As tensions with Russia rise, the “Iron Veterans” retrace history

Herbert Lackner, an 85-year-old Austrian, stands with his hands resting on the handlebars of his racing bicycle in front of a former East German watchtower in the Rhön.

Today, the site marks the border between Hesse and Thuringia, between the Wartburg district and Fulda district. During the Cold War, Point Alpha stood where NATO and the Warsaw Pact faced each other directly, with the threat of nuclear escalation hanging over the area.

Now, as a new Cold War threatens Europe, racing cyclists who were born during wartime are using their journey to make a statement. They are riding along the former Iron Curtain and carrying two messages.