International Thuringia Tour of Women

Thuringia Tour 2005 Awards ceremony

The International Women's Tour of Thuringia , officially LOTTO Thuringia Ladies Tour since 2017 , is an important women's cycling race in eastern Thuringia . Stage locations are often the cities of Zeulenroda-Triebes , Schleiz , Greiz , Gera and Schmölln , as well as Dörtendorf . The tour is classified in the highest UCI category.

history

Cycling tour at the end of the 80s

With a victory on the final stage from Gera to Zeulenroda-Triebes, Nicole Cooke secured overall victory in the 2006 tour.

Crossing the intermediate destination of the stage “Around Schmölln ” 2012

The field behind Jena 2013

In July 1986, the first stage trip for women was held around the then district town of Zeulenroda . The cycle race known today as the International Thuringia Tour of Women led 30 female riders over four stages and a total of 210 km around Zeulenroda and was held as a country comparison between the GDR and ČSSR . The winner was Hana Chmelarova from Czechoslovakia.

In 1990 and 1991 the race was not held.

In 2005 a longer tour should also lead through Bavaria and Hesse for the first time . Since the organization failed for financial reasons, the 18th round trip was driven from July 19 to 24 in East Thuringia with start and finish in Zeulenroda. During a training drive in preparation for the Tour of Thuringia, Amy Gillett had a fatal accident on July 18, 2005 on the time trial course from Zeulenroda to Auma when an 18-year-old novice driver drove her car head-on into her training group. Her teammates Alexis Rhodes and Louise Yaxley , who suffered severe fractures and received intensive treatment in Jena , were seriously injured , as well as three other team members. The prologue for the tour was then canceled and replaced by a commemorative event on July 19. The tour finally began on July 20th with the 2nd stage from Zeulenroda to Greiz, which was driven without racing character. The Free State of Thuringia has been donating an "Amy Gillett Prize" since 2006, which is awarded on the Thuringia Tour to a driver with outstanding combative performance or special fairness.

The tour is currently the only professional stage race in Germany. In addition to the traditional stage locations in East Thuringia, a stage (prologue) was held in Zwickau for the first time in 2012.

particularities

On the “Rund um Schmölln ” stage, there is an annual race for everyone before the round trip, in which amateurs can cover a shortened distance of 18.7 km. During this stage, the riders make a detour to Saxony , where the riders have to conquer the steep face in Meerane .