Everyone: Today the Tour d'Energie starts in Göttingen German Cycling Cup, Germany's biggest racing series for everyone. Velomotion presents the events and important rule changes.
In 2015, the German Cycling Cup "only" includes 11 races. In 2014 there were still 14 – a real challenge for organizers, drivers and teams. The streamlining of the racing calendar is intended to bring the German Cycling Cup back to "a healthy level", according to the organizers - the Bund Deutscher Fahrrad and the Verband Deutscher Radrennveranstalter.
There is no such thing as a comfortable curling up. Already the opening race of the series - the Tour d´Energie in Göttingen - offers a few climbs. The highlight is the mountain classification at Hohen Hagen. The next race, the SKODA Velotour, is scheduled for May 1st. First, the route leads through the high-rise canyons of Frankfurt's banking district, then you have to climb the Feldberg in the Taunus. On the way back to the finish, a few awkward ramps break the pace chase, including the Ruppertshainer Berg and - on the longest lap - the Mammolshainer Berg.
Two races follow where high average speeds are to be expected: both the circuit cycling on the Formula 1 course in Hockenheim and the Sparkasse neuseen classics in Leipzig are mostly flat. Here it is important to skilfully stay in the slipstream of the group and avoid falls. The two June dates then require climbing skills again: The Schleizer Dreieck leads the starters to the Thuringian Slate Mountains and to Germany's largest reservoir, the Bleilochtalsperre. At the SKODA Velodome in Cologne, everyone climbs countless meters on small streets in the Bergisches Land, with the steep cobblestone passage at Bensberg Castle being particularly hard on the legs.
Top speeds in the green hell - stage races in the Black Forest
The starting fields at Rad am Ring are moving again on a Formula 1 course at the end of July. However, average speeds like in May on the Hockenheimring are not reached here, as the legendary Nordschleife of the Nürburgring awaits with 500 meters of altitude per lap. The Fuchsrohr is not for the faint of heart, with a descent of up to 100 km/h. The drivers on the street circuits in Bochum and Dresden will certainly not be quite as fast. Due to the manageable topographical difficulties, high hourly averages can be expected here again, and the victories in the SparkassenGiro and SKODA Velorace are likely to go to fast-moving sprinters.
The German Cycling Cup with the Rothaus Rider Man in Bad Dürrheim, the only stage race, is entering the home straight. Here, in the scenic beauty of the southern Black Forest, an individual time trial and two demanding road races are on the program. Almost traditionally, the German Cycling Cup ends on the day of German unity with the Sparkasse Münsterland Giro in Münster. But it's not quite as flat there as it has been in recent years: New routes lead the participants into the Teutoburg Forest and it is important to collect the last meters of altitude in the race before the winners are crowned in Münster.
High number of participants expected - new regulations for team evaluation
The races are very popular and amateur sport is booming. Also in 2015, the organizers expect consistently high numbers of participants. The big events in particular continue to grow. According to the organizers of the racing series, in order to increase safety, quality criteria for the individual races should be defined in close dialogue between teams and organizers. This includes, among other things, equalizing the races and minimizing danger spots.
The regulations have been significantly revised with regard to the team ranking. So far, a maximum of eight drivers were allowed per team, the four best placed were included in the team ranking. As a result, teams were forced to make frequent changes, whether for tactical reasons or due to short-term absences. The result was increased bureaucracy for teams and race organizers due to constantly updated starter lists. In 2015, teams will no longer be limited to eight drivers. Each team can enter as many starters as they want. The only condition: A team consists of at least four starters and different team names must be assigned for each course length (e.g. Team XY 60km, Team XY 120km). The results of the top four are automatically included in the team ranking. A detailed explanation can be found here, the changes can also be read in detail in the Regulations of the German Cycling Cup.
If you get racing fever or if you at least want to drive at a sporty pace on closed roads with like-minded people, you can register online. Of course, Velomotion will also be present at one or the other event and will report.
The races of the German Cycling Cup 2015:
26. April 2015: Tour d´Energy - Goettingen
01. May 2015: SKODA bike tour – Frankfurt
10. May 2015: Circuit Cycling – Hockenheimring
May 17, 2015: Sparkasse neuseen classics – Leipzig
June 07, 2015: Schleizer Triangle Everyone – Schleiz
June 14, 2015: SKODA Velodome – Cologne
July 25, 2015: Wheel on the Ring – Nürburgring
August 02, 2015: Sparkasse Giro – Bochum
August 09, 2015: SKODA Velorace – Dresden
September 25-27, 2015: Rothaus Riderman – Bad Dürrheim
October 03, 2015: Savings Banks Munsterland Giro – Munster