In 1996, Germany discovered cycling. Interest was sparked by a group of young German cyclists in magenta jerseys, who had been led since the start of the year by an established Danish professional cyclist. When the magenta-clad team returned from the Tour de France at the end of July, a young Hamburg-based events agency – which had announced the launch of a new cycle race for 25 August – could scarcely believe its luck: Team Telekom boasted Bjarne Riis, the Tour winner; Jan Ullrich, the Tour runner-up; and Erik Zabel, the winner of the Green Jersey for the best sprinter. What’s more, three weeks after the end of the Tour de France, Team Telekom would be among the line-up for the new cycle race.
A spectacular premiere for the Cyclassics
On that Sunday in August, Hamburg was literally overrun by thousands of new cycling fans and witnessed a racing debut and a cycling festival unlike any other. The fact that the Cyclassics was launched back then as an event for both professionals and amateur cyclists was almost lost amidst the crowds’ enthusiasm for the Telekom team. Behind the inaugural winner, Rossano Brasi from Italy, Telekom rider Bert Dietz took second place.
The Cyclassics can now look back on a 30-year history. The professionals still enjoy coming to Hamburg, but over the past three decades the Cyclassics have been shaped primarily by amateur cyclists, with nearly 20,000 taking part in the ride around and through Hamburg in its peak years.
As in the previous year, the professional race marking the 30th anniversary will start in Buxtehude, Lower Saxony, in the district of Stade. For the first 110 kilometres or so, the peloton will follow the familiar route towards Hamburg, before the race is decided in the west of the Hanseatic city. There, a total of five ascents of the Waseberg await the professionals. Between these climbs, the peloton will return to Hamburg city centre twice. After a total of 206 kilometres, the race will finish, as is traditional, on Mönckebergstraße.
A brief debut
When the event was first held in 1996, the course was considerably shorter. Under the sporting direction of former professional Rudi Altig, the inaugural race covered around 160 kilometres. Following its inclusion in the UCI World Cup in 1998, the distance increased to around 253 kilometres. This upgrade also established the Hamburg event as a key fixture on the international racing calendar.
In the years that followed, the route was repeatedly adjusted. Depending on the edition, the route length usually ranged between 200 and 250 kilometres and was based on the guidelines set by the International Cycling Union (UCI). New loops through the surrounding countryside created varied racing conditions and incorporated different regions around Hamburg.
Nor has the starting point remained the same throughout the race’s history. For a long time, the race began in Hamburg city centre, including on Steinstraße. In 2015, the professional field was even sent out onto the course in Kiel. Since 2025, the start has been in Buxtehude. This extends the journey to Hamburg, whilst giving the course a fresh start.
New loops, familiar key passages
Until 2004, a loop led eastwards towards Geesthacht. From 2005 onwards, the race headed for the Lüneburg Heath instead. Such changes can, however, be a double-edged sword: Whilst they continually offer a race new perspectives and, in particular, draw the attention of television viewers to other parts of the Hamburg countryside, at the same time they make it difficult for an event to develop a clear identity that defines the race and allows it to become a classic over the years.
For the Cyclassics – a race whose name has reflected its ‘classic’ heritage ever since it was first held in 1996 – two aspects define its character: Firstly, that it is a race for sprinters; and secondly, that on the way to the final sprint, the riders face an obstacle that one would not initially expect to find in the flat countryside around Hamburg: the Waseberg is the most striking key section of the Cyclassics route. Whilst it initially marked a solitary highlight on the route, the course planners now send the professional peloton up the 700-metre-long climb – with gradients of up to 16 per cent – as many as five times, in order to stretch out the field and make the finale a tough challenge.
The Köhlbrand Bridge is also one of the race’s defining landmarks. Although it was not part of the professional route for a time, it has been reintroduced to the course in recent years – a sometimes treacherous wind edge and fascinating views of the peloton on the iconic 3.6-kilometre-long cable-stayed bridge over the Köhlbrand add to the appeal of the Cyclassics.
A destination in the heart of Hamburg
Despite all the changes to the distance, starting point and loops, the finish has always remained in the same place. Mönckebergstraße continues to form the home straight of the professional race. It is there that it is decided who has coped best with the climbs up the Waseberg and the long kilometres through the Hamburg countryside, and who can capitalise on the teams’ efforts to secure victory.
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Thomas Musch
Publisher