August 20, 2026
The longest stage of the week comes on day one as the riders set out from Bad Orb in Hesse and travel due South into Baden-Württemberg for 215 grueling kilometers to the finish in Schwäbisch Hall. There is almost no flat road the entire way as the course covers constantly undulating roads on hills of 2-4% for 1-4 km. There is an official KOM for the break to go for in Reicholzheim after 2.5 km of climbing at 5.2% mid-way through the stage and another in Hemersberg which is harder at 7% but just 1.8 km long. The Hemersberg climb tops out 52 km from the finish and will trigger the riders to switch on for the finale. After an intermediate sprint in Waldenburg, the race passes over an uncategorized climb at 5% and then descends down to the Kocker River and into Schwäbisch Hall for one lap and two passages of the finish line. The last 15 km will be hectic with three hills coming back to back. The first is the climb to the finish of 2.2 km at 4.6%, then one up to the Rollhofsteige of 650 meters at 8% with bonus seconds on offer at the top then the climb to the finish once again. It's a puncheur's paradise with a finale that should be very aggressive.
Race Summary
The weather was much more aggregable than on day one as the riders set from Bad Orb with dry roads and comfortable temperatures at 22C (72F). A group of three rolled off the front early including Ole Theiler and Miguel Heidemann of REMBE | rad-net and Ellande Larronde of Caja Rural Seguros-RGA. Live pictures were broadcast starting with 99 km to go and it was UAE-XRG setting the pace in the peloton around 4 minutes behind the break.
The landscape showed signs of a dry summer with as much brown as green in the meadows and fields. A few of the hills through the Tauber valley had wind mills dotted along the ridge lines that overlooked quiet villages with terracotta roofs but they were hardly turning in the still conditions. UAE-XRG had their two teenagers managing the break in Moritz Mauss and Matteo Vanden Wijngaert. By the time they passed the Schloss in Aschhausen with 73 km to go, the gap was down to 3 minutes 20 seconds and well under control.
With 59 km to go, a heavy cloud burst and rain soaked the roads as the break approached the second categorized climb of the day of the Hemersberg. The gap was down to 1 minute 50 seconds when the climb began 3 km later as the peloton started to jostle for position coming into more narrow roads. It was a bit of a surprise, but attacks started to come from the bunch, first by Alexys Brunel of TotalEnergies, then Juan Pedro López of Movistar. Giulio Ciccone of Lidl-Trek decided to follow López and then pushed on. A split formed about 15 riders back with Mathias Vacek of Lidl-Trek, Florian Stork of Tudor Pro Cycling, and Louis Barré of Visma-Lease a Bike included but no Isaac del Toro of UAE-XRG. Over the top, only Vacek, Barré, and Stork were in the group but they were all contenders for the overall and dangerous for UAE-XRG. Del Toro decided his best move was to fire himself out of the peloton and try and bridge on his own. Matteo Sobrero of Lidl-Trek, Marc Hirschi of Tudor Pro Cycling, and Rainer Kepplinger of Bahrain-Victorious latched on as did quite a few others. Del Toro closed the Vacek group down and they formed a new group of around 15 riders at 1 minute from the original break and 10 seconds from the rest of the peloton led by Unibet Rose Rockets and Soudal Quickstep.
The group was brought back with 49 km to go and another attack was sent by Michel Hessmann of Movistar. Unfortunately for the German, no one went with him and he was quickly reabsorbed. In all of the action, the three leaders were also caught and the race was all together with 46 km to go, 7 km before the intermediate sprint in Waldenberg. The peloton threatened to split a few more times as riders tried to jump away but it all settled down after Théo Hébert of TotalEnergies broke away and pedaled solo off the front.
With 36 km to go, Hébert had built a lead of 35 seconds when Max Walscheid of Lidl-Trek attacked from the peloton on his own. Visma-Lease a Bike took it upon themselves to make the chase but that did not last long because the terrain was slowing becoming more grippy and attacks kicked off again. Walscheid was caught and the next to get separation was Dutch National Champion Wilco Kelderman of Visma-Lease a Bike. Kelderman linked up with Hébert at 30 km to go and they built nice gap of 45 seconds to the peloton who looked to be waiting to let loose once more.
Lidl-Trek was the first team to flinch in the game of chicken and they began to track down the leading duo. Hébert led Kelderman onto the circuit at 17 km to go with a lead of 27 seconds. The gap remained quite stable as the leaders rode up the highway climb to the finish line to hear the bell for one lap to go. With all six riders at the front, Lidl-Trek hauled back the leaders to bring the race all together with 7 km to go, 2 km from the Rollhofsteige and the Bonus Sprint. Lidl-Trek settled back a few spots and it was Tudor Pro Cycling who took on the pace making as the road climbed away from Schwäbisch Hall up the Rollhofsteige. Vacek went 500 meters from the line to get the bonus seconds but it was way too early and he completely blew up as Barré went passed with Paul Magnier of Soudal Quickstep on his wheel. Barré took 3 seconds at the top, Magnier 2, and Vacek 1 second but there was at least a 10 second gap between the duo of Barré and Magnier and the rest of the peloton as the road tipped down back into town.
There was real discord in the chasing group of favorites and the gap crept out to 12 seconds as Barré and Magnier started to climb with 2 km to go. Barré wasn't holding back one bit and hit the lower section of the hill will all of his might. Magnier lost the wheel then all contact with Barré as his compatriot muscled his way up the drag. The rest of the favorites were in a stand-off through 1 km to go and it was only Lidl-Trek pulling in a group of around 35 riders. It wasn't until 600 meters to go when del Toro went for it one last time but the winning moment was gone and Barré sailed across the line victorious after a strong, determined, and fearless effort. Somehow, del Toro managed to win the reduced sprint after leading out for so long ahead of Ciccone and Natnael Tesfatsion of Movistar but it was 16 seconds after Barré.
When all of the bonus seconds were factored in, Barré took over the GC lead by 9 seconds ahead of del Toro and 18 seconds to Ciccone. Time bonuses will be given at one intermediate point and the finish for the rest of the week as well so there are ample opportunities for the ten riders within 30 seconds on GC to still make something happen in the race.