It is a cold Thursday morning in Eindhoven when Bjorn van de Langenberg walks into the cafe. The temperature outside feels like thirteen degrees below zero. A strong wind is blowing from the east. Bjorn “was in doubt this morning” but decided not to come by bike from Boxtel (a 30 km ride). He looks as if it was a difficult choice. Bjorn likes to ride his bike. Very much so.
We meet for breakfast to talk about the newest cycling festival in Eindhoven.
Bjorn van de Langenberg sports entrepreneur
Breakfast carpaccio sandwich with cappuccino
Organizes the High Tech Crit Festival
He grew up being the oldest in a family of five children. Destined to take over the tree nursery from his parents. But despite an education at the HAS in Den Bosch, Bjorn van de Langenberg decides to pursue his own path.
He becomes a sports entrepreneur and starts organizing clinics with top athletes and developing vitality programs for companies. This summer, everything comes together in a brand new cycling festival on the High Tech Campus.
A festival, so expect nice music and good food. But most of all, this will be the place where cycling and innovation come together. As a bike lover, you can test high tech tools that are normally reserved only for professionals. At the same time, Bjorn wants the High Tech Crit Festival to be accessible for everyone. So also for children, grandparents and people with just a ‘normal’ bike.
Participants can sign up for tours – 75, 110 and 150 km – and try high tech e-bikes. A very cool detail: business teams taking part in the team ride can do a free test in the new wind tunnel at the TU/e.
That is June. First, Bjorn is still focused on the ‘pre-party’ on 21 April. A smaller sport event taking place on the same Campus, called the MTB Challenge. For mountain bikers that want to try something different (making altimeters in the parking garage, for example).
Meanwhile breakfast is being served. We are at the Velosoof, where Bert Oosterbosch’s bicycles are hanging from the ceiling. The successful cyclist from Eindhoven who unfortunately died at the age of 32.
Bjorn tells how everything seems to be falling into place. Since the start of his company he has been building a network. How? By organizing ‘wielercafés’ (cycling meetups). “A cozy evening in a pub-like atmosphere where cycling fans come to listen to stories from the professional cyclists.”
At first he only knows former cyclist Karsten Kroon, who brings two team mates to the first pub evening. But then things go fast. Not even a year later, Tom du Moulin is attending the wielercafé and sharing his stories with the audience.
Besides a network among the professionals, the Wielercafés also bring him in contact with other entrepreneurs. Many meetings about a possible cycling festival follow. There is a lot of enthusiasm for his plan and sponsors like Shimano decide to join.
“Everyone is craving for a new cycling event in Eindhoven”, says Bjorn enthusiastically. In June, it will finally happen.
He becomes a sports entrepreneur and starts organizing clinics with top athletes and developing vitality programs for companies. This summer, everything comes together in a brand new cycling festival on the High Tech Campus.
A festival, so expect nice music and good food. But most of all, this will be the place where cycling and innovation come together. As a bike lover, you can test high tech tools that are normally reserved only for professionals. At the same time, Bjorn wants the High Tech Crit Festival to be accessible for everyone. So also for children, grandparents and people with just a ‘normal’ bike.
Participants can sign up for tours – 75, 110 and 150 km – and try high tech e-bikes. A very cool detail: business teams taking part in the team ride can do a free test in the new wind tunnel at the TU/e.
That is June. First, Bjorn is still focused on the ‘pre-party’ on 21 April. A smaller sport event taking place on the same Campus, called the MTB Challenge. For mountain bikers that want to try something different (making altimeters in the parking garage, for example).
Meanwhile breakfast is being served. We are at the Velosoof, where Bert Oosterbosch’s bicycles are hanging from the ceiling. The successful cyclist from Eindhoven who unfortunately died at the age of 32.
Bjorn tells how everything seems to be falling into place. Since the start of his company he has been building a network. How? By organizing ‘wielercafés’ (cycling meetups). “A cozy evening in a pub-like atmosphere where cycling fans come to listen to stories from the professional cyclists.”
At first he only knows former cyclist Karsten Kroon, who brings two team mates to the first pub evening. But then things go fast. Not even a year later, Tom du Moulin is attending the wielercafé and sharing his stories with the audience.
Besides a network among the professionals, the Wielercafés also bring him in contact with other entrepreneurs. Many meetings about a possible cycling festival follow. There is a lot of enthusiasm for his plan and sponsors like Shimano decide to join.
“Everyone is craving for a new cycling event in Eindhoven”, says Bjorn enthusiastically. In June, it will finally happen.
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