At the age of 65 (!)

Crazy! Cycling from Klagenfurt to Rome in 42 hours

Rudolf Springer drove from the mini St. Peter's Cathedral in Minimundus to the real cathedral in Rome.

(Bild: Gepa, zVg)

Carinthian doctor and extreme mountain biker Rudolf Springer (65) cycled from Klagenfurt to Rome - and it took him less than two days. He slept briefly on the road, hallucinated - but reached St. Peter's Basilica in monkey heat.

All roads lead to Rome. That of Carinthian Rudolf Springer was a brutally hard one - namely on his mountain bike. The 65(!)-year-old oral surgeon set off from Klagenfurt's Minimundus at 6.20 p.m. on Wednesday - his destination: St. Peter's Basilica. But without any stops in between - the former five-time world champion of various 24-hour races almost drove straight through.

I only had six liters of water, batteries and chargers for my lights, cell phone and sat nav, as well as ISO powder and Mars, Snickers and bars.

Rudolf SPRINGER, Extremsportler

Slept on the side of the road for 57 minutes
Via Venzone, Venice, Perugia and Cesena, I made my way over the Apennine Mountains to the Eternal City - at 38 degrees and despite all the heat warnings in Italy. "I only made short stops to fill up with water," says Springer, who allowed himself exactly 57 minutes of sleep. "That was on the ground next to the road between flower troughs after 33 hours of riding before Citta di Castello - I didn't even take my helmet off."

Then it continued - including hallucinations. "The senses start to play tricks because of the stress, you see things that aren't there - they were all mirages," laughs the doctor.

Rudolf Springer in front of St. Peter's Basilica

(Bild: zVg)

Return journey by Flixbus
With an average speed of 22 km/h, he then landed in Rome at 12.40 p.m. after 5110 meters in altitude and 763 kilometers after a total of 42 hours - in front of St. Peter's Basilica. "The shower in the hotel afterwards was so wonderful," beamed Springer.

And the return journey? "It was comfortable on the Flixbus," grins the extreme athlete, who finally arrived back in Klagenfurt with four kilos less body weight.