“Dealing with us was very painful”
Traditional races are facing the final
26.03.2025 – 5:16 p.m.Reading time: 2 min.
The 37th edition of the Thuringia tour is canceled. How the traditional race continues is completely open.
After the cancellation of this year’s Thuringia tour of the women, the question arises of the future of the race. Tour director Vera Hohlfeld no longer sees a perspective for herself to continue under the current circumstances. “I am no longer available under the conditions,” she told the German Press Agency.
The 53-year-old left open whether there could be a new start in 2026. Hohlfeld emphasized to the MDR at “Sport in the East” that she would not stand in the way of a possible sequel if there were serious interested parties. In this case, she announced that she wanted to do everything “that the tour has a future”.
The long-time organizer announced the cancellation of the 37th edition of the only international women’s tour in Germany at the beginning of the year. Crucial for this: Previous funding from the Free State of Thuringia had no longer been approved and should later be deducted from another pot.
Hohlfeld said that in the end the strength was missing to continue to fight against the State Chancellery for Funding. They compared the conversations with the ministers with a begging “like on a bazaar”. “Dealing with us was very painful and the decisive point,” said Hohlfeld.
At the latest at the end of February, the tense financial situation had become an existential problem. Several appointments had to be postponed. Hohlfeld: “The processing can no longer be implemented in three months until the start of the tour and the financial risk to get further work on the way.”
The tour originally planned from June 17th to June 22 was to become the 37th edition of the tour that has existed since 1986. The stage race had previously paused in the turn of 1990/91 and during the Corona pandemic in 2020.