It won't be long before the start of the Bayern Rundfahrt will be given in Vilshofen on May 27th. This year, the stage hunt through the Free State can show an impressive field. Eleven of the 22 teams that are eligible to start in the Tour de France this year will be at the start in May. The WorldTour teams Sky, Trek Factory Racing, Katusha, FDJ.fr, Garmin Sharp, Orica-GreenEdge, Ag2R-La Mondiale and Giant-Shimano have reported for the tour. There are also the ProConti teams NetApp-Endura, IAM and Bretagne-Séché Environnement - all three have one for the Tour de France Wildcard received – as well as the South African team MTN-Qhubeka.
The record winner Jens Voigt paid special attention to the tour. The Berliner-by-choice would like to leave a scent mark in his last active year in Bavaria. "Of course we are extremely pleased that Jens Voigt is back at the start of the Bayern Rundfahrt at the end of his career", says sports director Hartmut Bölts. With ambitions will too MTN-Qhubeka to start. "Maybe celebrate [...] Yes, Linus Gerdemann is making a comeback in Bavaria.", says Bölts. The professional cyclist from Münster won the Bayern Rundfahrt in 2009 and is currently the last German overall winner of the tour.
This year, the Bayern Rundfahrt leads from Vilshofen via Freilassing, Reit im Winkl, Grassau, Neusäß and Wassertrüdingen am Hesselberg to Nuremberg. A total of 785,6 kilometers are on the program for the five stages from eastern Bavaria via the Chiemgau to Central Franconia. A preliminary decision in the fight for the overall victory of the race, which is held under the patronage of Minister of State Joachim Herrmann, is already expected when the mountain finishes as part of the queen's stage on the Winklmoos-Alm. The individual time trial on the penultimate day of the tour in Wassertrüdingen is of similar importance.