Karlsruher SC fan Jakob Alberti is on a cycling trip from Karlsruhe to the US for the World Cup. The 26-year-old started in August 2024 and has already covered over 25,000 kilometers. His route took him through Austria to the Balkan states, further to Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, to India, Thailand, and Australia. From there, he continued to the United States - in time for the World Cup, as he had planned. "I had never been to these countries before", reports Jakob Alberti to the SWR. "It was a ride into the unknown." The idea for the trip came about on an evening in the living room. Jakob sat with his mother in front of the TV. Together, they watched a film about a traveler in Africa. What particularly impressed Jakob was how the man traveled independently with his bike and discovered places that few tourists would venture. At that moment, he knew: He would start his own journey. The 26-year-old financed most of his trip himself. During his studies at Tilburg University in the Netherlands, he worked several years as a marketing and sales representative for an e-commerce startup. What he earned, he saved. On August 18, 2024, he was then released into his adventure by family and friends. When he arrived in Slovenia, Jakob Alberti told him that he had first entered an unfamiliar region. He was welcomed everywhere, Jakob Alberti swears. Often, he was offered a place to sleep, food, and drink. Or he even received entire purchases, because many people did not accept his money out of courtesy. Many were also fascinated by his appearance, he reported. In India, this was particularly evident, as he was often asked for selfies: "Wherever you are, you are stared at. Hundreds of selfies - and if you don't actively move on, more and more people come." But exactly for such experiences, he also makes this cycling trip, emphasizes Jakob Alberti. He wants to see the places that few tourists come to. His plan worked out. And not only that: The sports-loving KSC fan also runs a marathon in every country. On his trip, Jakob Alberti also had to deal with some challenges: In Thailand, there were floods in late 2024. The water reached his hips. Jakob Alberti remembers: "When I woke up in the morning, I could only move about 500 meters in any direction." The routes to the hotels were no longer passable. Jakob Alberti camped for a week at a gas station. Despite the flood situation, the villagers remained calm, open, and helpful, he told.