Les Woodland's book Tour of Flanders: The Inside Story - The rocky roads of the Ronde van Vlaanderen is available in print, Kindle eBook and audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
The race:
Eschborn-Frankfurt, Rund um den Finanzplatz is a single-day race that winds around the Taunus hills (some of which are quite steep) west of Frankfurt.
Since 1968 it has been held on May 1, though in 2021 it was postponed until September.
First held in 1962 and named Rund um den Henninger Turm, it was mainly sponsored by Henninger Beer. To help publicize the brand, the race started and ended at the Henninger Turm (tower), the firm's grain silo.
Henninger's sponsorship of the race ended in 2008 because of the poor economy. The organizers found new sponsors in the cities of Eschborn and Frankfurt and the race was rechristened the Eschborn-Franfurt City Loop and in 2010 it was renamed Rund um den Finanzplaz Eschborn-Frankfurt.
In 2005 the UCI elevated Eschborn-Frankfurt to HC status.
In 2015 the race was cancelled because of a suspected terrorist plot.
In 2017 the race was elevated to World Tour status and ASO (organizers of the Tour de France) took over management of the competition.
Complete podium history:
Year |
1st Place |
2nd Place |
3rd Place |
Distance |
Average Speed |
1962 | Armand Desmet 7hr 2min 15sec |
Huub Zilverberg @ 3min 20sec |
Rik van Looy @ 5min 30sec |
255 km | 36.234 |
1963 | Hans Junkermann 6hr 54min 30sec |
Willi Altig @ s.t. |
Jean Stablinski @ 1min 50sec |
250 km | 36.188 |
1964 | Clément Roman 7hr 33min 5sec |
François Mahé @ s.t. |
Yvo Molenaers @ s.t. |
279 km | 36.946 |
1965 | Jean Stablinski 5hr 39min 33sec |
Frans Verbeeck @ 1min 36sec |
Georges Vanconingsloo @ s.t. |
222 km | 39.228 |
1966 | Barry Hoban 5hr 42min 20sec |
Walter Godefroot @ 38sec |
Willy Planckaert @ s.t. |
221 km | 38.734 |
1967 | Daniel van Rijckeghem 5hr 55min 35sec |
Willy Planckaert @ s.t. |
Georges Vanconingsloo @ s.t. |
227 km | 38.303 |
1968 | Eddy Beugels 6hr 9min 16sec |
Valère van Sweevelt @ 5sec |
Herman van Springel @ s.t. |
230 km | 37.371 |
1969 | Georges Pintens 5hr 48min 10sec |
Michele Dancelli @ 10sec |
Herman van Springel @ 1min 20sec |
230 km | 39.636 |
1970 | Rudi Altig 6hr 1min 22sec |
Joop Zoetemelk @ 8sec |
Ottavio Crepaldi @ 12sec |
225 km | 37.358 |
1971 | Eddy Merckx 5hr 49min 5sec |
Joseph Deschoenmaecker @ 21sec |
Lucien Aimar @ 56sec |
225 km | 38.672 |
1972 | Gilbert Bellone 5hr 37min 22sec |
Eddy Merckx @ 51sec |
Noel van Tyghem @ 53sec |
215 km | 38.237 |
1973 | Georges Pintens 6hr 15min 20sec |
Jürgen Tschan @ 59sec |
Freddy Maertens @ 2min 57sec |
228 km | 36.447 |
1974 | Walter Godefroot 5hr 49min 5sec |
Eddy Merckx @ s.t. |
Frans Verbeeck @ s.t. |
228 km | 39.188 |
1975 | Roy Schuiten 5hr 42min 20sec |
Frans Verbeeck @ 40sec |
Walter Godefroot @ s.t. |
228 km | 39.961 |
1976 | Freddy Maertens 6hr 4min 2sec |
Frans Verbeeck @ s.t. |
Roger de Vlaeminck @ s.t. |
228 km | 37.578 |
1977 | Gerrie Knetemann 5hr 27min 10sec |
Dietrich Thurau @ 2min 43sec |
Frans Verbeeck @ 3min 30sec |
229 km | 41.996 |
1978 | Gregor Braun 5hr 46min 25sec |
Rudy Pevenage @ s.t. |
Hennie Kuiper @ s.t. |
224 km | 38.797 |
1979 | Daniel Willems 5hr 56min 18sec |
Henk Lubberding @ s.t. |
Gregor Braun @ s.t. |
224 km | 37.721 |
1980 | Giambattista Baronchellli 6hr 41min 36sec |
Francesco Moser @ 35sec |
Alfons de Wolf @ s.t. |
249 km | 37.201 |
1981 | Jozef Jacobs 6hr 43min 52sec |
Dietrich Thurau @ 5sec |
Daniel Willems @ 10sec |
242 km | 35.592 |
1982 | Ludo Peeters 6hr 34min 3sec |
Jostein Wilmann @ 5sec |
Sean Kelly @ 6sec |
242 km | 36.848 |
1983 | Ludo Peeters 6hr 29min 19sec |
Léo van Vliet @ 14sec |
Luc Colijn @ s.t. |
242 km | 37.296 |
1984 | Phil Anderson 6hr 5min 9sec |
Eric Vanderaerden @ 20sec |
Sean Kelly @ s.t. |
242 km | 39.764 |
1985 | Phil Anderson 6hr 11min 6sec |
Johan Lammerts @ s.t. |
Rolf Golz @ s.t. |
242 km | 39.126 |
1986 | Jan-Marie Wampers 6hr 18min 44sec |
Steve Bauer @ 19sec |
Michael Wilson @ 21sec |
252 km | 39.922 |
1987 | Dag-Otto Lauritzen 6hr 11min 17sec |
Peter Stevenhaagen @ s.t. |
Henk Lubberding @ s.t. |
252 km | 47.705 |
1988 | Michel Dernies 6hr 37min 44sec |
Rolf Sörensen @ 31sec |
Giovanni Montavani | 252 km | 38.015 |
1989 | Jean-Marie Wampers 6hr 43min 56sec |
Martial Gayant @ 38sec |
Claudio Chiappucci @ s.t. |
252 km | 37.432 |
1990 | Thomas Wegmüller 5hr 58min 34sec |
Jan Wijnants @ 40sec |
Peter Winnen @ s.t. |
210 km | 35.140 |
1991 | Johan Bruyneel 6hr 6min 42sec |
Johan Museeuw @ 39sec |
Martin Earley @ s.t. |
205 km | 33.542 |
1992 | Frank Van den Abbelle 5hr 11min 48sec |
Claudio Chiappucci @ 35sec |
Frans Maassen @ 41sec |
209 km | 40.218 |
1993 | Rolf Sörensen 5hr 22min 58sec |
Maximilian Sciandri @ 33sec |
Eddy Bouwmans @ s.t. |
209 km | 38.827 |
1994 | Olaf Ludwig 5hr 10min 17sec |
Andreas Kappes @ s.t. |
Emmanuel Magnien @ s.t. |
209 km | 40.414 |
1995 | Francesco Frattini 6hr 25min 5sec |
Jens Heppner @ s.t. |
Massimo Podenza @ 3sec |
252 km | 39.260 |
1996 | Beat Zberg 6hr 31min 25sec |
Jens Heppner @ s.t. |
Rolf Sorensen @ s.t. |
255 km | 39.088 |
1997 | Michele Bartoli 4hr 53min 30sec |
Bjarne Riis @ 2sec |
Mauro Gianetti @ 1min 11sec |
206 km | 42.112 |
1998 | Fabio Baldato 5hr 0min 14sec |
Nicolai-Bo Larsen @ s.t. |
Stefano Garzelli @ s.t. |
206 km | 41.168 |
1999 | Erik Zabel 5hr 30min 40sec |
Leon van Bon @ s.t. |
Alberto Ongarato @ s.t. |
206 km | 33.19 |
2000 | Kai Hundertmark 5hr 1min 8sec |
Matteo Tosatto @ 18sec |
Jens Heppner @ s.t. |
206 km | 41.04 |
2001 | Marcus Zberg 5hr 5min 35sec |
Davide Rebellin @ s.t. |
Kurt Van de Wouwer @ 5sec |
206 km | 40.447 |
2002 | Erik Zabel 5hr 0min 17sec |
Jo Planckaert @ s.t. |
Serguei Ivanov @ s.t. |
206 km | 41.161 |
2003 | Davide Rebellin 5hr 9min 17sec |
Erik Zabel @ 4sec |
Igor Astarloa @ s.t. |
208 km | 40.351 |
2004 | Karsten Kroon 5hr 21min 10sec |
Danilo Hondo @ s.t. |
Johan Coenen @ s.t. |
205 km | 38.297 |
2005 | Erik Zabel 5hr 10min 34sec |
Alejandro Borrajo @ s.t. |
Markus Zberg @ s.t. |
211.3 km | 40.822 |
2006 | Stefano Garzelli 4hr 34min 20sec |
Gérald Ciolek @ s.t. |
Danilo Hondo @ s.t. |
190.2 km | 41.599 |
2007 | Patrik Sinkewitz 4hr 46min 54sec |
Kurt-Asle Arvesen @ 4sec |
Dario Cataldo @ 5sec |
190.7 km | 39.881 |
2008 | Karsten Kroon 4hr 25min 36sec |
Davide Rebellin @ s.t. |
Mauricio Ardila @ s.t. |
179 km | 40.436 |
2009 | Fabian Wegmann 4hr 35min 40sec |
Karsten Kroon @ s.t. |
Christian Knees @ 19sec |
190.8 km | 44.528 |
2010 | Fabian Wegmann 4hr 53min 22sec |
Geert Verheyen @ s.t. |
Bert Scheirlinckx @ s.t. |
202.7 km | 41.457 |
2011 | John Degenkolb 4hr 50min 49sec |
Jérôme Baugnies @ s.t. |
Michael Matthews @ s.t. |
202.7 km | 41.571 |
2012 | Moreno Moser 4hr 54min 15sec |
Dominik Nerz @ 5sec |
Sergey Firsanov @ s.t. |
200 km | 40.782 |
2013 | Simon Spilak 4hr 52min 7sec |
Moreno Moser @ s.t. |
André Greipel @ s.t. |
200.6 km | 41.203 |
2014 | Alexander Kristoff 4hr 49min 31sec |
John Degenkolb @ s.t. |
Jérôme Baugnies @ s.t. |
200.9 km | 41.633 |
2015 | 2015 edition cancelled because of terrorist threats | ||||
2016 | Alexander Kristoff 5hr 0min 2sec |
Maximiliano Richeze @ s.t. |
Sam Bennett @ s.t. |
206.9 km | 41.375 km/hr |
2017 | Alexander Kristoff 5hr 29min 32sec |
Rick Zabel @ s.t. |
John Degenkolb @ s.t. |
218.7 km | 39.820 |
2018 | Alexander Kristoff 5hr 13min 24sec |
Michael Matthews @ s.t. |
Oliver Naesen @ s.t. |
215.5 km | 41.255 km/hr |
2019 | Pascal Ackermann 4hr 23min 36sec |
John Degenkolb @ s.t. |
Alexander Kristoff @ s.t. |
187.5 km | 42.678 km/hr |
2020 | Race cancelled because of Coronavirus pandemic | ||||
2021 | Jasper Philipsen 4hr 28min 3sec |
John Degenkolb @ s.t. |
Alexander Kristoff @ s.t. |
187.5 km | 41.970 km/hr |
2022 | Sam Bennett 4hr 27min 52sec |
Fernando Gaviria @ s.t. |
Alexander Kristoff @ s.t. |
183.9 km | 41.192 km/hr |
2023 | Soren Kragh Andersen 4hr 51min 27sec |
Patrick Konrad @ s.t. |
Alessandro Fedeli @ s.t. |
203.8 km | 41.956 km/hr |
2024 | Maxim Van Gils 4hr 46min 48sec |
Alex Aranburu @ s.t. |
Riley Sheehan @ s.t. |
203.8 km | 42.152 km/hr |
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