Usain Bolt’s 2009 100 Meter Dash record, The 2008 Wimbledon Men’s Final, Tiger Woods’ 1997 Masters win…the list of amazing sporting achievements can be made long. Whether it’s soccer, gymnastics, tennis, or any other sport, all great champions share the same attributes: tenacity, dedication, and an off-the-charts fighting spirit.
The arguably greatest feat of all time, though, happened on August 15, 2024: one man, one bike, and a 40-mile scenic route from Vienna to Bratislava. However, as is often the case with inhuman history book-worthy achievements, some people question the legitimacy of this incredible task.
Considering the public interest and attention this particular event has gained since its alleged occurrence, poker.pro decided to set the record straight, once and for all. poker.pro is known for doing investigative work, and this is arguably our most important research so far.
Did the greatest sporting achievement of all time happen, or is it all hearsay? The world’s most asked question is now answered. This is an investigative piece in the Vienna-Bratislava bike ride by Martin “Franke” von Zweigbergk.
Back Story
Let’s turn back the clock to November 7, 2023. The Festival Bratislava was a few weeks away, and many poker players grinded various qualifiers, doing all in their power to secure a seat or a package to the much-anticipated live event.
On this particular day, there was a €1,935 package up for grabs on Coolbet and PAF, two skins of the iPoker network. The tournament was called “Battle of the Fishes”, and while all players were competing for the package, two entities in the poker community were fighting a different battle. The founder of The Festival, Martin “Franke” von Zweigbergk, and the then Head of Poker at PokerListings, Mauritz Altikardes, locked horns in a last longer battle in the tournament, settling once and for all who of them is the superior poker player.
Now, this wasn’t the first time the two Scandinavians tangoed. For years, they’ve been trying to one-up each other in Chicago, padel tennis, badeucy…you name it. The Battle of the Fishes was the first time the public eye could follow the rivalry in real time, though, and a proper side bet was bound to happen.
After discussing a fitting punishment for the loser of the last-longer, the two gentlemen reached an agreement: the loser would have to ride a bike from Vienna to Bratislava. The tournament was streamed live on TheValueTown’s Twitch channel; the bet was officiated by Robin Johansson, who hosted the stream. We asked Johansson to confirm the authenticity of the agreement:
“The deal was made. Anything else is hearsay and lies…utter lies. Get on your bike! See you in Bratislava!”
After a virtual handshake, the bet was locked in, and the game was on.
After perhaps three hours of play, Altikardes busted Franke in fifth place. Doing so, he sealed Franke’s fate, and The Festival founder had to start planning for his upcoming punishment.
D-Day
Eventually, a date for the bike ride was set in stone. Franke and Altikardes would both be in Bratislava and at Banco Casino for the 2024 Swedish Poker Championship, August 12-18. The journey would take place on Wednesday, August 15, and the question on everyone’s lips was whether Franke would be able to pull this sporting pinnacle off or not.
One can understand why some people, perhaps, would question Franke’s physical abilities. He was known to enjoy a beer or two during various poker sessions, and he didn’t exactly live at the gym. Yet, he’s always been a very determined man, and his mental game would have to come in clutch if he were to complete the task at hand.
The day arrived, and when there were two hours left before Franke would hop on his two-wheeled vehicle, he wasn’t warming up on the Bratislavian streets. Instead, he could be found on the €1/€2 cash game table, partaking in bomb pots and sinking lager after lager. This reporter was actually seated at the table and remembers seeing Franke indulging in the degenerate activities. A non-fit, gambling Swede with 20 beers in his system and two hours of sleep during the last two days? I recall thinking “no way he’ll make it”.
When the clock struck 18:00, Franke decided it was go-time. Such, he had to get his hands on a bike. Thanks to modern day techonology, poker.pro has been able to geolocate the above picture to the following longitude and latitude: 48.12176397401819, and 17.116378752512443. Here, we find the following company located:
E-BIKE EXPERT – Špecialista na elektrobicykle. Elektrické bicykle Bulls, KTM, Focus, Kalkhoff a Dema, Námestie hraničiarov 2617/2617/8B, 851 03 Petržalka, Slovakia.
It was here that Franke rented the bike that he would use to write history. From the picture below, we can see Franke sent his passport details to the company’s WhatsApp, in order to rent the bike and take it abroad (from Slovakia to Austria).
So, the bike was obtained. The question now is, did he transfer it from Slovakia to Austria, and if so, how? The claim by Franke is that he called Jan Packa, Casino Manager of Banco Casino, and asked him to assist with the car rental. poker.pro has been in touch with Packa to get the story verified. Indeed, Packa confirms that a large-size taxi was booked, the bike was put into the vehicle, and it drove to the Austria-Slovakian border, where Franke departed with his bike.
Now, it was just Franke, one bike, one banana, and a Pilsner Urquell. Ahead of him was 40 miles of asphalt and gravel. He was drunk, he was sleep-deprived, he was not fit for fight. Yet, in the words of Roland Garros: “victory belongs to the most tenacious”. The pictures below have been received from Franke’s phone, and the time stamps prove that the pictures were taken between the time Franke was dropped off by the border and when he returned to Banco Casino.
Conclusion
At this point, we can with high certainty claim that a bike ride indeed took place. Now, some people may make the claim that the “bike ride” isn’t legit, due to the fact that it was an E-bike that Franke used. The bet was that the loser would ride a bike from Austria to Slovakia, plain and simple.
This argument can easily be deflated, though, as an E-bike falls into the definition of a bike. October 2023, the United Nations Court of Justice deemed that a vehicle is defined as “any motor vehicle propelled exclusively by mechanical power.” An E-bike has an electric motor that provides assistance when the rider is pedaling, and the motor typically cuts off at a certain speed. Since it’s not exclusively mechanical power, it is not anything other than a bike by the legal definition.
After thorough research, poker.pro is humbled to be the entity to deliver the undisputed truth of this matter to the global poker and sports community. It’s a blessing in the sky to be chosen to research such important topics and questions as this one. Franke deserves his own chapter in the history books, and this is finally an ominous decision.
