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Desgrange, Henri
Deutschland-Tour
Devil´s Rag
Didi Senft: The Tour Devil
Doping
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The first Deutschland-Tour was held in 1911 by the Allgemeine Radfahrer-Union (national cyclers’ union). It was supported financially by the German bicycle industry, which hoped for a high advertising effect.
The Deutschland-Tour supposedly left hardly any traces to the memories of former riders and cycling fans. Too little was it estimated by the foreign teams and riders after the Second World War, too little was cycling rooted actively amongst the people. Enthusiasm was to be aroused soon, especially if riders from West Germany were successful abroad, but altogether the number of German riders – amateur or professional – was extremely small compared to cycling countries like France, Belgium or Italy. Despite constant endeavour, it was not possible to realise an annual holding. From 1911 to 2005, the Deutschland-Tour could be held only 29 times.
When the Deutschland-Tour was once more revived by the Bund Deutscher Radfahrer e.V. and the then Upsolut Sport- und Marketing GmbH, the executives had one firm goal: to establish the event firmly in the professional riders’ calendar and to further the enthusiasm for cycling in Germany considerably.
With the background of its commitment to tradition, the Deutschland-Tour has meanwhile evolved into one of Europe’s biggest sport events. Responsible for this development are, apart from a network of reliable partners, a healthy economic basis and, last but not least, absolutely professional standards of organisation and medialisation. Therefore, the admission of the Deutschland-Tour to the UCI ProTour is the almost logical consequence, which, amongst others, brought along a postponement of the Tour to August and an extension to nine days (stages). For the professional riders, the Deutschland-Tour has now become a stage of revenge for missed merits during the Tour de France and consequently stands for a maximum of quality, suspense and balance.
The Deutschland-Tour is accompanied by three all-comers’ races. Here, hundreds of enthusiastic hobby cyclists have the possibility to get close to Erik Zabel and the others, to ride on nearly the same course as the professionals, and so to fulfill themselves a very special cycling dream. The hobby riders can prove their cycling affinity at the family race „Edeka Race Day,“ at the mountain time trial „T-Mobile Mountain Challenge,“ and the individual time trial „Giant Time Trial.“
The sport event is topped off by a versatile entertainment programme. On Germany’s biggest road show, the cycling fair brings information and entertainment to each of the stage finishes. The mobile advertising caravan represents all the partners of the Deutschland-Tour, and delights the viewers at the street who are expecting the riders.
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