Words and photos by Ashley Joanna
Edited by Breandán Kearney
Humans of Belgian Beer is a series of photographic portraits which celebrate a people and their culture.
A group of cyclists came to a sudden halt in the middle of a forest in the East of Belgium, with 13km behind them and 2km to go on their route. A feast of food and beer was set out for them to enjoy. One of the organisers of the race was Achim Leufgen, who owned a bike shop in Schönberg. Achim had cycled all over, including in unforgiving Italian mountain races with extreme snow and wind pelting his face. But here, the cyclists on this route were stopping for beer and pizza before the end. This was Belgium. And this was Achim’s race.
Achim’s passion for biking, both mountain and road, began in the forests of East Belgium which doubled as his backyard. When he turned 15 years old, he was introduced to the world of mechanics. As he began to learn the ins and outs of cars, he developed an interest in learning the same about styles of bikes. Soon, he could fix and fine-tune bikes for himself and for all his friends whenever they had issues. The passion turned to an obsession and he decided to attend a seven month Masters program in Frankfurt, Germany to further this education in mechanics.
After completing the course in Germany and returning to Belgium, the fixing of bikes for his friends quickly turned into a full time business on which he embarked with his wife, Elke. They called their bike shop “Race Point”. Customers, first local, and soon cyclists from other parts of Belgium, came in search of Achim’s bike expertise. The lines outside Race Point grew longer and longer. The bike shop was only 60 square metres in size and it became increasingly difficult to accommodate their ballooning clientele. When pro-cyclists from all over Europe started showing up, Achim and Elke knew they had to move to a bigger space.
Ten years after opening, Achim and Elke expanded to a new location which had space for them to work on mechanics and help people choose their best performance bikes. Achim hosts bike tours in the summer where he combines his love for cycling, nature, and beer. One of the events Race Point organises for both mountain and road bikers is that specially designed 15km route during which Elke meets the cyclists in the forest with pizza and beers. The beers include Cornet, Chimay, Richtenberger, and La Chouffe, but she also brings along beer made at home by those in the community. The cyclists bond not only over riding, but over another part of their shared Belgian heritage: local, home-brewed beer.
“I feel the most free and myself when I am sitting on my bike, legs pedaling fast, and wind rushing through my body,” says Achim. “With our bike shop, I am able to share this passion for cycling with others, and help them find an appropriate bike that can help them find their joy on the road as well.”
Towards the end of the tour, Elke meets the cyclists in the forest with pizza and some commercial beers. She also brings along beer made by those in the community. The cyclists bond not only over riding, but over another part of their shared Belgian heritage: local, home-brewed beer.
