The Deutschland Tour will be tougher than ever. If you want to win it, you need versatility - and outstanding climbing skills. Because the Schauinsland near Freiburg is on the programme as a mountain finish for the first time. Sporting Director Fabian Wegmann explains the special features of the stages and which riders have a chance and when. After the Prologue on the 1st stage from Weimar to Meiningen on Thursday.
The elevation profile of the 1st stage
Facts about stage 1 of the Deutschland Tour
- Route length: 171.7 kilometres
- Altitude metres: 2700
- Neutral start: 12:30 pm
- Sharp start: 12:50 pm
- Arrival at the finish: ~16:39-17:01
- TV broadcast: ARD from 16:00
- Everything about the prologue
- Everything about the 2nd stage
- Everything about the 3rd stage
- Everything about stage 4
- Information on jerseys and the history of the Deutschland Tour
- The starting list with shirt numbers
Fabian Wegmann's assessment
After the short prologue, everything is wide open today. The pros have to complete 171 fairly classic kilometres through southern Thuringia between Weimar and Meiningen. "The route is undulating, it's constantly up and down. But professionals at World Tour level don't get into trouble," says Fabian Wegmann. "The mountain classifications in Oberweißbach and on the Rennsteig are challenging, but the field won't be torn apart there yet."
Only in Meiningen, after the first finish, should it matter: "The ramp in Dreißigacker! A ten per cent, two kilometres long and really tough. Someone can ride away - or make it really difficult." The sprinter teams then have 20 flat kilometres left to get into position. However, the toxic countersurge shortly before the finish could throw everything out of kilter: "The classics riders can really attack here. It's also about valuable bonus seconds." And then? It remains exciting: "It's very selective. A small group can make the race, but a bunch sprint is also possible."
Germany Tour 2022 extended by one day
The Deutschland Tour was reintroduced in 2018 after a ten-year break. The race is part of the UCI Pro Series. This is the second league of international cycling after the UCI World Tour. A total of 20 teams are competing, 14 of which are from the World Tour. In addition, there are two Pro (second league of cycling), three Continental teams and one German national team. The Deutschland Tour is organised by the ASO, which also organises the Tour de France organised. In 2022, the organisation extended the race from four to five days.
The Deutschland Tour has taken place a total of 35 times under different names since it was first organised in 1911. There have been 34 different overall winners. Only Jens Voigt was able to win the tour twice in 2006 and 2007.
