WorldTour Elite to Gather for the Eschborn–Frankfurt Spring Classic

February 4 ^th 2026 - 11:00

In 2026, Eschborn–Frankfurt will once again serve as a central stage for the international cycling elite and will traditionally mark the closing chapter of the spring classics. For the traditional May 1st classic, 19 teams have already confirmed their participation, including 16 UCI WorldTeams as well as the three best-ranked ProTeams from the previous season.

The start list is led by the teams of the last three winners of Eschborn–Frankfurt. Team Jayco AlUla, the squad of defending champion Michael Matthews, will return to Frankfurt. The Australian has shown strong early-season form and has firmly marked May 1st in his racing calendar.

Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe will line up with Maxim Van Gils, winner of the 2024 edition, while Lidl–Trek will be represented by Søren Kragh Andersen, who claimed victory in 2023. Both teams have proven in recent years that they are among the strongest contenders on the selective Taunus course. With the route profile sharpened once again, teams are expected to keep several tactical options open. Lidl–Trek is therefore also planning with further prominent riders such as Lennard Kämna and Tim Torn Teutenberg for the first German WorldTour race of the season.

UAE Team Emirates – XRG will also arrive with a broad and versatile line-up. Considered the strongest team in the peloton, the squad is expected to field riders capable of influencing a variety of race scenarios, especially as its only victory at Eschborn–Frankfurt dates back eight years.

From a German perspective, attention will also focus on Team Picnic PostNL. With John Degenkolb, one of Germany’s most well-known classics riders is part of the team. The former winner has a close connection to the race and is always one of the crowd favourites when competing on home roads.

Other teams that have impressed on the demanding course in recent editions include Alpecin–Premier Tech, EF Education–EasyPost, Lotto Intermarché, Movistar Team and Uno-X Mobility. The WorldTour line-up is further completed by Bahrain Victorious, Decathlon CMA CGM Team, INEOS Grenadiers, Soudal Quick-Step and Team Visma | Lease a Bike – all teams that regularly play a decisive role in challenging one-day races.

The invited ProTeams also integrate seamlessly into the high-quality start list. Cofidis, Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team and Tudor Pro Cycling Team were among the best teams in their category in 2025 and have therefore earned their place at WorldTour events such as Eschborn–Frankfurt. They are expected to actively shape the race.

In addition, the peloton will be completed by wildcard entries. The final decision will be made in the coming weeks.