Stradalli Cycle

Round um den Finanzplatz Eschborn - Frankfurt, one of Germany’s most important and hard one-day races, can be won by either sprinters or early attackers. It creates a beautiful race in which riders have the opportunity to make the difference before the flat finish in the center of the city. The race is 206.8 km and the presence of the Taunus Mountains and their challenging climbs could see the race change at any time and requires to the riders to focus 100 percent of their energy into every moment of the race.

180 riders lined up to complete the circuit which featured 8 categorized climbs with gradients of 20 percent. The race which saw the riders race uphill at insane speeds had only 56 finishers. On the first lap riders were already losing contact with the bunch.

Stradalli – Bike Aid lined up their best riders to compete against Etixx – Quickstep and Team Katusha. The team knows the strength of the World Tour teams from their early season racing in Challenge Mallorca and Ruta del Sol and came fully prepared to attack the race.

Etixx – Quickstep fielded a talented team which included Niki Terpstra, Giani Meersman and 3-time UCI Time Trial World Champion Tony Martin. Terpstra, winner of the 2014 edition of Paris – Roubaix and Meersman did not finish the race. Martin was the last of 56 finishers of the tough, hilly route through Frankfurt.

Alexander Kristoff of Team Katusha would take the final sprint of the day, but he was not the only winner at Eschborn - Frankfurt. John Degenkolb could feel like a winner after almost a three-month injury break. Degenkolb celebrated an impressive comeback even if he did not finish with the best time. Degenkolb rode in the service of his team, Giant-Alpecin. After nearly 160 kilometers he reduced his pace instead of hurting himself over the fourth and final time on the Mammolshain mountain. Degenkolb finished the race in the team bus. Giant – Alpecin teammate, American Caleb Fairly, also pulled out of the race.

The race would finish hard and fast in the Frankfurt city streets and Milan – San Remo winner Alexander Kristoff would take the sprint handily. The Argentinian Maximiliano Richeze from the Belgian Etixx - Quick-Step team and the Irishman Sam Bennett Germany Team Bora – Argon 18 rolled in behind for second and third place.

Stradalli – Bike Aid rider Nico Holler had an incredible ride finishing 22 in the main pack. Holler is a climber by specialty, but still managed to be at the front of the group for a tight fast sprint. Eschborn – Frankfurt is widely considered one of the hardest races in Germany and it is a huge result for Holler and Stradalli – Bike Aid to be at the front attacking and competing with the best teams and Europe.