Deutschland Tour 2023 | Prologue | Wednesday, 23 August | St. Wendel - St. Wendel | 2.2 kilometres
The assessment of the route by Fabian Wegmann, Sports Director of the Deutschland Tour
A beautiful course in the centre of St. Wendel. I would compare the 2.2 kilometre distance as an individual time trial to an 800 metre run. It's "all in", very intense for the pros. You have to go really, really deep. You can't pace yourself over such a distance. Even if it's only a matter of seconds: the short start is already a signpost for the overall classification. Because, unlike in 2022 with the ride up the Schauinsland, there is no mountain finish at the Deutschland Tour this year where clear gaps between the best riders can be expected.
Like last year, no time trial equipment is permitted on this day. Time trials with special equipment are very time-consuming and expensive for the teams, especially for the smaller teams at the start - we have deliberately refrained from doing so. Besides, you would hardly be able to lie down on the time trial handlebars on this course anyway.
There is not one key section on the route. There is only one small wave to master. I think the racing drivers can get a lot out of the bends.
Wegmann's tip: Hotspot for fans
It will be exciting for the people on site. From the first starter onwards, spectators will see more of the race than on a normal stage. It will be entertaining and the riders will have to take risks if they don't want to lose any time. I recommend going to the start. Instead of a normal team presentation, we will introduce each rider individually at the start of the prologue. And if you want to look into the faces of the exhausted professional cyclists after their work is done, you only have a few steps from the start to the finish.
Prologue of the Deutschland Tour 2023 - schedule, TV coverage and live stream
- Start first rider - 15:48, start last rider - 17:50
- Average journey time: approx. 3 minutes
- TV broadcast: Saarländischer Rundfunk
- Live stream: ARD Mediathek, GCN+, Discovery+, Eurosport
This is the Deutschland Tour 2023
The Deutschland Tour is entering its fifth round since its relaunch in 2018. This time, a total of over 730 kilometres will be covered. In addition to the red jersey for the overall winner, Adam Yates last year, there is also the green jersey for the best sprinter (Pello Bilbao), the blue jersey with white dots for the best climber (Jakob Geßner) and the white jersey for the best young rider (Georg Zimmermann).
The Deutschland Tour is organised by the Gesellschaft zur Förderung des Radsports (GFR), a subsidiary of the Amaury Sports Organisation (A.S.O.), which organises the Tour de France every year.
Only one rider has won the Deutschland Tour, which is currently classified in the second-highest race category (2.Pro), twice in its irregular history with many gaps in the programme. Jens Voigt won the most important German stage race in 2006 and 2007.
All stages at a glance:
- Wednesday, 23 August, Prologue: St. Wendel - St Wendel
- Thursday, 24 August, 1st stage: St. Wendel - Merzig
- Friday, 25 August, 2nd stage: Kassel - Winterberg
- Saturday, 26 August, 3rd stage: Arnsberg - Essen
- Sunday, 27 August, 4th stage: Hanover - Bremen
Everyman race
Everyman races also take place regularly as part of the Deutschland. On the final day of the tour, the 106-kilometre "Weserrunde" and the 67-kilometre "Bremer Runde" start in front of the Weserstadion in Bremen. Both lead over completely closed-off routes, partly on the course of the professionals, and end in Bremen's Überseestadt.
Newcomer Tour
In recent years, the programme of the Deutschland Tour has also included a scouting race for female U17s organised by the German Cycling Federation, the Newcomer Tour. This will be held on 26 August in Essen with international participation.
