200,000 euro funding gap: Lotto Thüringen Ladies Tour on the brink of cancellation

The roads of Thuringia could remain unusually quiet in June 2025. No whirring of carbon bikes, no cheering at the stage finishes in Erfurt, Jena or Gotha. The 37th edition of the Lotto Thüringen Ladies Tour, a jewel in the women's cycling calendar, is in danger of falling silent. The Central German Broadcasting (MDR). The reason? A funding gap of 200,000 euros, which was actually supposed to be closed by the Free State, but the latter is now no longer willing to do so.

Lotto Thüringen Ladies Tour: Traditional race with a long history

Over the years, the Lotto Thüringen Ladies Tour has become a permanent fixture on the cycling calendar. Since 1986, the women's Tour of Thuringia has only paused twice - during the fall of communism in 1990 and 1991 and due to coronavirus in 2020. US rider Ruth Edwards from Team Human Powered Health triumphed at the last edition in 2024.

Sharp criticism

The impending cancellation has left the scene shaking its head. Andreas Schubert, sports policy spokesperson for the Left Party, expressed his incomprehension: "The subsidies are already included in the draft budget for 2025. [...] This is a low blow for Thuringia's profile as a location for international sports competitions," he told the MDR.

"I thought it was a premature April Fool's joke," says tour manager Vera Hohlfeld to the MDR. Her voice sounds incredulous. Her team has spent months planning, negotiating and preparing. Now everything is hanging in the balance. "How can you not be proud of an event that has grown over three decades [...]?" she asks, referring to the image promotion that the Free State of Thuringia receives through the Ladies Tour.

There is already a Petition campaigning for the preservation of the Lotto Thüringen Ladies Tour.

State Chancellery refers to budget situation

The Thuringian State Chancellery refers in a written statement to SPORT IN THE EAST The state government refers to the difficult budgetary situation and states that "support in the required six-figure amount" is not possible. "It is possible for the state government to provide a small amount of support," it continues. As the Ladies Tour is a private sports event, any further support would be in breach of the Thuringian Sports Promotion Act.

Uncertain future

In fact, a cancellation would be a bitter blow for women's cycling. The Tour not only offers exciting stages, but also media presence.

Organisers and fans alike are anxious and waiting for a miracle. Perhaps a sponsor will step into the breach after all. Or the politicians will come to their senses. One thing is clear: if the Lotto Thüringen Ladies Tour is cancelled, it won't just be cycling that loses out.