The route of the 3RIDES Gran Fondo will be completely dominated by the Eifel National Park, thanks to the new start and finish area in the south of Aachen.
From the start, the first climbs quickly begin via the Stolberg towns of Breinig, Zweifall and Vicht. The first meters in altitude have to be mastered up to Schevenhütte, then the route continues uphill via the Rennweg into the Eifel, where the first fast descent to Zerkall behind Großhau and Kleinhau already gives a foretaste of the Eifel rollercoaster that follows. The climb to Schmidt is followed by the descent on the panoramic road to the first refreshment stop, the next climbing section to Vossenack is followed by a longer serpentine descent with the passage of Simonskall, before the next endurance test awaits on the climb out of the Kalltal valley to Rollesbroich with gradients of up to 12 percent.
The flat section through the fields of Rollesbroich and Steckenborn and a further descent to Woffelsbach then offer the opportunity for a moment of relaxation before the longest climb of the day awaits via the Rurberg to Kesternich. The finish for the age groups "M+60" and "W+50" is at the top - and the second refreshment zone for everyone at kilometer 82 of the loop.
Continuing towards the start and finish area of 3RIDES Aachen, there is another fast descent to Seifenauel and the next climb via Dedenborn to Hammer, before the route planners of Germany's biggest gravel and gran fondo event for the qualifying race for the World Championships in Australia ensure that the field is kept on the move once again with the two poisonous ramps to Eicherscheid and Simmerath.
Via Paustenbach and Lammersdorf, the location of the third refreshment stop, the route then descends to Mulartshütte and via Zweifall back to the finish on the Nerscheider Weg in Aachen-Schleckheim.
The 136-kilometre lap, which will start on the second race day of 3RIDES Aachen on Sunday, June 1st, at 7.30 a.m., has a total of 2,290 meters of elevation gain. There are 1,400 meters of elevation gain to the finish of the age groups "M+60" and "W+50" at kilometer 82.
The route of the 3RIDES Gran Fondo:
Scenic flight:
Note on the GPX track and scenic flight:
Due to the Kalltal construction site between Simmerath-Rollesbroich and Hürtgenwald-Raffelsbrand, the route shown here in the route flight is not passable in training. This route will only be open on June 1 and for 3RIDES.
The GPX track, which you can find in our STRAVA club, therefore includes a detour for training. This route is slightly longer than the original route for the UCI Gran Fondo World Series in Aachen, but has about the same amount of elevation gain. We will also publish the GPX track for the route in our STRAVA club in the next few days.
Practical information for the UCI 3RIDES Gran Fondo:
Men 19-59 and women 19-49:
136km: 115,00 Euro
Men 60+ and women 50+:
82km: 95,00 Euro
Each participant receives an attractive starter pack:
- Bike Wash
- Start number incl. transponder
- 3RIDES drinking bottle
- Merchandise from the 3RIDES partners
- Perfectly signposted race track
- Marshals along the route
- Professional timekeeping
- Results service with live tracking
- Downloadable GPX track
- Official refreshment station at 50, 80 and 110 kilometers
- Dextro Energy power station on the track
- Technical service at 50, 80 and 110 kilometers
- Medical service at start/finish and on the course
- 3RIDES medal for every finisher incl. Certificate with result and driving time
- UCI medal for the top 25% of each age group
- UCI Gravel World Series jersey for each winner in their age group
- Photo service by Sportograf
- Guarded bicycle parking
Start of the race: 07.30 am
All start according to the principle of mass start by age group. A starting box will be set up for each age category, which will be opened 1 hour before the start. AK 19-34 start in the first starting block.
The top 25% of each age group will qualify for the 2025 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships. This 25% is calculated on the basis of the number of participants who actually started, not on the number of participants who registered. The results are determined on the basis of the time driven.
The final timing, which is decisive for the result of the World Championship qualification, will be taken at the following kilometer marker:
82km (on the track):
Official qualifying distance for the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships (men 60+ and women 50+)
136km (at the finish):
Official qualifying distance for the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships (men 19-59 and women 19-49)
Friday, 30.05.2025, 16:00 - 20:00 h
Saturday, 31.05.2025, 09:00 - 18:00 h
Sunday, 01.06.2025, 05.00 - 06.00 a.m.
The starting documents will be issued upon presentation of an official ID + medical certificate that is not older than 1 year at the time of the event or the racing license. If the participant is prevented, he/she must ensure that the starting documents are collected by a person authorized in writing.
Each participant is obligated to satisfy him/herself of the correctness of the recorded data when collecting the participant documents. Corrections can only be made by the 3RIDES Orga Team until the end of the race number distribution. There is no entitlement to a subsequent change/correction.
All information about the exact route can be found on this page. The race course is 136 kilometers long; the finale for the older age groups is on the race course at kilometer 82.
AK 19-49w / AK 19-59m: 136km / 2,290m
AK 50-80w / AK 60-80m: 82km / 1,400m
The race route is signposted, 136km long in total and closed for 30 minutes after the top riders. Track marshals and a final vehicle will secure the route during this time. Drivers who are overtaken by the final vehicle can continue in compliance with the rules of the road and receive a final time and result at the finish.
IMPORTANT FOR AK50-80w / AK 60-80m
The final and thus also the timekeeping for the qualification for the World Championships is located on the race course at kilometer 82.
The closing time for all age groups is 12.00 noon. The award ceremonies will start at the same time, beginning with the overall winners and then all age groups.
