The Lotto Thüringen Women Cycling Challenge is a one-day women's cycling race held every July in the German state of Thuringia. The race is part of the UCI Women's ProSeries. The title sponsor is LOTTO Thüringen, the state lottery of Thuringia.
From 1986 until 2024, the Thüringen Rundfahrt der Frauen or Thüringen Ladies Tour women's stage race was held every July. It was rated a class 2.Pro event by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), before joining the UCI Women's ProSeries in 2021. Following a loss of sponsorship and withdrawal of state funding, the 2025 edition of the race was cancelled.
History
Stage race (Thüringen Rundfahrt der Frauen) A stage race was first held in 1986 in what was then East Germany, and was consistently held from 1992 – with only the 2020 event cancelled owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. Organisers noted their desire to be part of the UCI Women's World Tour in future, and provided live television coverage of the event from 2022.
In March 2025, organisers announced that the 2025 edition of the race had been cancelled after €200,000 in funding from the Thuringia state government was stopped. In May 2025, organisers noted that the stage race would not return, citing "irreparable damage to trust with state authorities" and a loss of sponsorship.
One-day race (Thüringen Women Cycling Challenge) In 2026, organisers announced they would hold a one-day race in the city of Gera in Thuringia in July 2026. The long course included six laps of a finishing circuit that included a climb with an average gradient of 6.2%. Organisers also noted they wished to expand the race to multiple stages in future.
Winners
Stage race Source: YearDistance(km)StagesWinner1986 210 1987 295 1988 398 1989 410 1990–1991 Event not held 1992 374 1993 335 1994 394 1995 406 1996 465 1997 553 1998 523 1999 664 2000 618 2001 634 2002 634 2003 566 2004 588 6 2005 583 6 2006 594 6 2007 593 6 2008 553 6 2009 587 6 2010 615 6 2011 590 7 2012 578 6 2013 633 7 2014 595 6 2015 595 7 2016 672.6 7 2017 553.9 6 2018 559.8 7 2019 545.7 6 2020 No race due to COVID-19 pandemic 2021 672.6 6 2022 695.8 6 2023 695.8 6 2024 630.6 6 2025Race cancelled
One day race +YearRiderTeam2026
References
External links