It looks like I might spend the next year in Germany because of work. I have spent time there intermittently before but always got the impression that the racing scene is difficult to break into and that it’s not quite as easy (get a license and show up to races) as it is in the US. I’m a racer placing competitively in local races. I just started last season and I plan on doing a full season in the US this year. So nothing exceptional.
Any hints on how to make sure I get to race next year? If this works out, I’ll be based in Berlin.
Got a Cat 1 acquaintance working at Bike24 in Dresden that did at least one race in Germany without a license, that I think I know of. I’m sure he’ll be more than willing to point you in the right direction, pretty friendly person. His name is Michael Lambert if you have Facebook.
i´m from Germany, so i might help you.
If you have a licence (and speak a bit german) this site is the site to go https://www.rad-net.de/modules.php?name=Ausschreibung&menuid=288&menuid=288 there you can find all road races, criteriums, time trials etc. which will happen in Germany. At some Races there will be a Category which we call “Hobby” where you can take part without a license.
Races there are mostly on small circuits, the biggest circuit i have ridden was ten kilometers in length.
If you want to do Road Races which are not Circuit races, your best bet is to look at the “German Cycling Cup” http://www.cycling-cup.de/. There the entrace fee is higher, and there are thousands of people starting. The front of the Races are pretty competitive, with teams mostly very well organized. So if you really want to race, you have to start in the first block, otherwhise its more of a Gran Fondo Style of riding. Theres even one race in Berlin.
Thank you for all this! From what I gather from the first link, it’ll be difficult to get a license if I’m only in Germany for one year considering that I have to become a member in a club? Or is that pretty hassle-free?
Afraid I can’t help for Germany, but if you happen to come down the road to Czech Republic, we have some pretty nice races that are open to unlicensed riders. Or if you just make it over here and want to ride!
To get a license you have to be part of a club, but joining a club is really easy. You have to pay for both unfortunately, for the membership in the Club and the license. My Club for example covers the expenses of my license, but i dont know how it is with others. I guess it depends wheter the Club supports its racers or not.
I am shure there are lots of clubs in Berlin.
Poland (Wrocław) here. If you can write something more about Czech races, especially mountain ones (Jeseniki, Karkonosze) I would be delighted. It is hard to find calendars (they are mostly prepared in the last moment, much too late) or regulations, routes etc. I would love to fill my calendar with some races in Czech Republic as you have plenty of steep mountain routes not far away from my house but it’s hard to find many or it’s often too late.
I might be mistaken here, but isn’t the US cycling body (USAC?) affiliated with UCI? In that case it should be enough to bring your US license, you only have to double-check regarding category. I raced MTB internationally for a while and my German license was always accepted for any race that was sanctioned by an UCI affiliated body.
Either way, good luck. I’m living a few hours west of Berlin, feel free to hit me up if you need any help or are looking for someone to ride with. I’m focusing mostly on tri, but am considering a few races nearby, fairly close to Berlin as well.
http://www.uac.cz is where I find most of the races. I agree that there aren’t a great number of well advertised races in the Czech Republic and they’re often listed late. It’s an unfortunate issue, but I catch as many races as I can.
My favourite is the Milovice Pave tour, May 1st every year. It’s not a mountain race - more like a one day cobbled classic. Runs through an old Soviet military base so plenty of cobbles and some short sharp climbs.
Thanks. Maybe you can say something about Jesenicky Snek? Do you know it?
Here is a calendar (“Propozice”)
I know Vidnava is a bit hilly race and it fits my calendar well. I know Jamaica is more mountainous nad I have something else planned that day. Do you know what kind of races are the rest of it?
I don’t know it, but it looks great. We usually spend time in the western part of Krkonoše (we live in Prague, so it’s much easier to get to for us), but everywhere we’ve been has been beautiful, so I’ll look into doing at least some of that series this summer.
Yeah, I have been trying to figure that out. I can buy an “international license” from USAC, which allows me to race in UCI-sanctioned races but I couldn’t figure out if that meant UIC affiliated national federations as well. But there does seem to be a way to enter your foreign license in the registration forms for races in Germany, so that’s promising. My strategy for now is to race in the US until I go to Germany in August and then probably buy a couple of day licenses in the fall until I figure stuff out for next year. I’ll likely hit you up when I get there, anyway.
Thanks for all your help. And, @zwillis1, will definitely look at some races in Czech Republic, that sounds awesome!
Hi,
Thank you for these information.
I’m looking for a good itinerary for my next cycling trip in July and I would like to share it with person who like this kind of ride.
I’m looking for an itinerary from Stuttgart then crossing of the Bavaria, the Austria and the Burgenland to arrive in hungary.
