Mid-July, Nürburgring in the Eifel. The midday sun is blazing, the floodlights above the starting line cast a glistening white light on the tarmac. Pedals click in the pit lane, conversations fall silent - tense silence. The countdown is on. The starting shot is about to be fired for one of the toughest endurance tests in cycling: the 24-hour "Rad am Ring" cycle race. Among the more than 11,900 participants: an international, eight-strong BUTTING team.
Since 2003, this race has been regarded as the ultimate extreme test. The circuit combines the ultra-modern Formula 1 Grand Prix track with the legendary Nordschleife - once dubbed the "Green Hell" by Jackie Stewart. 92 bends, 560 metres of elevation gain per lap, gradients of up to 17 percent - day or night, sun, rain or fog. If you want to survive here, you need far more than fitness: you need strategy, precision and absolute trust in your team.
International team - one mission
Robby Boenicke (BUTTING Canada), Mario Kulow (Managing Director BUTTING Anlagenbau, Schwedt), Marco Karig, Kai Zander (BUTTING Anlagenbau, Schwedt), Heike Hermann (CFO BUTTING Group), Benjamin Mrohs (BUTTING Group), Marvin Ehrhardt (BUTTING CryoTech) and Marcel Bartels (CEO Plant Engineering Division of the BUTTING Group). Eight riders from different locations and company divisions - united by the goal of pushing their performance limits as a cohesive unit.
The race was run in relay mode: one rider completed each of the 26.5 kilometre laps before the next rider took over. The team rode a total of 24 laps, with each rider completing 3 laps. In total, the team covered 626.4 kilometres and 13,440 metres in altitude - that meant 78.3 kilometres and 1,680 metres in altitude per rider. All without an e-bike, with top speeds of up to 100 km/h on the descents and energy-sapping climbs such as the "Hohe Acht". It was hours full of sweat, adrenaline, willpower and concentration.
"When you start the climb at three o'clock in the morning in the dark, only one thing counts: seeing the team at the finish line. This feeling sustains you," describes Marvin Ehrhardt.
Tactics, commitment and mutual support
At the team camp, everything meshes together: clear agreements, quick equipment checks, brief moments to catch your breath. Everyone supports each other, everyone takes responsibility. Everyone knows that we can only win or lose together. "These 24 hours have shown how strongly we can stand together - whether on the race track or in everyday working life," emphasises Heike Hermann.
From the race track to the project business
The success factors that count at the Nürburgring are also decisive in the international project business: precise planning, efficient processes, smooth cooperation between the BUTTING locations, high performance under time pressure and consistent goal-orientation.
"The 'Green Hell' has impressively demonstrated the power of determination, precision and trust when they work together perfectly. These values are the basis on which we realise the most challenging projects for our customers, make targeted use of opportunities and set new standards in a dynamic environment." - Marcel Bartels, CEO BUTTING Group.
BUTTING - more than pipes - for a better quality of life
