1st Düsseldorf Cycling Day – Following in the Tracks of the Tour

The full range of cycling activities and an attractive extracurricular program are on the agenda for the 1st Düsseldorf Cycling Day on September 18, 2016. This brings to life an idea that came about at the Cycling Roundtable, which has been meeting regularly since August 20, 2015, and includes Düsseldorf's cycling clubs (more than 450 members) as well as the city's umbrella sports organization and association representatives (Radsportverband Nordrhein-Westfalen, Bund Deutscher Radfahrer).

Mayor Thomas Geisel: "More than 4,000 participants have registered for a total of 13 races. That makes Cycling Day the biggest cycling festival ever for recreational athletes in Düsseldorf's city center. I am confident that it will whet people's appetite for the world's largest cycling event - the Tour de France, which will be starting from the state capital next year with the Grand Départ Düsseldorf 2017."

City Manager Burkhard Hintzsche: "The 1st Düsseldorf Cycling Day grew out of many ideas from the Cycling Roundtable. It shows what you can get moving when all of the participants work together. I especially like the 'Harald Christ Petit Départ', which helps us get children onto bikes for both recreation and transport."

Regional Public Order and Transport Minister Dr. Stephan Keller: "Cycling Day shows off many different facets of the bicycle. After all, bikes are athletic equipment, recreational items and a future-oriented mode of transport. Cycling Day fits in with our RADschlag initiative, which is helping make our city even more bike-friendly and will help us significantly increase the share of bicycles in Düsseldorf's traffic."

In addition to the public "alltours Race am Rhein" race for amateur riders, the classic "Rund um die Kö" event and the "Harald Christ Petit Départ" race for children, there is a lot to discover in downtown Düsseldorf:

Stage program and event mile

Starting at 8 am, Karsten Migels, known as the voice of the Tour de France on Eurosport, will be providing commentary on the registration of National Division riders in the starting area and will introduce the teams. Migels will also follow the achievements of the men and women setting off on the 46-kilometer loop of the "alltours Race am Rhein" event, starting at 11:45 am. The program on the main stage, on Steinstraße, will start at 10:30 am with the official kickoff by Mayor Thomas Geisel, City Manager Burkhard Hintzsche, Regional Transport Minister Dr. Stephan Keller, Councilor Günter Karen-Jungen and Harald Christ. Two teams from Antenne Düsseldorf will be broadcasting the events, including live coverage.

Starting at 11 am sharp, the program will feature "In the Tracks of the Tour," a talk show with Mayor Thomas Geisel, Rudolf Scharping (President of the German Cycling Federation), Harald Christ (sponsor of the "Harald Christ Petit Départ") and cycling pro Nikias Arndt. Mönchengladbach Mayor Hans Wilhelm Reiners is also expected to attend. DJ Fitsos will create a party atmosphere between the talks and award ceremonies.

The musical highlight, at 5:30 pm, will be a concert from Düsseldorf's cult band Porno al Forno. On the small event mile on Steinstraße, which is connected with the "Harald Christ Petit Départ" and "Rund um die Kö" races by the "alltours Race am Rhein" event, various exhibitors will be offering the latest bike trends, cycling tours and mobile massages from 8 am to 7 pm. In addition, visitors can experience the 1st stage of the Tour de France 2017 at the Grand Départ Düsseldorf 2017 promotion stand as a virtual reality ride. 13 food stands will provide refreshments for visitors.

Public race for amateur riders

With the "alltours Race am Rhein" event, amateur and recreational cyclists will have the opportunity to complete part of the official 2nd stage of the Tour de France 2017 in Germany under competitive conditions. Sven Teutenberg, Event Director of the Grand Départ Düsseldorf 2017, is pleased about the registration figures for the first edition of this public race in Düsseldorf: "With over 3,500 riders, we do not need to hide behind the established races. I am confident that the amateur riders will be excited about the Tour de France track test."

The starting time for recreational riders will be 11:45 am (46-kilometer course) or 1 pm (92-kilometer course) at Immermannstraße/Berliner Allee. After the first few flat kilometers through the state capital, they will continue up Fahneburgstraße toward the Galopprennbahn racecourse. Grafenberg Forest is where the professionals in the Tour de France 2017 will be vying for the first points for the mountains classification, and there will also be a mountains classification for the participants in the public race. The route snakes through the Neander Valley, from Erkrath to Mettmann, before going through Ratingen and back to downtown Düsseldorf.

Teams from Düsseldorf and the region are also well represented here. About 70 employees of the main sponsor Henkel will be participating. The title sponsor, alltours, has 17 people competing in the team classification, which is determined by the results of the best four team members. Other companies, cycling clubs and triathlon clubs are also taking part with groups of up to 70 people. The city administration will be represented by Team RADschlag, especially Mayor Thomas Geisel, City Manager Burkhard Hintzsche and Regional Transport Minister Dr. Stephan Keller. However, one of the most unusual teams is probably the approximately 30-person team led by Porno al Forno singer Greg Gardena and three other band members.

Before the public race, the National League cyclists in the men's and juniors' classes will start at 9 am. In the past, current Tour de France stars like John Degenkolb (a three-time National League general winner) and Emanuel Buchmann (National League general winner in 2014 and the best German Tour de France driver in 2016) were recommended for professional contracts.

Roads will be blocked off for the "alltours Race am Rhein" event. In order to ensure the safety of the riders, about 500 helpers will be positioned along the route. There will be another 200 helpers at the start and finish lines. "We are receiving support from the traffic cadets, the Federal Agency for Technical Relief, a security service and many volunteer helpers. We are very well prepared to meet the needs of the traffic concept," says Sven Teutenberg.

Regional Public Order and Transport Minister Dr. Stephan Keller: "We are working closely on the traffic concept with the organizer and the public safety agencies. I expect to be able to finish the permitting process at the beginning of the week with the documents that have been submitted."

Harald Christ Petit Départ

The children are taking to the streets: nine to twelve-year-olds can test their mettle on blocked-off Königsallee at the "Harald Christ Petit Départ" children's race. "With this event series, we want to positively influence the physical fitness of Düsseldorf's school-age children, and solidly establish cycling as a good activity for children and teens," says Harald Christ, whose support made the event possible.

The starting line will be at the intersection of Königsallee and Steinstraße. Children born in 2006 and 2007 will make three loops starting at 12:45 pm, for a distance of 3.3 kilometers; those born in 2004 and 2005 will have five loops totaling 5.5 kilometers. Participation is free of charge. This year's races on the "Kö" will kick off a series of children's cycling races to be held at district sports centers around Düsseldorf in 2017. These races will include various disciplines, and the winners will all compete against each other during the extracurricular program of the Grand Départ on July 1, 2017.

About 60 children will be racing in the first "Harald Christ Petit Départ" on September 18, 2016. Registrations will be accepted until September 14, 2016. The registration flyer can be found on the website www.duesseldorf2017.de.

'Rund um die Kö'

Of course, the 1st Düsseldorf Cycling Day has to include the traditional 'Rund um die Kö' (All Around the Kö) race. For the 47th time, riders will race up Königsallee in the heart of Düsseldorf, competing for the Grand Prize sponsored by Stadtsparkasse Düsseldorf. The event is organized by S.G. Radschläger Düsseldorf 1970 e.V. For the first time, NRW's young cyclists will be vying for the State Championship. Age brackets will start from the intersection of Königsallee/Steinstraße at the following times: 9 am (U11/U13), 9:45 am (U15) and 10:45 am (U17/U19).

In addition, there will be a derny street race at 1:40 pm and a fixed-gear race at 2:30 pm (warmup at noon). The starting point for these races is also Königsallee/Steinstraße.

In the derny race, each participant is preceded by a lightweight motorcycle. The "derny riders" create a good slipstream for their assigned cyclists, which allows them to reach very high speeds. However, the cyclist has to stay very close to the motorcycle so the slipstream is not lost. The fixed-gear races use racing bikes without brakes or gearshifts.

"With this competition program for the cycling classic in the heart of Düsseldorf, we have created an offering that is equally attractive to cyclists and spectators. It is a great addition to the 'alltours Race am Rhein' and perfectly rounds out the Düsseldorf Cycling Day," says organizer Sascha Grünewald.

Changed traffic patterns

Several streets in Düsseldorf and the surrounding area will be blocked off for the races on the 1st Düsseldorf Cycling Day. Detailed information can be found on the website www.alltours-raceamrhein.de (start page) or on www.duesseldorf2017.de (under "Düsseldorf Cycling Day").

The Düsseldorf Info Line can be reached by phone at the nationwide public agency number 115, Monday through Friday as well as on Saturday, September 17, 2016, from 8 am to 6 pm and on Sunday, September 18, 2016, from 6 am to 5:30 pm to answer any questions about road closures. As a rule, 115 can be dialed at the standard landline rate.

Buses and trains may also be affected by the blockages. The Rheinbahn system will only be offering limited service in Düsseldorf, Erkrath, Mettmann and Ratingen on event days. The Rheinbahn will publish timely, specific information on www.rheinbahn.de about which lines and stations are affected. The Rheinbahn app and timetable will provide passengers with all of the current travel times.