Interest in Germany’s oldest one-day race remains undiminished: ‘Rund um Köln’ 2026 has been fully booked since the start of the year. A total of 8,675 participants will line up on the day of the event – more than ever before in the public races of this traditional classic, which has been held since 1908.
This continues the impressive growth seen in recent years:
In 2025, 8,530 entries were registered, in 2024 there were 6,300, and in 2023 a total of 4,700.
The registration figures are distributed as follows:
Pänz Tour: 60 children
KSK Schülertour: 171 young people
Velodom 30: 446 participants (+49% compared to the previous year)
Velodom 60: 4,023 participants
Velodom 120: 4,075 participants
The proportion of women taking part in the public races continues to show a particularly encouraging trend:
Velodom 30: 31%
Velodom 60: 21%
Velodom 120: 8%
The age structure also demonstrates the event’s great appeal to different target groups. The average age in 2026 is:
Velodom 60 Men: 40.2 years (2025: 41.1)
Velodom 60 Women: 33.7 years (2025: 35.8)
Velodom 120 Men: 38.4 years (2025: 39.4)
Velodom 120 Women: 33.8 years (2025: 34.9)
Start times
The races will start on the day of the event at the following times:
Velodom 60: 9:00 am
Velodom 120: 9:30 am
Elite race: 11:30 am (neutralised start)
Velodom 30: 12:30 pm in Bergisch Gladbach
The expected finish times are:
Velodom 60: from 10:30 am
Velodom 120: from 12:20 pm
Elite: from 3:50 pm
Top-tier elite field featuring leading international teams
From a sporting perspective, Rund um Köln 2026 also boasts a high-caliber international field of riders. Teams from the UCI WorldTour, the UCI ProTeams, and the UCI Continental Teams will all be at the start.
UCI WorldTeams
Alpecin–Premier Tech (BEL)
Lotto Intermarché (BEL)
Red Bull – Bora – Hansgrohe (GER)
Team Picnic PostNL (NED)
National Team Germany
UCI ProTeams
Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team (CHE)
Solution Tech Nippo Rali (ITA) (Absage)
Team Flanders – Baloise (BEL)
TotalEnergies (BEL)
Tudor Pro Cycling Team (CHE)
Unibet Rose Rockets (FRA)
UCI Continental Teams
Benotti Berthold (GER)
Bike Aid (GER)
EEW-VDK Cycling Team (NLD)
Kasper Crypto4Me (CZE)
Lucky Sport Cycling Team (SWE)
MaxSolar Raymon Cycling Team (GER)
Rembe | Rad-Net (GER)
Run&Race-SolarPur (GER)
Tarteletto – Isorex (BEL)
Team ColoQuick (DEN)
Team Lotto Kern-Haus Outlet Montabaur (GER)
Team Storck – MRW Bau (GER)
Team Visma | Lease a Bike Development (FRA)
The various routes offer suitable challenges for both beginners and ambitious riders:
Velodom 30: 150 meters of elevation gain
Velodom 60: 480 meters of elevation gain
Velodom 120: 1,250 meters of elevation gain
Elite Race: 2,060 meters of elevation gain
1,200 volunteers in action
Without the dedication of numerous volunteers, the Rund um Köln event would not be possible. A total of 1,200 volunteers support the event in the following areas:
Start and finish
Course marshaling
Refreshment stations
Refreshment village
Live broadcast and extensive TV production
“Rund um Köln Live” will be broadcast on the official Rund um Köln YouTube channel and on sportschau.de. The live broadcast runs from 11.25 am to 4.10 pm.
The race will be commentated on by Florian Kurz and Marcel Wüst. The TV production will utilise, amongst other things, four motorbike cameras and a helicopter.
Road closures and information for residents
In addition, all route closures and closure times for Saturday and Sunday are stored in the Waze navigation and traffic app, which automatically routes road users around the closures.
Graphics of the routes, elevation profiles and the digital roadbook are available in the press area.
The accreditation form can also be found in the press area.
