“Biggest win of my career”: Georg Zimmermann triumphs at Eschborn–Frankfurt
May 1 st 2026 - 19:50
Georg Zimmermann (Lotto Intermarché) has won the 63rd edition of Eschborn–Frankfurt. After 4:59:34 hours, the reigning German national road champion prevailed in a thrilling sprint finish ahead of Tom Pidcock (Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) and Ben Tulett (Team Visma I Lease a Bike).
“This is the biggest win of my career,” said Zimmermann at the finish. “My plan was to go into the final corner from behind and then launch my sprint. The pace was incredibly high and I thought I might have misjudged it. With 300 metres to go, I went for it with speed, and for the final 150 metres I was out in front. I put everything into the pedals and hoped no one would come past me. Fortunately, that was the case. Wearing this beautiful jersey, I really wanted to win a race – it makes it even more special that it happened here in Frankfurt.”
Zimmermann is only the eleventh German rider to win the Eschborn–Frankfurt classic and the first since Pascal Ackermann in 2019. After 211 kilometres and 3,300 metres of climbing, there was also cause for celebration for his teammate Jonas Rutsch. The 28-year-old was part of the early breakaway and consistently collected points in the mountain classifications with aggressive riding. With his move on the third and final ascent of the Burgweg, the rider from Erbach secured the decisive points to claim the King of the Mountains classification at the 63rd edition of Eschborn–Frankfurt.
“With the even more demanding course profile, it was clear that I could only make an impact by being up the road from the start,” said Rutsch. “Fighting for the mountains classification wasn’t planned – it just developed during the race. In such a fast race, I eventually ran out of energy towards the end. All the better that Georg took the win.”
Predictions of a selective race confirmed
In bright sunshine, a field of 146 riders set off from the Eschenplatz in Eschborn. After the first passage through Frankfurt, the day’s first breakaway group formed. Initially, Thomas Gachignard and Samuel Leroux (both TotalEnergies) set the pace. They were soon joined by Matyáš Kopecký (Unibet Rose Rockets) and Jonas Rutsch, before Aivaras Mikutis (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) completed the group of five.
The quintet extended their lead to more than seven minutes at its peak. However, the peloton significantly increased the pace on the second ascent of the Feldberg, reducing the main group to around 50 riders. At the front, Mikutis dropped back, while Jamie Meehan (Cofidis), Emiel Verstrynge (Alpecin-Premier Tech) and Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) launched a chase and bridged across to the leading quartet after 140 kilometres. The seven-man group did not stay together for long. With 60 kilometres remaining, Verstrynge and Wellens attacked and held a lead of around one minute over the peloton.
On the final ascent of the day, the Mammolshain climb, Verstrynge suffered from cramps and was forced to let Wellens go. The 34-year-old did not remain alone for long, however, as a group of chasers bridged across. A group of twelve riders formed, including Alex Baudin (EF Education-EasyPost), Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious), Tom Pidcock and Ben Tulett, as well as the three Germans Felix Engelhardt (Team Jayco AlUla), Florian Storck (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) and Georg Zimmermann (Lotto Intermarché).
Together, the group tackled the final 35 kilometres towards Frankfurt, working smoothly in a well-organised rotation to keep the peloton at bay. On the 6.6-kilometre finishing circuit in Frankfurt, the gap gradually decreased. Although the chasers managed to close in on the finishing straight, they were no longer able to influence the outcome of the sprint, which saw Zimmermann take a celebrated victory.
Around 250,000 spectators lined the course throughout the day, once again turning Eschborn–Frankfurt into a major public sporting event. In particular, the climbs in the Taunus and the finish area in front of the Alte Oper in Frankfurt created an impressive atmosphere.
Result – Eschborn–Frankfurt 2026 (Top 3)
1. Georg Zimmermann (Lotto Intermarché), 4:59:34 hours
2. Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team), same time
3. Ben Tulett (Team Visma I Lease a Bike), same time