Cyclassics / One of Germany’s best-known cycling events, Hamburg ⋆ The Passenger

The Cyclassics in Hamburg are one of Germany’s best-known road-cycling events, combining a WorldTour professional race with mass-participation rides through the city and its surrounding region. The race began in 1996, quickly gained prestige, and has since become a major fixture in Hamburg’s sporting calendar.

Historically, the event has changed names several times as sponsors came and went, but the core idea has stayed the same: a fast, largely flat race with a challenging finale. In recent years it has been known as the ADAC Cyclassics, and the 2026 edition is marked as the 30th running of the event.

For the amateur riders, there are two routes to choose from: around 60 kilometres and around 110 kilometres. The longer route starts in HafenCity, crosses the Köhlbrandbrücke, heads towards the Altes Land and Buxtehude, then returns via the city centre to the finish on Mönckebergstraße.

The shorter route begins at Kennedybrücke/Alsterglacis and takes riders west through areas such as Volkspark, Schenefeld, Holm, and Wedel before looping back via the Kösterberg and finishing in central Hamburg. Both routes use closed roads and give you a proper race-day feel, with the atmosphere of the pro event and the same dramatic finish on Mönckebergstraße.