Rheine/Borne. Perfect cycling weather, great impressions along the 65-kilometer route, a beautiful reception in the Dutch twin city Borne – at the final inauguration of the Vriendenweg at the weekend (almost) everything was right. The town twinning association had newly developed the tour together with the partner committee Borne and had also made it available as an electronically retrievable file. The occasion was the 40th anniversary of the partnership between Rheine and Borne this year. And with the bike tour of the 45-strong group from Rheine, the Vriendenweg has now officially passed its “endurance test”.
The “fathers” of the Vriendenweg: Nico Gosselt from Borne (l.) and Engelbert Nagelschmidt from Rheine. They developed the new bicycle routes between the twin towns.
At 9 o’clock the group started on Saturday from the market place. Bicycle representative Engelbert Nagelschmidt and his helpers from the ADFC Rheine had taken over the safe management and accompaniment of the tour. “That was professional and ensured that the tour ran smoothly,” said club chairman Reiner Wellmann, praising the support of the ADFC team.
After a first stop at the Rabenbaum in Samerott, the tour continued to the geological open-air museum Gildehaus, where the first rest was taken and the participants strengthened themselves for the onward journey. Around 1:30 p.m., the agreed meeting point was reached not far from the Basilica of St. Plechelmus in Oldenzaal. There the Rheinenser were welcomed by three members of the partner committee Borne. They accompanied the Rheinenser on beautiful paths to Borne. There a nationwide all-around competition for runners and cyclists took place on a city course as part of the Melbuul’n Dagn. So the group of cyclists had to be led around the course into the twin town. In a youth center a lunch snack was prepared for the hungry pedal knights. There the Rheinenser could relax a little after the 65-kilometer ride and strengthen themselves for the further course of the day.
Afterwards, the Rheinensers strolled through Borne, which had plenty of entertainment and hustle and bustle to offer that day. The largest group took the bus back to Rheine in the evening. Some participants had preferred the train ride from Hengelo. And a “hard core” of 15 people around the ADFC companions stayed overnight in Borne, to start the return journey by bike on Sunday morning. After stops at the Lonneker mill and at the Drilandsee all arrived at 16 o’clock safe and sound again in Rheine – whereby a violent downpour shortly before Rheine nevertheless again a stop forced.
During the tour and also in Borne itself, it turned out that many Rheinenser had already ridden the trail over the summer months. “The Vriendenweg thus fulfills its most important task excellently: to connect the two twin towns and their citizens more closely,” Reiner Wellmann concluded. www.friendsineurope.com