Dr. Roland Kretsch und Dr. Thorsten Hammer have been responsible for providing medical care on the Tour de Suisse since 2008. Although the two doctors deal primarily with major and minor injuries sustained by the riders, they are always on hand for staff and visitors.

Wide experience
Both men brought with them a great deal of experience in the medical management of sports events when they joined the Tour de Suisse team 4 years ago. Sector leader Roland was the race doctor and medical director of the Deutschland Tour for 10 years and spent several years as a doctor with the Vattenfall Cyclassics and the Züri-Metzgete. As the former team doctor for Bianchi, Coast and Gerolsteiner, he is also extremely well versed in emergency treatment for cycling professionals.

Thorsten also worked on the Deutschland Tour, during which the two became a well-rehearsed team as well as good friends. As race doctor in the Red Bull Air Race and the Snowboard World Cup as well as the Tour de Suisse, Thorsten has worked all over the world as an emergency doctor. 

Lots of work during the run-up and utmost concentration during the race days
Once the official route is announced in February, the planning phase begins in earnest. The Tour doctors spend this time in intensive discussions with the Sports Director, Beat Zberg. They talk about difficult sections, road works and the dangers or problems of removing casualties. In addition, it is important to make contact with the hospitals along the route, as it is vital to report casualties quickly and precisely in an emergency. 

The race day begins with a team meeting before both doctors report to the start area with their drivers two hours before the race commences. This is where the riders or other patients in the entourage have an opportunity to be treated.

Adrenalin levels rise once the race is under way. During the leg of a race the riders are only allowed to be treated by the race doctors. “The biggest challenge is to be alert for every second of the race and to anticipate and prevent critical events in the run-up. In an emergency it is important to work in a focused, professional and speedy manner in spite of the media scrum,” comments Thorsten on the everyday difficulties of a Tour doctor. One specific moment he describes is last year’s meeting with a security service motorcyclist who sustained life-threatening injuries in 2009. “All in all the Tour de Suisse is an event with highly professional organisation and a highly paid line-up of riders. The international character of the whole TdS team and the excellent working relationships ensure that I look forward to being back on tour every year, even though dark moments like Soler’s bad accident sometimes make you wonder,” says Thorsten. 

A life outside cycling
Although they are passionately committed to their work during sporting events, their everyday jobs are those of “normal” doctors. Roland has his own practice in Bochum, which also provides academic placements for students attached to the Ruhr University Bochum, while Thorsten works as a senior physician in the Department of Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery at the University Medical Centre in Freiburg.

The medical team is already looking forward to June 2012 and naturally hopes that it will have as little to do as possible.