Preview Eschborn-Frankfurt 2024 | From Nys and Ewan to Teunissen and Van Gils, something for everyone!

Labor Day in Germany: While many people have the day off, cyclists traditionally take to the roads between Eschborn and Frankfurt on May 1st. It's not a spring classic, but the next WorldTour one-day race is on the horizon, and IDLProCycling.com will guide you through it!

In the past, the race was known as Rund um den Henninger Turm, and for many years, it was one of the better-known one-day races that top riders aspired to win. With names like Erik Zabel, Michele Bartoli, Karsten Kroon, and Michele Bartoli among the honorees, success was frequent. However, with the introduction of the revamped World Cup, the race fell into the background.

In 2017, it finally made its appearance at the highest level, but by then, it had already become more of a sprinters' race. Alexander Kristoff, for example, won four times, while Sam Bennett, Jasper Philipsen, and Pascal Ackermann also made names for themselves in Frankfurt.

Last year, the organizers of the German WorldTour race made some adjustments to enhance the race's attractiveness, which yielded immediate results. Indeed, Soren Kragh Andersen won the race from an attacking position, shifting the perception of Eschborn-Frankfurt as primarily a sprinters' race in the men's WorldTour.

Practical information Eschborn-Frankfurt 2024

• Wednesday, May 1, 2024
• Participants
• Classification: WorldTour

In this article

• Latest winners
• Course, weather and times
• Favorites
• TV information

Latest winners Eschborn-Frankfurt

2023 Soren Kragh Andersen
2022 Sam Bennett
2021 Jasper Philipsen
2020 Not ridden
2019 Pascal Ackermann
2018 Alexander Kristoff
2017 Alexander Kristoff
2016 Alexander Kristoff
2015 Not ridden
2014 Alexander Kristoff

Course, weather and times Eschborn-Frankfurt 2024

"An instant success," as stated on the website after last year's revamped edition. Race director Fabian Wegmann has therefore kept the route intact, meaning we once again have to conquer the Feldberg twice— from both sides— as well as the Mammolshainer several times. This maintains the total distance, like last season, at almost 204 kilometers.

We start in Eschborn, then after 46 kilometers, we reach the top of the Feldberg (11 km at 4.8%) for the first time. Descending to the Mammolshain, a hill of 2.3 km at 8.3%, paves the way for the steeper side of the Feldberg, 7.6 km at 5.5%.

About 35 kilometers from the finish, we will have to cross the Mammolshain once again before heading towards Frankfurt. Additionally, there is a local lap in play, so the sprinters will not necessarily have to surrender after the hill work.

Climbs
46.5 km: Feldberg (11.0 km a 4.8%)
92.0 km: Mammolshain (2.3 km a 8.3%)
107.9 km: Mammolshain (2.3 km a 8.3%)
117.8 km: Feldberg (7.6 km a 6.5%)
167.8 km: Mammolshain (2.3 km a 8.3%)

Weather
So then, a nice summer day in Germany! 26 degrees Celsius, some clouds in the sky and a light breeze: that's what riders and spectators should expect.

Times

Favorites Eschborn-Frankfurt 2024

Please note that the participant list has not yet been officially confirmed, so this section is still subject to change.

A challenging race to predict, especially with the new course! What is clear is that there are quite a few strong contenders in the field. Consequently, expect fierce uphill racing, particularly if the climbers aim to distance the powerful sprinters. Soren Kragh Andersen shone brilliantly last year for Alpecin-Deceuninck, but now the Dane also has the swift Axel Laurance supporting him—someone who can handle more than a single ascent.

Securing second place in the Tour of Flanders also places you in that category: Luca Mozzato, another rider capable of powering uphill for Arkéa - B&B Hotels, and then sealing the deal. In their quest for WorldTour points, the French team will also deploy Vincenzo Albanese and Amaury Capiot, two riders who fit the bill.

Teams like UAE-Team Emirates, Lotto-Dstny, and Lidl-Trek could play pivotal roles. UAE-Team Emirates lacks a dedicated sprinter but boasts Marc Hirschi, Nils Politt, Jan Christen, and Diego Ulissi. Lotto-Dstny, in the absence of Arnaud De Lie, relies on Pascal Eenkhoorn and especially Maxim Van Gils, arguably the strongest puncher in the lineup. Meanwhile, Lidl-Trek foregoes Mads Pedersen but includes Tour de Romandie stage winner Thibau Nys, an ideal new poster boy for German Lidl.

Axel Zingle (Cofidis, alongside Piet Allegaert) also demonstrated his return to form after a challenging spring with a second-place finish in the Lotto Famenne Ardenne Classic, catapulting him back into the spotlight. Joining him are: Alex Aranburu (Movistar, paired with Ivan Garcia Cortina), Mike Teunissen (representing Intermarché-Wanty, alongside teammates Laurenz Rex and Lorenzo Rota), John Degenkolb (dsm-firmenich PostNL), and Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost), all vying for a strong result.

Additionally, there are the pure sprinters, including Caleb Ewan (Jayco AlUla, with Mauro Schmid and Max Walscheid), gearing up for the Giro, while Sam Bennett (Decathlon AG2R, supported by Oliver Naesen and Pierre Gautherat) and Alexander Kristoff (Strong Uno-X, featuring Tobias Halland Johannessen, Rasmus Tiller, and Soren Waerenskjold) have their sights set on the Tour later in the year.

Lastly, there are some unexpected contenders: Israel-Premier Tech's Riley Sheehan has already showcased his abilities in Belgian races, where Soudal-Quick Step did not field a team. The Belgian squad is banking on strong performances from William Junior Lecerf or Paul Magnier in Frankfurt. Gianluca Brambilla and Frederik Frison are representing Q36.5, Bahrain Victorious is pinning hopes on Nikias Arndt, and for BORA-hansgrohe, Emanuel Buchmann has shown promising performances on Strava. However, whether this race suits him remains to be seen.

According to IDLProCycling.com, who are the favorites for Eschborn-Frankfurt 2024?

Top favorites:Luca Mozzato (Arkéa - B&B Hotels) and Axel Laurance (Alpecin-Deceuninck)

Data powered by FirstCycling.com

TV Eschborn-Frankfurt 2024

Eschborn-Frankfurt can be followed from start to finish on Wednesday. The German race can be seen from noon on the online platforms of Eurosport/Discovery+.