Sparkassen Münsterland Giro: Amateur race fully booked with 8,500 participants

By mid-June, all starting places for the 20th anniversary edition had already been allocated. Four weeks ago, the organisers had released a further 1,000 places to enable more amateur cyclists to take part. However, this allocation was also snapped up in no time. “The fact that we were already fully booked by mid-June and that the additional starting places were snapped up so quickly is a striking demonstration of the status the Sparkassen Münsterland Giro has achieved over the past 20 years,” says Rainer Bergmann, General Manager of the event, in a press release.

Three routes in the Münsterland Giro

The race starts for all participants on the Principal Market in the heart of Münster. Participants can choose between three distances: the Sparkasse Münsterland Ost Cup over 65 kilometres, the Provinzial Versicherung Cup over 95 kilometres and the LBS Cup over 125 kilometres. The routes pass through the Münsterland region and feature the Baumbergen hills as a physically demanding highlight. The finale in front of Münster Castle marks the end of the race day.

LBS Cup – 125 km through the Baumberge

The 125-kilometre LBS Cup winds its way through the hilly Baumberge region around Münster. The route passes through Billerbeck, Darup, Rorup, Coesfeld, Darfeld and Waltrup before heading back to Münster via Hansell, Hohenhorst and Nienberge. Constant elevation gain, long climbs and hardly any flat sections to recover on make the race a real test of endurance. The finale ends spectacularly in front of the castle.

Provinzial Versicherung Cup – 95 km

The Provinzial Versicherung Cup, a 95-kilometre race, winds its way through the Baumberge hills, passing through Darup, Hastehausen and Westhellen before returning to Münster. Repeated climbs and long, undulating sections require riders to pace themselves carefully. The finish line is also in front of the castle. As with all the routes, the elevation gain is not specified.

Sparkasse Münsterland Ost Cup – 65 km

The Sparkasse Münsterland Ost Cup, covering 65 kilometres, passes through Roxel, Schapdetten and Billerbeck in the Baumberge hills. The route is slightly undulating with flowing sections and few climbs – a minimum speed of 26 km/h is recommended; for the other two distances, the minimum speeds are 29 and 28 km/h respectively.

Junior race at the Münsterland Giro

700 children will be taking part in the various LeezenKids competitions. The Stadtwerke Girolino, the balance bike race for the youngest participants, was fully booked shortly after registration opened. The Stadtwerke Kids Cup for the youngest age group is also fully booked. There are only a few places left in the eight- to nine-year-old and ten- to twelve-year-old age groups.