24h race track: The “Green Hell”

No matter which level you are riding on, when you enter the legendary Nordschleife of the Nürburgring, you will experience that the old Eifelcourse takes a lot out of you and also offer a lot. It is the most beautiful strip of tarmac between the North and the South Pole and it attracts visitors with its beautiful scenery and offers a great challenge with the 500 m of altitude difference and 72 bends on a length of approximately 22 km. If you wish to go through the 24 h of “Green Hell” you are up for a unique experience!

Here at the Nürburgring, bicycle world champions have been crowned, individual competitors have gone to their limits and tourist riders have battled, but they all came out of the “Green Hell” happily. The fascination of this unique race track for car drivers and motorcycle riders is just as strong for bicyclists.

For hours on end there have been discussions as to what the reasons for this fascination might be. What can be said for sure is that everyone makes their own experience and develops their individual love for the “Grand Dame” of race tracks. And no matter why, as soon as you get infected with the “Nürburgring” virus you will not get over it so quickly. This applies specifically to the competitors in the 24 h race.

It all starts innocently and impressively at the same time. After all, you do not get to experience the start on a Formula 1 course everyday. The track has a width of 18 m, so there will be no scrimmage, there is no ascent. The right bend into the Mercedes Arena is no challenge yet either. Then comes the starting lap via the short configuration which features a short climb to the “NGK chicane” which is where it becomes a little more challenging, the rest of the laps leading through the rider’s paddock along the tents of the 3,000 competitors on the other hand are a real joy. Then you get onto the Grand Prix course which initially almost constantly leads downhill to “Breitscheid”. Really ambitious riders reach speeds up to 100 km/h on the “Fuchsröhre” stretch, beautiful views of the Eifel countryside offer an alternative attraction.

From “Breitscheid” on, the going gets tougher. The “Ex-Mühle” and “Bergwerk” sections lead to the “Klostertal” section which is a real challenge. Very slowly and gradually the tarmac rises, suggesting an easy climb. However, with every metre the ascent gets steeper. Between the legendary “Karussell” and the “Hohen Acht” section, a top degree of 17% is reached. This is the point where competitors begin to understand why cyclists also call it the “Green Hell”. “Wippermann“, “Eschbach“, “Brünnchen“, “Pflanzgarten“ are sections which are rather harmless in comparison although they are winding and feature a good deal of climbs and descents. The track leads to the long straight called “Döttinger Höhe” via the “Schwalbenschwanz” and the “Galgenkopf”. At the end of this straight, there is only the “Hohenrain” chicane which separates the competitors from the start and finish line of the Grand Prix course. Stands and the pit lane rise from the ground. And for a few minutes it is once more the high-tech buildings and the hustle of the riders’ paddock which dominate the scenery. Subsequently the door to the “Green Hell” opens up once more for another lap.