the Tour de France).
Primary goal: money for young talent
The support association was recently founded in Willingen in the Sauerland region. The driving force behind it is entrepreneur and idea generator Stefan Penno, managing director of Rembe, a leading global company for process technology and safety. Rembe is already involved in cycling as a sponsor of the Continental team of the same name, Rembe | rad-net. On the occasion of the association's founding, he said: “Germany has first-class engineering, leading bicycle manufacturers, innovative drive technology, and high-quality clothing and accessories—a product landscape that sets international standards. At the same time, it is clear that so far, we have not succeeded in systematically bringing young talent to the top.”
This is where the new support association wants to get involved, and it does not see itself as competing with the German Cycling Federation in any way. It is not about creating parallel structures that bypass the traditional career paths in cycling. The primary goal is to raise money through memberships and sponsorships that can be used to provide targeted support for young cyclists. This could involve petrol money for the parents of a young female racer so they can drive her to races, new helmets for the youth team, or a subsidy for a training camp.
Decisions on how the funds are used are made by the association's advisory board, which is headed by two-time Olympic champion Kristina Vogel and Frank Richter, a content creator from Magdeburg. The association's president is former track cyclist Robert Förstemann. The executive committee also includes Roger Kluge, three-time Madison world champion, German cyclocross champion Marcel Meisen, Frankfurt lawyer Nicolas Dumont from the Graf von Westphalen law firm as legal advisor, and Timo Jaschke, senior wealth management advisor at DZ Privatbank, as treasurer.
Prominent ambassador is the “Tour Devil”
The founders presented the “Tour Devil” Didi Senft as ambassador. In the future, he will use the new club bus to draw worldwide attention to the mission of NGIY. All members who wish to do so will have their names printed on the vehicle.
Vice President Bernd Sudhoff also made it clear at the founding event: “We want to make cycling dreams a reality and are targeting people, partners, and investors who want to actively promote the development of German cycling—with the aim of not leaving sporting success to chance, but rather making it happen in a targeted manner.”
Primary goal: money for young talent
The support association was recently founded in Willingen in the Sauerland region. The driving force behind it is entrepreneur and idea generator Stefan Penno, managing director of Rembe, a leading global company for process technology and safety. Rembe is already involved in cycling as a sponsor of the Continental team of the same name, Rembe | rad-net. On the occasion of the association's founding, he said: “Germany has first-class engineering, leading bicycle manufacturers, innovative drive technology, and high-quality clothing and accessories—a product landscape that sets international standards. At the same time, it is clear that so far, we have not succeeded in systematically bringing young talent to the top.”
This is where the new support association wants to get involved, and it does not see itself as competing with the German Cycling Federation in any way. It is not about creating parallel structures that bypass the traditional career paths in cycling. The primary goal is to raise money through memberships and sponsorships that can be used to provide targeted support for young cyclists. This could involve petrol money for the parents of a young female racer so they can drive her to races, new helmets for the youth team, or a subsidy for a training camp.
Decisions on how the funds are used are made by the association's advisory board, which is headed by two-time Olympic champion Kristina Vogel and Frank Richter, a content creator from Magdeburg. The association's president is former track cyclist Robert Förstemann. The executive committee also includes Roger Kluge, three-time Madison world champion, German cyclocross champion Marcel Meisen, Frankfurt lawyer Nicolas Dumont from the Graf von Westphalen law firm as legal advisor, and Timo Jaschke, senior wealth management advisor at DZ Privatbank, as treasurer.
Prominent ambassador is the “Tour Devil”
The founders presented the “Tour Devil” Didi Senft as ambassador. In the future, he will use the new club bus to draw worldwide attention to the mission of NGIY. All members who wish to do so will have their names printed on the vehicle.
Vice President Bernd Sudhoff also made it clear at the founding event: “We want to make cycling dreams a reality and are targeting people, partners, and investors who want to actively promote the development of German cycling—with the aim of not leaving sporting success to chance, but rather making it happen in a targeted manner.”
