Rick Steffen arrives at Nürburgring with a target on his back and history in his pedals. The ROSE Racing Team rider, absolute dominator of the last two editions, is looking this weekend for a feat that few dare to imagine: his third consecutive victory in the 24h Rad am Ring - Einzelfahrer category. It's not just a matter of endurance; it's a challenge against the mystique of the Nordschleife, a circuit that doesn't forgive even the slightest miscalculation in aid station strategy or lactic acid management.
The stage remains the same, but the pressure has ramped up. With a total elevation gain exceeding 12,000 meters for those aiming for the podium, the key will once again be the Hohe Acht sector. That 17% wall becomes, after twenty hours of pedaling, a psychological torture where drafting disappears and every cyclist faces their own agony. Steffen already proved last year that he is capable of maintaining an insulting watts-per-kilo ratio even when the sun begins to bake the perfect asphalt of the Grand Prix track.
The threat of the asphalt and the Eifel wind
Unlike last year's edition, marked by a heatwave that melted many ambitions, the forecast for this Friday points to the typical instability of the Rheinland-Pfalz region. Gusty winds in the Fuchsröhre area, where riders reach dizzying speeds close to 100 km/h, could be the factor that breaks the groups in the Jedermannrennen 150 km and 75 km races. On a layout with 72 corners per lap, technical lines and courage on the descents are worth as much as physical stamina.
A relentless festival of watts
While ultra-endurance specialists prepare for a night of headlamps and sepulchral silence in the forest, the program kicks off with the explosiveness of the Rad am Ring Zeitfahren. It's barely 22 kilometers, but the time trial design forces a brutal transition between the flats and the breath-taking ramps. There is no room for recovery; it's an exercise in pure anaerobic threshold before the Green Hell opens its gates to the bulk of the international peloton which, once again, has sold out every available bib number.