Germany 01 May 2026 Class 1.UWT – 1 day – UCI WorldTour
Website www.eschborn-frankfurt.de
One Day Race Eschborn-Frankfurt
Here is the starting list for the 2026 Eschborn-Frankfurt race, which takes place on Friday, 1st May 2026.
The 2026 edition features a significantly harder route than in previous years, with over 3,300 meters of climbing. This has attracted a field of strong puncheurs and Classics specialists alongside fast finishers .
🚴 Startlist by Team
The following list includes the 21 teams and their riders as they are set to compete .
⭐ Favorites to Watch
While there is no single overwhelming favorite, several top riders are seen as contenders for the win .
- Tom Pidcock (Pinarello – Q36.5): The British star is a late addition to the start list. His versatility and strength on short, steep climbs make him a major contender .
- Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates XRG): The American is considered a perfect candidate for a breakaway. His team is one of the strongest in the race, with Nils Politt riding in support .
- Tobias Lund Andresen (Decathlon CMA CGM): The young Dane is tipped as a top favorite by several experts. He has the qualities to excel on the demanding course .
- Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious): The Spanish climber showed top form with a 6th place finish at Liège-Bastogne-Liège and is a strong contender on the hilly course .
- Søren Kragh Andersen (Lidl-Trek): The 2023 winner returns to Frankfurt looking to repeat his victory .
- German Hopes (Lidl-Trek, Soudal Quick-Step, Lotto-Intermarché): Local hopes lie with riders like Lennard Kämna, Maximilian Schachmann, and Georg Zimmermann. Former winner John Degenkolb (Team Picnic PostNL) returns to his home race, though the harder route may prove a challenge for the 37-year-old .
The history of the Eschborn-Frankfurt Cycling Race
The Eschborn-Frankfurt race, originally known as Rund um den Henninger Turm Frankfurt (meaning “Around the Henninger Tower Frankfurt”), boasts a rich history stretching back to 1962 . It was created to promote the Henninger Tower, a prominent grain silo and Frankfurt landmark, and has since evolved into a major fixture on the UCI WorldTour calendar .
Here is a timeline of the most significant milestones in the race’s history:
📜 The Henninger Era (1962-2008)
The race’s original name and character were defined by its creator, the Henninger brewery. The iconic Henninger Tower, a 120-meter tall grain silo, was the architectural and symbolic heart of the race for nearly five decades . The first winner was Belgian rider Armand Desmet in 1962, and the first German winner followed a year later with Hans Junkermann . The race quickly grew in stature, especially after 1967, attracting cycling legends like Eddy Merckx, who won solo in 1971 . This era was dominated by sprinters and classics riders, with Erik Zabel claiming three victories (1999, 2002, 2005) .
🔄 A New Era: Rebranding & Challenges (2009-2016)
When Henninger withdrew its sponsorship in 2008, the race faced an uncertain future . It was reborn in 2009 under a new name, Eschborn-Frankfurt, with the start moving from Frankfurt to the neighbouring town of Eschborn . This period was marked by significant challenges, including the cancellation of the 2015 edition due to a security alert and the 2020 edition due to the COVID-19 pandemic . Despite this, the race saw the rise of a new dominant force, Norwegian sprinter Alexander Kristoff, who won four times during this period (2014, 2016, 2017, 2018) .
🌍 Modern Classic Status (2017-Present)
The race entered its current era in 2017 when it was promoted to the UCI WorldTour, the highest level of professional road cycling . That same year, the French company ASO (organizer of the Tour de France) took over the event, solidifying its place as Germany’s premier one-day classic alongside the Hamburg Cyclassics . In 2023, organisers significantly altered the route to make it more selective, adding tougher climbs like the Mammolshainer Stich to favour punchy climbers over pure sprinters . This change has led to winners like Søren Kragh Andersen (2023), Maxim Van Gils (2024), and Michael Matthews (2025) .
📊 By the Numbers
The race has a long and varied roll of honour, with certain nations and riders standing out.
