Deutschland Tour 2024 | 3rd stage | Saturday, 24 August | Schwäbisch Gmünd - Villingen-Schwenningen | 211.1 kilometres
Memories of Saronni
It's been a long time since Villingen-Schwenningen was a stage stop on the Deutschland Tour. In 1981, Italian cycling star Giuseppe Saronni won at the end of the 3rd stage. Now Germany's most important stage race is once again stopping off in Germany's largest city with a double name: Almost 90,000 people now live here between the Black Forest and Baar. In 1972, the municipalities of Villingen and Schwenningen merged as a result of a citizens' vote.
The royal stage 2024
This year, based on the numbers, Villingen-Schwenningen is at the end of the royal stage - it is the longest and most demanding race day. The organisers have measured a total of 3000 metres in altitude on the route from Schwäbisch Gmünd over the Swabian Alb. But the finale is flat - that could revitalise tired sprinters. The main difficulties lie early on the route: the climb to Ochsenwang (at kilometre 42.3) is a whopping 10.5 kilometres steep over 3.2 kilometres - if the pace does not develop in a sprinter-friendly manner there and afterwards, the fastest men in the field could be out of the race for the day's victory. The ascent in Bad Urach (4.4 kilometres with a gradient of 5.5 per cent; at 70.1 km) and finally the Traifelberg, which is climbed on the route of the former cog railway, offer further opportunities for selection. After that, the worst is over. The hilly route continues over the Alb, with the last significant climb more than ten kilometres before the finish. In Villingen-Schwenningen there is then an eight kilometre circuit.
Hotspots for fans
Stage 3 of the Deutschland Tour 2024 - schedule, TV coverage and live stream
- Saturday, 24 August 2024
- Start: 11:30 am, Schwäbisch Gmünd market square
- Finish: from 16:38 in Villingen-Schwenningen, Bertholdstraße
- Live broadcast: 15:15 - 17:00 (TV: ZDF; live stream: zdf.de and Discovery Plus)
- The start list for the Deutschland Tour 2024
This is the Deutschland Tour 2024
The Deutschland Tour is entering its sixth round since its relaunch in 2018. This time, a total of 748 kilometres will be covered. In addition to the blue jersey for the overall winner (red last year, won by Ilan van Wilder), there is the green jersey for the best points scorer (2023 Ethan Vernon), the dotted jersey for the best climber (2023 Harm Vanhoucke) and a newly introduced white community jersey for the best rider of the day, which is voted for by fans via Instagram. The leading team in the team classification will also receive yellow back numbers.
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.
All stages at a glance
- Wednesday, 21 August, Prologue: Schweinfurt - Schweinfurt, 2.9 km
- Thursday, 22 August, 1st stage: Schweinfurt - Heilbronn, 176.3 km
- Friday, 23rd August, 2nd stage: Heilbronn - Schwäbisch Gmünd, 174.6 km
- Saturday, 24 August, 3rd stage: Schwäbisch Gmünd - Villingen-Schwenningen, 211.1 km
- Sunday, 25 August, 4th stage: Annweiler am Trifels - Saarbrücken, 182.7 km
- All stages at a glance
Everyman race
On the last day of the Deutschland Tour 2024 (25 August), amateur cyclists can take part in the "Cycling Tour" everyman race around Saarbrücken. There are two routes to choose from: one with 56 kilometres and around 600 metres of elevation gain and a longer route with 100 kilometres and around 1000 metres of elevation gain.
Newcomer Tour
The Newcomer Tour stops in Villingen-Schwenningen on 24 August and in Saarbrücken on 25 August. This talent show in women's cycling offers U17 riders the opportunity to prove themselves on two challenging one-day stages.
Andreas Kublik
Editor
