Archiv des Monats: Januar 2026

DM Cross in Bensheim

Cyclocross, Meisterschaften, , ,

ELITE Männer

1 Meisen, Marcel RC Zugvogel 09 Aachen 01:00:58
2 Eder, Fabian Naturfreunde Töging 01:01:00
3 Degenkolb, Hannes RSV Team Auto-Riedel Schwarzenberg 01:01:30
4 Harter, Luca Harvestehuder RSV v. 1909 STEVENS Racing Team – Cross 01:03:35
5 Gaßner, Michael RSV Moosburg Syntace CX 01:03:54
6 Köpsel, Jonas RV Adler Lüttringhausen Peter Pane Nagel CX Team 01:04:03
7 Hamm, Florian RSV Garching Syntace CX 01:04:12
8 Krayer, Lennart-Jan LEXWARE Mountainbike Team 01:06:27
9 Hellberg, Paul RV Pfeil Magstadt 01:07:38
10 Lein, Lennart RSV Chemnitz 01:07:57
11 Huber, Julian MTB-Club Karlsruhe
12 Pfeil, Max Shape and Ride Racing
13 Starker, Sascha SSG Bensheim Team RECON
14 Rosenthal, Maximilian Gute Laune Sport
15 Krauss, Louis TSV Neckartenzlingen
16 Rautzenberg, Robin RSV Chemnitz
17 Neffgen, Tim RC Zugvogel 09 Aachen
18 Lötter, Arno RSV Münster Siena Garden Racing CX
19 Schwarz, Anno RG Hamburg
20 Dieteren, Jan RSC Kempten

ELITE Frauen:


Plomi Foto

1 Krahl, Judith RSV Finsterwalde 00:55:08
2 van Thiel, Sina RSC Kempten 00:56:32
3 Schwenk, Theresia RSV Heidelberg 00:57:00
4 Heckmann, Lisa VC Darmstadt 1899 00:59:06
5 Paul, Stefanie RSG Hannover STEVENS Racing Team Frauen 01:00:46
6 Steffenhagen, Diana RSV Seeheim 1971 01:00:56
7 Geschwender, Sunny-Angelina RSG Offenburg-Fessenbach 01:03:59
8 Pfeil, Julia-Katharina Harvestehuder RSV v. 1909
9 Frickenhelm, Hannah Charlotte RSV Seeheim 1971 Team RECON
10 Rausch, Lina Kieler RV

Hessmann spricht offen über Dopingsperre: «Es hat meinen Blick auf so viele Dinge verändert»

Interview, ,

Freiburg (rad-net)


Plomi Foto

Michel Hessmann blickt heute anders auf seine Karriere als noch vor zwei Jahren. Der 24-jährige, inzwischen bei Movistar unter Vertrag, hat in einem ausführlichen Interview mit dem britischen Rouleur Magazine offen über seine 21-monatige Sperre, deren Folgen und seinen veränderten Zugang zum Profiradsport gesprochen.

Der frühere Fahrer von Visma – Lease a Bike war im Juni 2023 bei einer Trainingskontrolle positiv auf das verbotene Diuretikum Chlortalidon getestet worden. Hessmann bestritt damals bewusstes Doping und führte den Befund auf verunreinigte, frei verkäufliche Schmerzmittel zurück – eine Darstellung, der auch die deutschen Anti-Doping-Behörden folgten. Nach einer Berufung der WADA wurde letztlich dennoch eine 21-monatige Sperre verhängt.

Die Zeit abseits des Pelotons habe ihn tiefgreifend verändert, erklärte Hessmann dem Rouleur Magazine bei der Teampräsentation von Movistar in Valencia. «Es war natürlich extrem hart. Ich war wütend, enttäuscht, ängstlich. Aber es hat meine ganze Sicht auf das Leben verändert.» Heute sei er «ein komplett anderer Mensch in einem komplett anderen Umfeld».

Bemerkenswert ist vor allem, wie sehr sich sein Verhältnis zum Radsport gewandelt hat. «Ich betreibe Radsport jetzt als bewusste Entscheidung. Nicht, weil es immer da war und der offensichtliche Weg. Es ist nicht mehr alles», sagte Hessmann dem Rouleur Magazine. Sollte seine Karriere erneut abrupt enden, könne er sich inzwischen auch ein Leben jenseits des Profiradsports vorstellen.

Movistar spielt dabei eine zentrale Rolle. Der spanische Rennstall nahm Hessmann nach Ablauf der Sperre unter Vertrag und ermöglichte ihm im März 2025 die Rückkehr ins Renngeschehen. «Sie wollen vor allem, dass ich Spaß habe», erklärte Hessmann im Rouleur Magazine. Das Team habe ihm Zeit und Raum gegeben, sich ohne Druck neu zu entwickeln.

Sportlich galt Hessmann schon früh als großes Talent. 2022 wurde er Dritter bei der Tour de l’Avenir (UCI 2.NCup), ehe er noch im selben Jahr mit 20 Jahren sein WorldTour-Debüt bei Jumbo – Visma gab. Wenige Monate später unterstützte er Primož Roglič beim Gesamtsieg des Giro d’Italia (UCI 2.UWT). Kurz darauf folgte der positive Dopingtest. Nach seiner Rückkehr bestritt Hessmann 2025 insgesamt 55 Renntage, darunter die komplette Vuelta a España (UCI 2.UWT).

Konkrete Zielsetzungen vermeidet Hessmann bewusst. Er wolle die Erwartungen niedrig halten, das Vertrauen von Movistar zurückzahlen und den Weg zurück an sein früheres Leistungsniveau finden, wenn möglich. «Es geht darum, glücklich zu sein mit dem, was ich geben kann. Sie wissen, dass ich alles versuche. Und irgendwann wird es funktionieren», betonte er gegenüber dem britischen Magazin.
www.rad-net.de

Hans Neumayer wurde am 10. Januar 70 – Happy Birthday!!!

History,

Seinen 70. Geburtstag feiert heute Hans Neumayer. Der gebürtige Moosburger zählte von 1976 bis 1989 als Amateur – ab 1981 als Profi zu Deutschlands vielseitigsten und erfolgreichsten Radsportlern. Dreimal war Neumayer Deutscher Straßenmeister: 1980 als er für die RSG Nürnberg startete bei den Amateuren, 1981 und 1982 bei den Profis!

Als Amateur war Hans Neumayer als sprintstarker Allrounder auf Bahn und Straße erfolgreich. Zusammen mit Ulli Schillinger war er 1977 Deutscher Vize-Meister und 1978 Dritter der Tandem-Meisterschaft! Gefürchtet war Hans Neumayer bei den Amateuren vor allem bei den schnellen und rasanten Rundstreckenrennen und Kriterien, die er sehr zahlreich gewann.

Seine große Klasse bei langen schweren Straßenrennen entwickelte Hans Neumayer zum Beginn der 1980er-Jahre, nachdem er zur RSG Nürnberg wechselte. Zu Neumayers schönsten Erfolgen zählten der Sieg beim rheinischen Klassiker „Köln-Schuld-Frechen“ 1980 und der Gesamtsieg bei der „Tour de l´Yonne“ in Frankkreich 1981. Bei Bahnrennen zeigte Hans Neumayer sein Können weiterhin eindrucksvoll. 1982 erkämpfte er mit Hans-Peter Jakst Platz drei der Deutschen Zweier-Mannschafts-Meisterschaft!

Einen sehr beachtenswerten Erfolg konnte Hans Neumayer 1983 als Etappensieger bei der „Internationalen Schweden-Rundfahrt feiern! Seinen letzten Profisieg errang Hans Neumayer 1988, als er in Schorndorf bei der „Coco Cola-Trophy“ den Tagessieg vor Rolf Gölz und Raimund Dietzen erkämpfte!

Frankens Radsporlter und ihre vielen Fans wünschen dem Hansi zum „70.“ alles Gute und weiterhin viel Spaß im Sattel bei seinen vielen Ausfahrten.

Manfred M a r r

ALULA TOUR 2026 MILAN VS MERLIER, A PROSERIES CLASH OF THE TITANS

Etappenrennen, Strassenrennen, Vorschau, ,

Key points :

• Jonathan Milan and Tim Merlier, the two standout sprinters of the 2025 Tour de France, will go head-to-head at the sixth edition of the AlUla Tour, from 27 to 31 January.
• For the first time, the Saudi race is classified in the ProSeries category.
• The finish at Bir Jaydah Mountain Wirkah (Stage 3) has been redesigned, and the battle for overall victory is expected to be decided on the final day at the Skyviews of Harrat Uwayrid.

The promotion of the AlUla Tour to ProSeries status, for the sixth edition of the event launched in 2020 under the name Saudi Tour, comes with the first participation of Lidl-Trek and the return of Jonathan Milan, who vividly remembers winning at Shalal Sijlyat Rocks—his third victory among the 25 that now make up his professional palmarès. In 2022 and 2023, the Saudi Tour marked the start of the season for the young Italian, then riding for Bahrain Victorious. He has since become a sprint powerhouse, claiming two stage wins and the points classification at the most recent Tour de France.

The other major sprinter with two victories last July is Tim Merlier, who made the AlUla Tour his hunting ground in 2024 and 2025 in Milan’s absence. Two wins out of five stages was the price he exacted in each of his two appearances in Saudi Arabia.

The AlUla Tour is a favourite among sprinters, who know they can find three opportunities to launch their season in winning fashion. This will again be the case this year, with returns to historically rich locations in a tourist region famed for the archaeological site of Hegra, its Nabataean tombs, the remains of Dadan, the Sharaan Nature Reserve, Elephant Rock, and more. The Camel Cup Track (Stage 1), AlManshiyah Train Station (Stage 2) and Shalal (Stage 4) are venues where Jonathan Milan or Tim Merlier have already triumphed, and they will once again host what is expected to be a bunch sprint, with no shortage of ambitious challengers beyond the Italian and the Belgian. Matteo Moschetti, winner of last year’s final stage at the Camel Cup Track, and Arvid de Kleijn, runner-up there two years ago, are ready to take up the challenge. Matteo Malucelli, Daniel Skerl, Iuri Leitao, Jason Tesson and Milan Fretin are among the other fast men on the start list.
The succession to Tom Pidcock—third at the most recent Vuelta and whose only stage-race victory to date is the 2025 AlUla Tour—will partly be shaped on the third day, although the finish at Bir Jaydah Mountain Wirkah, where the Briton won last year, has been reworked. There will be no circuit this time, and the finish will be approached from the opposite direction, with the final climb extending over 4.9 km at an average gradient of 5.1%, including the last two kilometres at a steady 7%. The queen stage remains the Skyviews of Harrat Uwayrid, where Maxim Van Gils in 2022, Ruben Guerreiro in 2023, Simon Yates in 2024 and Tom Pidcock in 2025 each claimed both the stage and the overall victory.
While it is clear where the race is likely to be won, Ireland’s Eddie Dunbar—presented last year as Pidcock’s main challenger—now has experience of a race that can be lost on any day due to crosswinds. That has not discouraged him, as he returns to Saudi Arabia as leader of the defending champion’s team (Pinarello–Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team). Meanwhile, his former employer, Team Jayco-AlUla, fields an attacking duo in Paul Double, winner of the Tour of Guangxi last October, and Alan Hatherly, one of last year’s revelations at the AlUla Tour, sixth overall in his first season transitioning from mountain biking (bronze medallist at the Paris Olympic Games) to the road.

For the established riders, the threat will also come from the new generation of modern cycling talents who no longer hesitate to shake up the hierarchy. Topping the list is 19-year-old Slovenian Jakob Omrzel, winner of the Giro Next Gen and a new recruit to WorldTour team Bahrain Victorious. Jan Christen, 21, and Igor Arrieta, 23, are expected to carry on the legacy of Tadej Pogačar at UAE Team Emirates-XRG. Nicolas Vinokourov, 23, continues to progress with XDS Astana Team. Jaume Guardeño, 22, 14th on his debut at the 2025 Vuelta, is emerging as the next great Spanish climber within Caja Rural-Seguros RGA.
A new adventure begins in Saudi Arabia for the newly created American team Modern Aventure Pro Cycling, led by South African Stefan de Bod, who finished fifth last year at Bir Jaydah Mountain Wirkah while riding for Malaysia’s Terengganu CT. “Promotion to ProSeries no longer obliges us to invite the top Asia Tour teams, but we are maintaining the participation of Terengganu CT and Japan’s Team Ukyo, who have always performed well in this race,” explains Jean-Marc Marino, architect of the AlUla Tour route. The inclusion of the Saudi Arabian and Omani national teams also reflects the organisers’ commitment to contributing to the development of cycling in Asia and the Middle East.

Stages
• Stage 1, 27/01: AlUla Camel Cup Track – AlUla Camel Cup Track, 158 km
• Stage 2, 28/01: AlManshiyah Train Station – AlManshiyah Train Station, 152 km
• Stage 3, 29/01: Winter Park – Bir Jaydah Mountain Wirkah, 142.1 km
• Stage 4, 30/01: Winter Park – Shalal Sijlyat Rocks, 184 km
• Stage 5, 31/01: AlUla Old Town – Skyviews of Harrat Uwayrid, 163.9 km


Teams
WorldTour: Bahrain Victorious, Lidl-Trek, Team Jayco-AlUla, UAE Team Emirates-XRG, Soudal Quick-Step, Team Picnic-PostNL, XDS Astana Team.
ProTeams: Caja Rural-Seguros RGA, Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team, TotalEnergies, Tudor Pro Cycling Team, Cofidis, Modern Aventure Pro Cycling.
Continental and national teams: Terengganu Cycling Team, Team Ukyo, Saudi national team, Oman national team.

MUSCAT CLASSIC / TOUR OF OMAN 2026 START STRONG, FINISH STRONGER

Etappenrennen, Strassenrennen, Vorschau, , ,

Key info:
• Now entering its fourth edition, the Muscat Classic will take place on 6th February 2026 and feature on the ProSeries calendar, ahead of the Tour of Oman (7-11 February 2026), which has been a fixture of the international cycling scene since 2010.
• The peloton will include 18 teams, among them 11 WorldTeams, two more than in 2025, highlighting the growing prestuge of the event.
• From the coastal road of Al Mouj to the demanding ascent of Jabal Al Akhdhar (Green Mountain), riders will be tested across a diverse and challenging course that spans desert landscape and Oman’s most iconic peaks.
One more step in the desert. Since the first edition of the Tour of Oman in 2010, the stars of the international peloton have become accustomed to the roads of the Sultanate, but 2026 brings a new dimension to the double event now on offer on the shores of the Gulf of Oman: the Muscat Classic (6 February), created in 2023 as a prelude to the stage race, joins its older sibling (7-11 February) on the Pro Series calendar.

Victory at Al Bustan will be all the more prestigious and loaded with UCI points. The contenders will once again face a hilly and winding course that always makes for a dynamic race. With the final climb of Al Jissah (1.4 km at 9%) just 5 km from the finish, can an attacker make the difference, as Finn Fisher-Black did in 2024? Or will a puncheur-sprinter succeed Rick Pluimers, who made the most of his speed to claim victory last year?

The day after the Muscat Classic, riders will need to have recovered from the first efforts of the week in the Sultanate. For the first stage of the Tour of Oman, the peloton will set off from the Ministry of Tourism and quickly tackle the slopes of the climb of Bushar (3.3 km at 9.8%) before a wind-exposed finale along the sea to reach Bimmah Sink Hole, where Olav Kooij won in 2025.

Another coastal opportunity awaits the sprinters on Tuesday 10 February, when they will race to Sohar for the finish of stage 4. The other profiles feature numerous climbs, with a thrilling crescendo leading up to the final showdown on the slopes of Jabal Al Akhdhar – Green Mountain.

Already on stage 2, puncheurs will need to master timing, power and gear ratios to conquer Yitti Hills. The next day, Eastern Mountain (3.4 km at 8%) shall bring notable differences in the fight for the overall victory with its irregular slopes. Finally, the best climbers are accustomed to battling it out on the climb up Jabal Al Akhdhar – Green Mountain, a summit of February with its 5.7 km at 10.5%.

Who will succeed Valentin Paret-Peintre and Adam Yates, who ruled these heights in 2025? Eleven WorldTour teams (two more than last year) are preparing to light up the Omani roads. Four of the top five teams in the 2025 UCI world rankings are expected to compete, starting with UAE Team Emirates-XRG. They will be joined by six ProTeams and the Omani national team.

Muscat Classic
Friday, February 6th : Al Mouj > Al Bustan (174km)

Tour of Oman 2026 stages
Stage 1, Saturday, February 7th: Ministry of Tourism > Bimmah Sink Hole (171 km)
Stage 2, Sunday, February 8th: Al Rustaq Fort > Yitti Hills (191,5 km)
Stage 3, Monday, February 9th: Samail “Al Fayhaa Resthouse” > Eastern Mountain (191 km)
Stage 4, Tuesday, February 10th: Al Sawadi Beach > Sohar (146 km)
Stage 5, Wednesday, February 11th: Nizwa > Jabal Al Akhdhar (Green Mountain) (156 km)

The 18 teams

WTT – UCI WorldTeams (11)

Alpecin – Premier Tech
EF Education-EasyPost
Groupama-FDJ United
Movistar Team
Team Jayco AlUla
Team Visma | Lease a Bike
UAE Team Emirates-XRG
Soudal Quick-Step
XDS Astana Team
Lotto Intermarché
Uno-X Mobility

PRT – UCI ProTeams (6)

Cofidis
Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team
TotalEnergies
Tudor Pro Cycling Team
Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
Burgos Burpellet BH

National team (1)
Oman National Team

Amstel Gold Race announces new race director: Tom Dumoulin to succeed Leo van Vliet after the 60th edition

Eintagsrennen, Frühjahrskassiker, Weltcup und Klassiker, , ,

Maastricht – 7 January 2026. During a press conference today at the café In den Ouden Vogelstruys on the Vrijthof square in Maastricht, the place where the idea for the international cycling race originated in 1965, the Amstel Gold Race announced that the 60th edition of the Amstel Gold Race on Sunday 19 April 2026 will be the last one to take place under the leadership of Leo van Vliet as race director. As from 2027, his successor will be Tom Dumoulin.The announcement marks the end of a very special era in the history of the only Dutch cycling classic. After its first 30 editions (1966 – 1995) under the leadership of Herman Krott, the Amstel Gold Race was directed for its next 30 editions (1996 – 2026) by Leo van Vliet. It is very noteworthy that the organisation of the event has had just two race directors in 60 years.

Leo van Vliet took over from the race’s founder Herman Krott in 1996 and became a vital figure in the Amstel Gold Race’s organisation. Under his leadership, the race developed further into an essential fixture on the international cycling calendar and an indispensable part of the UCI WorldTour. In addition, Van Vliet was instrumental in establishing the highly successful Toerversie Amstel Gold Race and played a key role in adding a women’s race to the Amstel Gold Race weekend, among many other achievements.

“It’s quite remarkable to realise that I’ve had the opportunity to experience 30 editions as race director,” Van Vliet said at the press conference. “The 60th edition in 2026 feels like the right time for me to pass on the baton to a new generation.”

Just as Krott picked Van Vliet as his successor in 1995, Van Vliet has selected Tom Dumoulin as his. With the former professional cyclist and winner of the Giro d’Italia, the organisation is deliberately opting for a successor with international appeal, a strong profile and a deep connection to Limburg and the Amstel Gold Race.

Future race director Tom Dumoulin said that he was honoured by his appointment:

“The Amstel Gold Race is a race that has given me such a lot, both personally and in terms of sport. The fact that I’ve been entrusted to lead this race as from 2027, following in the footsteps of Herman Krott and Leo van Vliet, feels like a great honour and responsibility. I look forward to working with the team to continue the rich tradition of this unique classic.”

At the meeting, the organisation expressed its deep appreciation for Leo van Vliet’s decades of commitment and emphasised its confidence in a successful future under the leadership of Tom Dumoulin. Tomas Van Den Spiegel, CEO of Flanders Classics:

“Since 2025, Flanders Classics has been actively involved in the organisation of the Amstel Gold Race, which means that we have collaborated intensively with Leo in recent years. During this collaboration, we have been able to experience right from the front row how much Leo has made his mark on this spring classic and how passionately he does so. We therefore want to continue to work on the foundations that Leo spent many years building, and to do so with respect. Both HEINEKEN Nederland, the parent company of Amstel, and our organisation see Tom, a Maastricht native who’s passionate about the Amstel Gold Race, as the ideal successor with whom we can develop a new long-term vision, following the examples set by Leo and by Herman Krott. But before we turn our attention to the future, we are first looking forward to an anniversary edition that will celebrate both the race and Leo.”

The 60th Amstel Gold Race, to take place on 19 April 2026, will therefore be not only an anniversary edition, but also the historic conclusion of an era.