Deutschland Tour in Essen

In the organizer's words:

What the Tour de France is in France, the Lidl Deutschland Tour is in Germany. While the professional cyclists in the neighboring country only see the Eiffel Tower on the last stage, here they start directly at the Eiffel Tower of the Ruhr region: the Doppelbock at the Zollverein UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The so-called prologue (August 20, 2025) leads from Zollverein Shaft 1/2/8 past the management building via the coking plant to the coal washing plant on Shaft XII. It will be included in the overall time. Time trial specialists and sprinters are in demand on the three-kilometer course. The course is flat, but technically demanding and therefore promises both a high-speed spectacle as well as close time gaps - and at the end it's all about crucial seconds for the rest of the tour.

Before the elite start pedaling hard from 4:30 pm, the youngest riders will be out and about on two wheels: the "kinder Joy of Moving mini tour" is aimed at children and teenagers who are keen cyclists and can test their skills on two wheels in a learning course. They can also feel like the grown-ups for once in the balance bike race and the bike parade and be celebrated by the audience on the last few meters of the professional course. Registration is possible until Tuesday, August 19, 2025.

Road closures will be in place during the prologue of the major cycling event, which will affect the parking situation at Zollverein: Only parking lot A1, accessible via Gelsenkirchener Straße/Fritz-Schupp-Allee, will be available for visitors. Capacity is limited; we recommend traveling by public transport or bicycle. The site is accessible on foot. Up-to-date information on the event and a detailed list of closures will be published by the City of Essen.

Guided tours and specials

All Zollverein guided tours of the colliery site start exclusively at the Ruhr Visitor Center in the coal washing plant. The meeting point for the guided tours of the Zollverein coking plant is the coking plant information point. All guided tour tickets can only be purchased on site on the day of the prologue (August 20, 2025) and at the start of the first stage (August 21, 2025, until 2 p.m.). Scheduled trips with the e-bus are not possible on either day of the event (August 20 and 21, 2025).

The Zollverein Foundation will be represented with an information stand in the Ehrenhof during the prologue (August 20, 2025). Interested parties can win prizes from the "most beautiful colliery in the world" at the estimation column and the wheel of fortune. Also on site: a cartoonist who will draw personal pictures for guests - with reference to the cycling event and the UNESCO World Heritage Site. On Werner-Müller-Platz, at the foot of the orange escalator, and on the old track boulevard, exhibitors and gastronomic offerings will be presented on the "EXPO" event area, inviting visitors to join in and feast.

Over five days - between August 20 and 24, 2025 - the cyclists will really put the pedal to the metal: after the prologue, the first stage (August 21, 2025) will take them from Essen to Herford in East Westphalia. The start is the Ehrenhof at the foot of the Doppelbock. In the following stages, the route continues via Arnsberg in Sauerlang towards Kassel until the grand finale in Magdeburg.

Please note: Due to the Lidl Deutschland Tour, an increased number of visitors is to be expected on August 20 and 21, 2025. On the day of the prologue (August 20, 2025), only parking lot A1 is available to guests. Capacity is limited. Please plan accordingly for your arrival. Please use public transport.

Timetable

AUGUST 20:

12:00 - 18:30 - Expo Tour - Lidl Germany Tour Trade Fair
13:45 - 14:05 - "kinder Joy of Moving mini tour" - Parade
14:30 - 14:45 - "kinder Joy of Moving mini tour" - balance bike race
16:30 - 18:30 - Elite - Prologue
Afterwards - elite - award ceremony

THURSDAY, AUGUST 21 | START STAGE 1

10:15 am - start of the event
10:30 - 11:30 - Elite - Registration of riders
11:40 - Elite - neutralized start