8,600 cyclists at the Nürburgring
Rad am Ring ends with great success for athletes and organisers
After three sportive days, the traditional cycling event “Rad am Ring” at the Nürburgring ends with great sportive success. On Sunday at noon, about 4500 cyclists came in after the 24-hour race. After Friday and Saturday, the Public Races, time trials and the WPCC World Championship for Journalists had already taken place. The athletes’ reactions were enthusiastic throughout. Hardly had they run in when they received their medals and raved:
“Cycling here is awesome, I come from the dyke, there we always have wind, but no mountains.” “It’s the spirit, the team, the ambience!”, “Finally such a great race again, so much has been cancelled because of Corona.”
In best summer weather, they had cycled around the clock in teams of 2, 4 and 8 or as individual riders either around the Nordschleife of the legendary Nürburgring or around the Nürburg on the mountain bike course of about 8 kilometres.
Hanns-Martin Fraas, organiser of Rad am Ring, drew a thoroughly positive balance of the competition and thanked the participants warmly: “I am so happy that we are all back after three years. Thank you very much for that! It was excellent from a sporting point of view, but safety is also an issue for me. All the participants were so disciplined, it went really well, there were no major accidents. That’s always the most important thing.” Twice Rad am Ring had to be cancelled because of Corona, in 2022 Hanns-Martin Fraas could again welcome more than 8600 participants who spent Friday to Sunday at the Nürburgring.
In addition to the 24h race, Rad am Ring offers numerous other disciplines, but for most participants the 24h race is the highlight of the weekend. The ambience of the Formula 1 arena and the sporting challenges of the legendary Nordschleife make the day-and-night race incomparable. Extreme sportsmen and passably trained amateur racers alike get their money’s worth.
A lap of the Grand Prix circuit and the Nordschleife in the 24-hour version measures about 26 kilometres and, in addition to 92 bends, also has about 560 metres of altitude.
Hanns-Martin Fraas, organiser of Rad am Ring, on the course: “The asphalt of the racetrack is simply perfect and offers good grip even in the winding downhill sections. Up to 100km/h have been measured, but these are top speeds. The “Hohe Acht” section is notorious, with gradients of up to 17 per cent.”
For many participants, Rad am Ring has been an integral part of their summer planning for years; both ambitious athletes and relaxed leisure cyclists always get their money’s worth at Rad am Ring.
On Saturday, the popular Public Races races also took place in the 25km, 75km and 150km disciplines. For the little ones there is the Kids Race. Racing bikes, mountain bikes and e-bikes – all find their disciplines here.
In addition to the sporting activities, Rad am Ring is also popular as a meeting place for friends and family, with many camping on the extensive grounds in the Eifel. The good summer weather played a not to be underestimated secondary role, the temperatures were not as scorching hot as in the rest of Germany, there was a gentle breeze, simply ideal for cyclists. And so many said goodbye with the firm intention of definitely coming back next summer.