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EschbornFrankfurt Toughens Route as May Day WorldTour Classic Nears Start

A hill-heavier course is expected to tilt the race toward punchy climbers over pure sprinters.

Overview

  • The WorldTour classic runs Friday, with the elite men racing about 211.4 km and finishing near Frankfurt’s Alte Oper around 5 p.m. local time.
  • Organisers hardened the profile to more than 3,300 meters of climbing, using the steeper south‑west side of the Feldberg twice and adding a first‑ever ascent of the Burgweg in Niederreifenberg.
  • The race will hit the Mammolshainer Stich three times, with a new order that sends riders there once before the Feldberg and twice again late for a likely selection.
  • A 21‑team field features Brandon McNulty, Pello Bilbao and Alex Aranburu, while a late addition of Tom Pidcock broadens the list of contenders with no single favorite.
  • Hessischer Rundfunk airs the race live from 11:40 a.m., as roughly 12,000 amateurs ride earlier and road closures and tram and bus changes affect Eschborn, Frankfurt and the Taunus.