The 26th edition of the RiderMan forms the sporting highlight of a three-day cycling weekend in Bad Dürrheim. Last year, the RiderMan made the headlines for all the wrong reasons when a major rescue operation took place involving many injured riders. The incident was triggered by a crash in a large group travelling at high speed. This led to further crashes in the groups behind. At the time, participants praised the swift rescue response – although the number of emergency services personnel deployed was exceptionally high.
Safety plan with the UCI Safety Manager
Following last year’s experience, the organisers have implemented various safety measures. A central coordination centre brings together the organisers, the fire service, the police and the emergency services during the races. A specially trained UCI Safety Manager oversees the event and checks the safety measures along the route. Various sections of the route have been modified and, in some cases, replaced with new sections. From now on, the start of the RiderMan on Sunday will see the field of participants spread out more evenly. Stage riders and Sunday-only participants will start separately, resulting in smaller groups and better separation of the different fields of riders. For the first time, Sunday participants will have their own daily classification with a separate prize-giving ceremony. Organiser Rik Sauser explains that safety is the top priority and that improvements have been made in terms of both staffing and organisation.
RiderMan 2026 Time Trial
The programme gets underway on Friday with the individual time trials for the amateur categories on a 16-kilometre circuit starting and finishing in Bad Dürrheim. This will be followed by the time trials for the participants in the German Cycling League, and then the German U17 Time Trial Championships.
Cycling Bundesliga and international U17 selection races at RiderMan
On Saturday, the Cycling Bundesliga, incorporating the German Mountain Championships for women and junior women, is on the programme. A first for the event is the international U17 selection race, which is being opened up to participants from neighbouring countries for the first time. The results will be taken into account by regional and national coaches during the selection process and could be an important step for the young riders towards securing places in the national squad and competing internationally. Ullrich emphasises the importance of this support for young talent and refers to his own experiences in cycling. Alongside the junior races, the second stage of the RiderMan will take place on Saturday.
RiderMan with Kids’ Day
On Sunday, alongside the RiderMan, the spotlight will be on the very youngest participants. The RiderMan Kids Day offers children’s training sessions, balance bike races and a children’s cycling course. German Cycling is supporting the programme to get children excited about exercise and cycling from an early age. Ullrich emphasises the importance of physical activity for young people and sees it as an investment in the future. The traditional vintage car parade will see 30 to 35 historic vehicles from the region take to the race track. At 10.45 am, the Junior and Women’s Cycling Bundesliga race over 96 kilometres gets underway. This is followed at 11.30 am by the RiderMan race over 95 kilometres.
Business Social Ride and Fan Party
The Business Social Ride on Saturday sets off at 10.30 am in Bad Dürrheim and covers 50 kilometres through the region. Participants will cycle the route alongside Jan Ullrich, take a culinary break and return via the RiderMan finish line. A guided tour of the Jan Ullrich Museum rounds off the ride. The event is deliberately designed for a small number of participants to encourage personal conversation. Ullrich wants to spend time with the participants, cycle alongside them and answer their questions.
The Jan Ullrich Fan Party will take place on Saturday evening from 6.30 pm at Restaurant 15 in Bad Dürrheim. Food and drinks are included, and there will also be chats, autograph sessions, photo opportunities and a stage programme. Richie Weinheimer, well-known on the cycling podcast scene, will be hosting the event. Alongside Jan Ullrich, Andreas Klöden and Simon Geschke are expected to attend. Ullrich is looking forward to a relaxed evening where fans can interact with him directly.
Ullrich describes the unique atmosphere of cycling, characterised by the closeness between riders and fans. At major races, spectators can sometimes stand right next to the riders – something you hardly ever see in any other sport. This enthusiasm is also set to be felt in Bad Dürrheim. For 26 years, the RiderMan has been combining ambitious amateur cycling with professional youth cycling. With the Jan Ullrich Cycling Festival, this concept will be expanded in 2026 to include sport, the promotion of young talent, enjoyment, cycling history and personal encounters. Further information and registration details for all competitions and events are available at www.riderman.de and https://jan-ullrich-cycling-festival.com/.
Kristian Bauer
Editor