Thuringia Tour before Comeback: Women's Race Starts in Gera

The restart of women's cycling in Thuringia is taking concrete shape: For June 21, 2026, a one-day race is planned in Gera, which already counts as part of the UCI ProSeries and is intended to serve as the starting point for a later stage race. Thus, one year after the end of the Thuringia Women's Tour, at least top-class professional cycling would once again be anchored in the calendar of the Free State.

A first organizational milestone has been set: The city of Gera and the organizer have signed the contract for the "Thuringia Women Cycling Challenge." The race is initially to take place in 2026 as a one-day format—with the declared goal of gradually growing back into a multi-day tour in the following years.

Gera Becomes the Starting Point of the Restart

With the signing of the contract, the project is secured in planning—and at the same time deliberately approached cautiously. The venue is Gera, where the "Thuringia Women Cycling Challenge" is to take place on June 21, 2026. In sporting terms, the event is classified as a one-day race in the UCI ProSeries.

This classification is more than just a label for the comeback: The ProSeries is the level directly below the WorldTour in international road cycling. For a newly established race, this mainly means: It is part of a globally managed calendar, awards relevant points for the world ranking, and becomes more plannable for teams and riders—a decisive factor when a location wants to regain trust from teams, partners, and public authorities after a break.

Noticeable is the strategy behind the format: After the end of the former Thuringia Tour, the restart is starting on a smaller scale. Instead of immediately managing several race days, logistics, and safety concepts for a stage race, a single race day is first organized—as a test run with manageable risk, but with international classification.

The Ferberturm Should Decide the Race

Sportingly, the race is to have a clear profile. The route first leads 80 kilometers through the surroundings of Gera; afterwards, five final laps are planned in the city area. The climb to the Ferberturm is to be particularly defining: 1.7 kilometers long, with an average gradient of six percent.

Especially in a one-day race, where there is no "second chance" over several stages, such recurring peaks of exertion can completely determine the character. Five final laps mean that the field must sort itself out several times on the same climb—a scenario that favors attacks and is likely to make the race more selective rather than sprint-oriented in the final phase. The Ferberturm is thus not just a backdrop, but the planned sporting lever to give the restart a clear, recognizable dramaturgy.

The One-Day Race is to Become a Stage Race Again

The "Thuringia Women Cycling Challenge" is intended as the successor to the no longer held Thuringia Tour. The former tour was canceled last year; the main reason was considered to be a lack of financial resources. Shortly thereafter, the final end was announced after 36 editions.

The restart in Gera is therefore primarily designed as a rebuilding—financially as well as organizationally. A one-day race reduces costs and complexity (including for closures, safety, and TV production) without giving up the claim to international top-level sport. Precisely this balance is likely to determine whether the project can stabilize in the coming years.

There are already schedules for the next steps: In 2027, a three-day tour is planned, and for 2028 a six-day format. The date June 21, 2026, thus marks not just a single race, but the first concrete building block on the way back to a stage race in women's cycling in Thuringia.