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.

Mekseb Debesay and Stradalli-Bike Aid Racer Amanuel Mengis At Vuelta Andalucia

Friends and countrymen Mekseb Debesay of team Dimension Data and Amanuel Mengis of Stradalli-Bike Aid are proudly representing their home country of Eritrea at the Vuelta Andalucia. Mengis is off to a great start this season for Stradalli-Bike Aid following in the footsteps of Debseay who is in his first year with World Tour Team Dimension Data after racing last season with Bike Aid. 

Update From Stage 3 of the 62nd Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista del Sol

The 3rd Stage of the Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista del Sol was a grueling 157.9 kilometers of racing with Oscar Gatto of UCI World Tour Team Tinkoff taking first place in a sprint finish. Ben Swift of Team Sky and Raymond Kreder of Roompot – Oranje Peloton finished 2nd and 3rd respectively.  

Stradalli – Bike Aid racers battled for places in the peloton and made the best in the breakaways during the race. Riders Damian Garcia of France and Daniel Bichlmann of Germany are holding their own against World Tour teams every day, finishing alongside teams including Lotto Soudal and Movistar Team, who are providing quality competition which benefits the Stradalli – Bike Aid riders and helps them to learn and succeed later in the season. Ruta del Sol is proving to be a great test.

The Ruta del Sol continues with an individual time trial where Stradalli – Bike Aid riders will get the opputunity to show their strength in one of the toughest races in the world. 

Stradalli-Bike Aid Gears Up For Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista Del Sol

The Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista Del Sol UCI 2.1 race, which can trace its history back to 1925, is one of the longest running races on the schedule in Europe. The Stradalli – Bike Aid pro team continues its 2016 UCI calendarcampaign at the Ruta Del Sol, arriving with a full line up comprised of the top riders from the German Continental Professional Team. 

The race has been dominated in recent years by Alejandro Valverde from Team Movistar and Chris Froome of Team Sky who won last year’s edition, but historically German riders have excelled here. Erik Zabel is the most recent German to win despite facing quality competition.

One of the primary early season races, the Ruta del Sol is frequented by World Tour teams including, Trek – Segafredo, Team Giant – Alpecin among others. Half of the 24 teams in the race are World Tour teams while the rest of the field is made up of the top professional continental teams in Europe.

At the Challenge Mallorca, Stradalli – Bike Aid showed their ability to compete with the best in the world and they look to improve upon their results at the Ruta del Sol beginning tomorrow with the first 165.2 kilometer stage, Almonaster la Real – Sevilla.

STRADALLI – BIKE AID TEAM LEARNS GREAT LESSON AT CHALLENGE MALLORCA

Today in the third stage of the Challenge Mallorca, Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana, the Stradalli – Bike Aid team got an education and understanding of what truly separates a continental team from a multi-million dollar World Tour Team.

The race included more than 9000 feet of climbing into a 149.9 kilometer (88.5 mile) stage. At first you would think the racers would take it easy with a start like that. Not if you were on one of the World Tour Teams. They attacked early and kept going. The Stradalli-Bike Aid riders had a max wattage of over 700 watts in only the first 6 kilometers. 

The stage started with a 4.5 ascent of the Col de Soller which had sections that were so steep that many of the team cars could barely make it up the mountain in second gear. It was an incredibly challenging day filled with competitive racing. Stradalli – Bike Aid rider Daniel Bichlmann wasn't intimidated by the mountain and began the first breakaway of the day with one Russian rider for 6 kilometers, but despite the tremendous effort in the race the world tour teams took over. 

Tom Steinbacher, title sponsor owner for Stradalli – Bike Aid, wasn't disappointed with the results and applauded the team for their efforts. 

“When you go against the best in the world all you can ask for from your team is that they give it everything they have and that's exactly what the Stradalli-Bike Aid team did this race. They left it all out there and I am very proud of them.” Steinbacher said.

Steinbacher feels that the experience in Mallorca will help the team throughout the year as they learned a lot about themselves, how to battle, how to race with the big teams and much more. 

“We are a young team with a lot to learn, but the guys show they are up to the challenge. They constantly battled and showed tremendous heart. They are grateful for everything whether it's the bikes, the sponsors and the opportunity to compete against teams like Team Sky, Lotto Soudal, Ettix – Quick Step and Team Dimension Data.” Steinbacher said.

Steinbacher feels that the racers are improving after every race.