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The '''Abgefahren hitchhiking race 2009''' was the second hitchhiking race from the german autostop society [[Abgefahren e.V.]]. It was a one day race from [[Karlsruhe]], [[Germany]] to [[Triesen]], [[Liechtenstein]]. It was propagated as the ''German hitchhiking championships 2009''. The race started on June 12th 2009. Meeting point was the main marketplace of Karlsruhe.

== The participants ==
21 people, mostly from Germany, but also from [[Belgium]], the [[UK]], [[Netherlands]], [[USA]] and even [[Taiwan]] participated the race. A rule was, that everybody had to hitch in a team of two, the teams were not allowed to seperate until they reached the destination camping site in Liechtenstein. Due to the number of people on the start was odd, one of the organisers ([[User:Platschi|platschi]]) was forced to hitchhike out of concurence, alone.

== The routes ==
For all teams, the destination was secret until the race really started. Also the used route was choice of the teams.

=== Option 1: Karlsruhe -> [[Stuttgart]] -> [[Ulm]] -> [[Bregenz]] -> Liechtenstein ===
The first option was used by 6 teams, and by platschi. It was the shortest route and also appeared to be the fastest one. Most of the way were on the german [[A8 (Germany)|A8]] and on the german [[A7 (Germany)|A7]]. The route was 357 km long.

=== Option 2: Karlsruhe -> [[Freiburg]] -> [[Basel]] -> [[Zürich]] -> Liechtenstein ===
This route was used by 3 teams and appeared to be the slowest one. The teams on this route got stuck in many traffic jams. The route was 381 km long.

=== Option 3: Karlsruhe -> [[Stuttgart]] -> [[Konstanz]] -> [[St.Gallen]] -> Liechtenstein ===
This route, was with only 325km the shortest option and used by 1 team. It was a quite fast route, so that the girls team had enough time to go shopping and for a coffee in St.Gallen and still make it to the 4th place.

== The tasks ==
[[File:Race2009.JPG|right|thumb|At the [[Austria]]n border with a [[Liechtenstein]] [[sign]]]]

The teams had the chance to collect bonus minutes if they solved some tasks on the road. The tasks were:

* Get an expired [[austria]]n ''Vignette'' and take it to the destination point. (10 min)
* Hitchhike a tractor or a lawnmower and take a picture. (30 min)
* Convince a driver to come today to our destination point and drink a beer with us. (25 min)
* Take a picture of an overrunned hedgehog. (5 min)
* Get a lift from a woman with red lipstick and red nails. (8 min)
* Take a [[ferry]] to cross the "Bodensee" (20 min)
* Take a picture of a hitchhiking [[police]]man or customs officer (fake picture is allowed). (30 min)
* Get a lift in a cabriolet. (5 min)
* Get dropped right in front of the destination camping site. (7 min)
* Hitchhike a camper (motorhome). (7 min)
* Build a [[sign]] which is most funny or original. (15 min)
* Hitchhike with 4 together with another team. (12 min)
* Hitchhike with 6 together with two other teams. (22 min)
* Hitchhike with 8 together with three other teams. (40 min)
* Convince another hitchhiker, who is not part of the race, to come with us. (12 min)
* Go swim in a lake or river. (15 min)
* Clean the windows of a car at a gas station. (5 min)
* Invite the kids from your driver for icecream. (15 min)
* Visit the UNESCO world heritage site "Klosteranlage Maulbronn" ~20 km northeast of [[Pforzheim]] (Picture in the "Brunnenhaus") (90 min)
* Visit the UNESCO world heritage site "Klosterinsel Reichenau" ~12 km west of Konstanz (Picture of the "Basilika St. Georg") (75 min)
* Visit the UNESCO world heritage site "Stiftsbezirk in St. Gallen" (Picture in front of the "Stiftskirche") (75 min)
* Get a [[tachograph]] disk. (20 min)

== The winners ==
The winners got the award ''German hitchhiking champion 2009'', a gold medal and new bags from our sponsor ''tatonka''. The second and thrid teams also got some tatonka stuff (smaller bags).
The winner team was from [[Hörstel]], Germany and one of the team members was the brother of the winner of the [[abgefahren hitchhiking race 2008]].

== The press ==
* Interview with ''Radio Liechtenstein'' (if you want to have it ask [[User:Quarim|quarim]])
* [http://www.tageblatt-online.de/lokales/kreis_steinfurt/hoerstel/1095691_Hoersteler_sind_Deutsche_Meister_im_Mittelstrecken_Trampen.html Article in Tageblatt-online (german)]
* [http://www.ka-news.de/nachrichten/karlsruhe/karlsruhe/Karlsruhe-Abgefahren-Daumen-raus-beim-Tramper-Wettrennen;art6066,217738 Article in ka-news.de (german)]