24h bicycle race

Heaven and hell | New: teams with 8 riders

Long-distance races have always played a key role in the tradition at the Nürburgring. In 2003, the Nürburgring has gained yet a further attraction: the 24 h race for cyclists. For an entire day, the competitors put themselves up to the challenge of the “green hell”.

The flair of the race track and the unique atmosphere of a day-and-night race have already attracted a few thousand competitors over the last years. The best individual competitor managed to accomplish 28 laps on the course; the best team even managed 34.

The Nordschleife offers over 500 m of altitude difference and an overall length of 22 km. The race track offers 72 bends and what is more it also features the bike arena at the Grand Prix paddock. The track leads right through this arena where around 3,000 competitors put up their tents.

However, the 24 h bicycle race not only implies tedious pedalling, but also the pleasure of cycling through the rough and picturesque landscape of the Eifel. When the sun gradually sets and the hilly countryside is tainted in soft light, when all you can hear in the silence of the night beyond the “Pflanzgarten” is the sonorous whir of chains or when you simply cannot get enough of threading right and left through the “Hatzenbach” downhill, the 24 h race turns into a real joy.

When the ascent of 17% behind the “Karusell” strain the muscles of the competitors for the tenth time, when the desire to sleep almost becomes stronger than the will to race just before the second night-time assignment at 4 a.m., you can sometimes hear the competitors curse. However, those who pass the finishing line after 24 hours ascend directly from the “Green Hell” into cyclists’ heaven.   

Course of action

Every team or every individual racer of the 24h race will get one transponder. This transponder is like a baton and must be carrried as often as possible over the race track (GP-track and northloop). From the teams onle one rider is on the track with the baton. The other riders of the team have time to relax. It's an individual decision of every team how many rounds a rider cycles at each turn. Inside of the paddock you can give the baton at each place of the race track you like to your teamcolleague who will do the next turn.