Press Releases

April 19^th, 2024

1 May will once again be a cycling classic celebration day for all fans. The places and opportunities along the route where spectators can follow the race and also take part in the event themselves via the extensive supporting programme are more varied than ever before. In addition to the two expos at the XXXLutz car park at the start in Eschborn and at the Alte Oper in Frankfurt at the finish, there will once again be many route festivals in the Taunus region. New this year: a party at the highest point of the race on the Feldberg.

The entire race can be followed from the summit of the 881 metre high Feldberg with a video screen and culinary treats. Hessischer Rundfunk will be broadcasting live right on time for the start of the professional race at 12.05 pm. There will also be an opportunity to see the riders up close as they climb the mountain at one of the most difficult points on the more than 200 kilometre route - and from two different directions. The first time the pros will pass the Feldberg at around 13:15. The second time they are expected at around 3.00 pm.

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April 16^th, 2024

The cycling classic will take place again in two weeks' time - once again with a renowned starting field. 19 teams, including 14 UCI WorldTour teams for the first time, have nominated their provisional riders for Eschborn-Frankfurt.

Søren Kragh Andersen leads the provisional start list. Winning the cycling classics trophy was the highlight of the past season for the 29-year-old. This year, his team Alpecin - Deceuninck is dominating the big classics and has achieved a hat-trick of monuments. Whether the team will now also claim the cycling classics triple after 2021 (Jasper Philipsen) and 2023 will be revealed in two weeks' time in front of the Alte Oper.

German cycling fans can keep their fingers crossed for more than a dozen local pros. Nils Politt (UAE Team Emirates) is riding an outstanding spring, which was crowned with a podium at the Tour of Flanders and 4^th place at Paris-Roubaix. Emanuel Buchmann (BORA - hansgrohe) will present the champion's jersey on May 1^st and wants to fine-tune his skills for the Giro d'Italia, which starts just three days later. For his team-mate Maximilian Schachmann, the ride through the Taunus will even be a premiere: The two-time Paris-Nice winner has never before competed in the cycling classic.

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March 26, 2024

The Škoda Velotour goes from record to record. Last year, the starting places had to be limited for the first time in the race's history. The new record of 8000 participants was quickly reached and the race was fully booked. This record is now also history. More starters have already registered for May 1 than ever before. The countdown for the last places is now underway.

The Škoda Velotour has developed into one of the largest and most popular hobby bike races in Germany. "6000 - 8000 - 10000" sums up the record growth of the last three years. For 2024, the capacity has been increased to 10,000 starting places in order to meet the cycling boom and the high demand.

The countdown to the remaining places has now begun! Just over 1500 registrations are still possible. If you are not yet there, you need to book your starting place at eschborn-frankfurt.de quickly. The current rate level ends on Sunday (March 31). Many athletes are taking advantage of this week, booking at a very good price.

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March 22, 2024

The Frankfurt Hero series kicked off last weekend. The Frankfurt half marathon set a record in perfect running weather and was sold out with 9,000 registrations. A great start for the Frankfurt sporting events. Anyone who also takes part in the Škoda Velotour on May 1 and then the Frankfurt City Triathlon (July 28) after the half marathon is a "Frankfurt Hero".

The "Frankfurt Heroes" are an ambitious group of athletes in the Main metropolis: they have run a half marathon and completed a cycling race and a triathlon, each at their favorite distance.

The top of these ambitious athletes even opted for the longest distances and thus qualified for the special "Frankfurt Hero Champion" classification. In addition to the half marathon and the middle distance of the triathlon, they also mastered the Škoda Velotour Taunus Classic. The athlete with the fastest overall time in all three events will be honored with the champion title and awarded free starts and non-cash prizes.

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March 18, 2024

The U23 race at Eschborn-Frankfurt will once again be held with a large starting field. 26 junior teams have been selected for May 1st. Like the WorldTour pros, the talented youngsters will also start in Eschborn and ride through the Taunus to the finish in front of the Alte Oper.

This year, the route of the junior race will take on an even more professional character. For the young riders, there will be the premiere of the double Feldberg passage. This will make the U23 race longer, more challenging and further strengthen its classic character. 129 kilometers with 2000 meters of elevation gain are on the program.

No fewer than five German UCI Continental teams will be on show for the home fans. Three German amateur teams, including the local heroes from Hessen-Frankfurt-Opelit, will also be taking part on May 1st. Even though Germany dominates the team list with its contingent, the race is international. Teams from 15 other nations have set their sights on the difficult course in the Taunus. In the last three editions, the junior version of the cycling classic was firmly in Danish hands. Last year, Joshua Gudnitz won the comeback edition - his team ColoQuick will be the defending champions.

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March 12^th, 2024

"Bike Academy by kinder Joy of Moving" - the joint school project of the Eschborn-Frankfurt cycling classic and the kinder Joy of Moving initiative teaches schoolchildren how to ride a bike safely in a fun way. More than 900 children from Frankfurt have already been inspired to cycle since fall 2022. The program is now being extended to Eschborn schools.

As soon as the temperatures get a little warmer, the "Bike Academy by kinder Joy of Moving" picks up speed again. Once again, hundreds of kids in grades 1 to 6 will be trained as part of their PE lessons. In this free school project, certified and experienced bike trainers work together with PE teachers. The content of the lessons depends on the age and therefore the cycling experience of the children.

It is a project with a track record of success: 118 teaching units with 42 classes at 13 Frankfurt schools have already been completed. This year, the project is celebrating its premiere in Eschborn. From now on, it is no longer just the classic bike race on May 1 that connects Eschborn and Frankfurt - the Bike Academy is now also present at primary and secondary schools in both cities.

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March 7th, 2024

There are still 55 days to go until the cycling classic, but a look at the team selection already promises an exciting May 1st. With 13 teams from the UCI WorldTour and five ProTeams, Eschborn-Frankfurt 2024 will take place. Never in the long history of the race has there been such a high level of first-class teams in the starting field.

The team selection is led by Alpecin-Deceuninck and BORA - hansgrohe, who have alternately won the last four editions. Last year, the Belgian team spoiled the German team's home race and will now start as defending champions. The teams of local heroes John Degenkolb (Team DSM-Firmenich PostNL) and Jonas Rutsch (EF Education - EasyPost) as well as record winner Alexander Kristoff (Uno-X Mobility) will also be there on May 1st. Many international teams of German riders have also announced their participation once again. They all want to crown the end of the spring with the trophy of the German WorldTour race.

While most of the teams are regulars in the Cycling Classics, there are also some comebacks and debuts. Lidl-Trek, for example, is returning after a year away. In addition to former world champion Mads Pedersen, who won the U23 edition of Eschborn-Frankfurt exactly ten years ago, last year's runner-up Patrick Konrad will also be in the team's line-up from this season.

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November 21^st, 2023

The track update at Eschborn-Frankfurt has proven its worth and provided fans with an exciting race right up to the final on 1 May. True to the motto "never change a winning team", the successful course remains unchanged for 2024. More than 200 kilometres, two climbs on the Feldberg and three on the Mammolshainer Stich will once again attract the best classic specialists to the Taunus next year.

The première was straight away a success for the new Feldberg Passage. On 1 May, the preliminary decision that the team around Eschborn-Frankfurt Sports Director Fabian Wegmann had hoped for was made here. The new challenging climbing sequence of Feldberg, twice Mammolshainer and directly over the Billtalhöhe to the more difficult Feldberg ascent made the difference in the final of the German classic. The last climb to the Mammolshainer then produced the small leading group, which decided the victory among themselves before the Alte Oper.

It was an exciting German classic for the fans, which is why the classic course will also be used for the next edition. With 203.8 kilometres, it will remain unchanged in 2024.

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October 27, 2023

More kilometres and metres in altitude as well as a plus in Taunus atmosphere. The recipe for success of the last professional edition is now being applied to the U23 edition. At the upcoming 1 May, the young talents will also ride twice over the Feldberg. The race will be longer, more demanding and thus further strengthen its classic character.

As with the professionals, the race day also begins for the young cyclists in Eschborn. 129 kilometres with 2000 metres of altitude are awaiting them. From the start, they will first head into Frankfurt city centre through the finish area. On the familiar route through the Taunus, the field arrives at the Feldberg for the first time after 46 kilometres of racing. After the descent, the Taunus icon is approached for the second time via the Red Cross. Like the pros this year, the U23 riders now also have to conquer the climb from the steeper side. At the midpoint of the race, the selective section is completed. The course leads back through the Taunus to Eschborn and on to the finish in front of the Alte Oper.

Once again, more than 150 young riders are expected to compete for the cycling classic title in the U23 category on 1 May. This year, the Danish talents have dominated the race. In the bunch sprint, Joshua Gudnitz won ahead of Gustav Wang. Only time will tell if they will pursue a career like their compatriot Mads Pedersen. He won the U23 cycling classic in 2014 - five years later he became world champion. Fabio Jakobsen, Jonas Rutsch and Nils Politt are other prominent names who already stood on the podium in the junior class on 1 May.

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May 23^rd, 2023

After the huge success of the Škoda Velotour this year, registration for May 1, 2024 is already starting. With 8,000 registrations, the event as part of the Eschborn-Frankfurt German classic was already fully booked several weeks in advance. Being quick is not only worthwhile for this reason - those who book early also register at a low price. Starting places for one of the biggest hobby cycling races in Germany are now available at www.skoda-velotour.de.

In 2024, the Škoda Velotour will again offer the established courses Taunus Classic, Taunus Express and Skyline route. Beginners are best advised to opt for the approximately 40-kilometer, flat route from Eschborn to downtown Frankfurt and back. For all early bookers, a ride is available for as little as 45 euros.

The two longer Škoda Velotour rounds lead through the Taunus region. For all routes, the roads belong entirely to the Velotour participants, as the course is completely closed off. The Classic route cracks the delightful 100-kilometer mark and leads over the decisive climbs of the elite Eschborn-Frankfurt race, the Feldberg and the Mammolshainer Stich. Somewhat shorter at around 90 kilometers is the express loop, which skips the detour to Mammolshain. As in previous years, the two long distances will again be timed on the ascent of the Feldberg to crown the Tissot Bergkönig and Bergkönigin.

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May 1^st, 2023

The route change at Eschborn-Frankfurt achieved exactly what it was supposed to: suspense until the absolute finale. Even 5 kilometers before the finish it was not clear whether the peloton would be able to close the small gap to the leading group. But it was enough for the leaders! After a Danish double victory was celebrated earlier today in the U23 race, a Dane also prevailed in the WorldTour classic. Søren Kragh Andersen (Alpecin - Deceuninck) won in the sprint ahead of Patrick Konrad (Bora - hansgrohe) and Alessandro Fedeli (Q36.5 Pro Cycling). Georg Steinhauser (EF Education - EasyPost) and Georg Zimmermann (Intermarché - Circus - Wanty) were the best Germans in sixth and seventh place.

In front of an impressive backdrop, Max Walscheid (Cofidis) opened the race shortly after the start and formed a leading group with five other riders, who were given a maximum lead of eight minutes. In mostly dry conditions fans and spectators along the route between Eschborn, the Taunus cities and Frankfurt created a record-breaking atmosphere for the German Classic.

Although the lead of the group had already shrunk considerably after the first Feldberg crossing, the riders still made it over the first two Mammolshain climbs, only to be dropped on the approach to the second Feldberg. For Walscheid it was still enough to win the overall mountain classification. After the second Feldberg climb, about 30 riders went clear, with only Michael Matthews (Team Jayco Alula) among the fast riders. Accordingly, the group did not run smoothly and was caught 52 kilometers before the finish. At the last Mammolshain climb, a leading group formed again, which included ten riders. Zimmermann and Steinhauser were among them, as were Konrad and the Swiss Marc Hirschi (UAE Team Emirates).

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