Thüringen Women Cycling Challenge
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|
 | |
| Race details | |
|---|---|
| Date | Mid-July |
| Region | Thuringia, Germany |
| Discipline | Road |
| Competition | UCI Women's ProSeries |
| Type | One-day race |
| Organiser | TRF Thüringer Sportmarketing GmbH |
| Race director | Vera Hohlfeld |
| Web site | www |
| History | |
| First edition | 1986 |
| Editions | 37 (as of 2026) |
| First winner |  Hanna Chmelarova (CSK) |
| Most wins |  Judith Arndt (GER) Emma Johansson (SWE)(3 wins) |
| Most recent |  Marit Raaijmakers (NED) |
The Lotto Thüringen Women Cycling Challenge is a one-day women's cycling race held every July in the German state of Thuringia. The race is part of the UCI Women's ProSeries. The title sponsor is LOTTO Thüringen, the state lottery of Thuringia.
From 1986 until 2024, the Thüringen Rundfahrt der Frauen or Thüringen Ladies Tour women's stage race was held every July. It was rated a class 2.Pro event by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), before joining the UCI Women's ProSeries in 2021. Following a loss of sponsorship and withdrawal of state funding, the 2025 edition of the race was cancelled.
History
[edit]Stage race (Thüringen Rundfahrt der Frauen)
[edit]A stage race was first held in 1986 in what was then East Germany, and was consistently held from 1992 – with only the 2020 event cancelled owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] Organisers noted their desire to be part of the UCI Women's World Tour in future, and provided live television coverage of the event from 2022.[2]
In March 2025, organisers announced that the 2025 edition of the race had been cancelled after €200,000 in funding from the Thuringia state government was stopped.[3] In May 2025, organisers noted that the stage race would not return, citing "irreparable damage to trust with state authorities" and a loss of sponsorship.[4][5]
One-day race (Thüringen Women Cycling Challenge)
[edit]In 2026, organisers announced they would hold a one-day race in the city of Gera in Thuringia in July 2026. The 123 kilometres (76 mi) long course included six laps of a finishing circuit that included a 1.6 km (0.99 mi) climb with an average gradient of 6.2%.[6][7] Organisers also noted they wished to expand the race to multiple stages in future.[8]
Winners
[edit]Stage race
[edit]Source:[9]
| Year | Distance (km) |
Stages | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 210 | Hanna Chmelarova (CSK) | |
| 1987 | 295 |  Petra Roßner (GDR) | |
| 1988 | 398 |  Tea Vikstedt-Nyman (FIN) | |
| 1989 | 410 | Vanessa van Dijk (NED) | |
| 1990–1991 | Event not held | ||
| 1992 | 374 | Alena Barillova (CSK) | |
| 1993 | 335 |  Lenka Ilavská (SVK) | |
| 1994 | 394 |  Alison Dunlap (USA) | |
| 1995 | 406 | Laura Charameda (USA) | |
| 1996 | 465 | Ina-Yoko Teutenberg (GER) | |
| 1997 | 553 |  Alessandra Cappellotto (ITA) | |
| 1998 | 523 |  Edita Pučinskaitė (LIT) | |
| 1999 | 664 | Hanka Kupfernagel (GER) | |
| 2000 | 618 |  Valentyna Karpenko (UKR) | |
| 2001 | 634 | Mirjam Melchers (NED) | |
| 2002 | 634 |  Zoulfia Zabirova (RUS) | |
| 2003 | 566 | Valentina Polkhanova (RUS) | |
| 2004 | 588 | 6 | Zoulfia Zabirova (RUS) |
| 2005 | 583 | 6 | Theresa Senff (GER) |
| 2006 | 594 | 6 |  Nicole Cooke (GBR) |
| 2007 | 593 | 6 | Judith Arndt (GER) |
| 2008 | 553 | 6 | Judith Arndt (GER) |
| 2009 | 587 | 6 |  Linda Villumsen (DEN) |
| 2010 | 615 | 6 | Olga Zabelinskaya (RUS) |
| 2011 | 590 | 7 | Emma Johansson (SWE) |
| 2012 | 578 | 6 | Judith Arndt (GER) |
| 2013 | 633 | 7 | Emma Johansson (SWE) |
| 2014 | 595 | 6 | Evelyn Stevens (USA) |
| 2015 | 595 | 7 | Emma Johansson (SWE) |
| 2016 | 672.6 | 7 | Elena Cecchini (ITA) |
| 2017 | 553.9 | 6 | Lisa Brennauer (GER) |
| 2018 | 559.8 | 7 | Lisa Brennauer (GER) |
| 2019 | 545.7 | 6 | Kathrin Hammes (GER) |
| 2020 | No race due to COVID-19 pandemic | ||
| 2021 | 672.6 | 6 | Lucinda Brand (NED) |
| 2022 | 695.8 | 6 |  Alexandra Manly (AUS) |
| 2023 | 695.8 | 6 |  Lotte Kopecky (BEL) |
| 2024 | 630.6 | 6 | Ruth Winder (USA) |
| 2025 | Race cancelled | ||
One day race
[edit]| Year | Rider | Team | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Marit Raaijmakers (NED) |
Human Powered Health | [6] |
References
[edit]- ↑ "Info-About | Lottothueringen-Ladies-Tour.de" (in German). Retrieved 2025-02-11.
- ↑ Frattini, Kirsten (2023-04-26). "Thüringen Ladies Tour bids for a place on the Women's WorldTour in 2024". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 2025-02-11.
- ↑ Price, Matilda (2025-03-17). "Thüringen Ladies Tour officially cancelled for 2025 after key state funding withdrawn". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 2025-03-30.
- ↑ Mitchell, Mathew (2025-05-11). "Farewell to a classic: the LOTTO Thüringen Ladies Tour ends after 36 editions". ProCyclingUK.com. Retrieved 2025-05-20.
- ↑ Price, Matilda (2025-03-17). "Thüringen Ladies Tour officially cancelled for 2025 after key state funding withdrawn". Cyclingnews. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
- 1 2 Price, Matilda (2026-06-21). "Human Powered Health go 1-2 as Marit Raaijmakers wins Lotto Thüringen Women Cycling Challenge". Cyclingnews. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
- ↑ mdr.de. ""Rund um Gera" bringt internationale Klasse nach Thüringen". mdr.de (in German). Retrieved 2026-06-23.
- ↑ mdr.de. "Radsport: Thüringen-Rundfahrt erlebt Mini-Comeback als Eintagesrennen". mdr.de (in German). Retrieved 2026-06-23.
- ↑ "Die Ehrentafel der Gewinnerinnen" [The honor roll of winners]. thueringenrundfahrt-frauen.de (in German). Retrieved 16 July 2012.
External links
[edit]- Official website (in German)
- Thüringen Women Cycling Challenge palmares at Cycling Archives (archived, or current page in French)