Eschborn-Frankfurt 2026 Preview | Liège, the Giro and everything in between — all roads lead to Germany's financial capital

May Day in Germany is a national holiday, but cyclists have traditionally been unleashed between Eschborn and Frankfurt on 1 May regardless. Not quite a spring Classic in the traditional sense, but this is the next WorldTour one-day race on the calendar — and it carries genuine prestige. IDL Pro Cycling guides you through it.

For many years the race was known as Rund um den Henninger Turm and was one of the most coveted one-day wins on the calendar, claimed by the likes of Erik Zabel, Michele Bartoli and Karsten Kroon. However, when the renewed World Cup was introduced, the race faded into the background.

It returned to the top level in 2017, by which point it had evolved into more of a sprinters' race. Alexander Kristoff won four times; Sam Bennett, Jasper Philipsen and Pascal Ackermann also found the finish line in Frankfurt. Three years ago, the organisers made changes to make the race more selective — and it worked immediately. Søren Kragh Andersen won that edition with a late attack. Maxim Van Gils added his name to the roll of honour in 2024, and Michael Matthews took victory last year.

2025 Michael Matthews
2024 Maxim Van Gils
2023 Soren Kragh Andersen
2022 Sam Bennett
2021 Jasper Philipsen
2020 CANCELLED
2019 Pascal Ackermann
2018 Alexander Kristoff
2017 Alexander Kristoff
2016 Alexander Kristoff

Race director Fabian Wegmann has made the route even harder this year. He began steering the race towards a hillier Classics format three years ago, and has now added another layer — five days after Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

The WorldTour race now covers 210 kilometres and more than 3,300 metres of climbing, including the Feldberg ascent via the steeper south-western side (3.5 km at 7.7%), a double ascent of the Mammolshainer Stich (2.3 km at 8.3%) and the newly introduced Burgweg climb (500 m at 11%) in the Taunus hills. The majority of the altitude gain comes in the first half of the race.

With around 35 kilometres to go, the Mammolsheim serves as the final climb before the route turns towards Frankfurt. A local circuit in the city means sprinters who survive the hills cannot be ruled out entirely.

In recent editions, a small select group has typically crested the final climb together, before a tense battle plays out through the streets of Germany's financial capital. There is still time for the fastest survivors to settle things with a sprint.

Weather
It will be a pleasant, almost summery day in Germany — 22 degrees Celsius, a few clouds and a light breeze. Ideal racing conditions.

The start list is a diverse mix of rider types — which reflects the race's awkward position on the calendar, sandwiched between the spring Classics and the Giro d'Italia, with the Tour de Romandie also running simultaneously. Some riders are extending their spring campaign after Liège; others are beginning a fresh block.

Recent editions have often come down to a sprint among a select group in Frankfurt, but the climbs en route mean a certain profile is required to get there. In that mould, we rate Tobias Lund Andresen (Decathlon CMA CGM) and Corbin Strong (NSN) highly. Both are also putting the finishing touches on their Giro d'Italia preparations in Germany.

Defending champion Matthews is absent with a double wrist fracture. Last year's second and third, Magnus Cort (Uno-X) and Jon Barrenatxea (Movistar), are both back as potential contenders. So is the biggest name in the field: Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5), who wants to give his spring some extra colour in Germany and arrives with teammates including Quinten Hermans and Fabio Christen.

With a number of German sponsors represented in the peloton, Eschborn-Frankfurt carries extra significance for several teams. Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe bring Danny van Poppel and Laurence Pithie; Lidl-Trek line up former winner Søren Kragh Andersen alongside Toms Skujins and Andrea Bagioli; and Alpecin-Premier Tech are counting on their impressively in-form youngsters Ramses Debruyne, Tibor Del Grosso and Emiel Verstrynge — who finished fifth at the Brabantse Pijl and fourth at Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

If the race becomes truly brutal, that same type of rider will rise to the surface in the Taunus. Also worth watching: Ben Tulett, Wilco Kelderman and Louis Barré (all Visma | Lease a Bike, with Barré notably absent from the Ardennes), Aurélien Paret-Peintre, Jordan Labrosse and Paul Lapeira (Decathlon CMA CGM), Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious), Lennert Van Eetvelt (Lotto-Intermarché), Michael Valgren and Alex Baudin (EF Education-EasyPost).

Further names to keep an eye on: Brabantse Pijl winner Anders Foldager (Jayco AlUla), Mauri Vansevenant (Soudal Quick-Step), Matyas Kopecky and Clément Venturini (Unibet Rose Rockets), Emilien Jeannière (TotalEnergies), Axel Laurance and Ben Turner (INEOS Grenadiers), Tim Wellens (UAE Emirates-XRG), Ion Izagirre and Alex Aranburu (Cofidis), and Afonso Eulalio (Bahrain Victorious).

Top favorites: Tobias Lund Andresen (Decathlon CMA CGM) and Corbin Strong (NSN)

Below you can find where to watch the German one-day race on TV in English: