Jan-Ullrich-Project

The Jan-Ullrich Project

Favorite rides by Jan Ullrich (February 2022 to October 2022 - initially planned between September 2021 and July 2022)

In the 1990s - when Jan Ullrich first moved to Southern Germany - he had published a book with reporter Hagen Boßdorf. Titled "meine lieblingsradtouren" (my favorite bike tours) it describes the favorite training rides by Jan Ullrich in his adopted hometown area and through the Black Forest.

I have a copy of the book since the 1990s, but except for a few of my standard rouites I have never ridden any of those suggested routes. Time to change this and also create the according tracks with it (not available at ther time...)

There is a total of 17 tours - some of them are rather long (the longest is 387 kilometers or 240 miles), so the project will run into the summer of 2022

A completed route will be published with tracks, details and an obligatory comment to any traffic situation that occurred - after all, this is the main purpose of this site: Cycling Safety.

Rules:
- routes will be done in the order they apear in the book
- The route will start and finish in the towns described in the book - riding to and from their (or taking the train) is permitted :)

Tour 1 - Decisive Texaspass

The Texaspass was always the centerpiece of the final stage of the Regio Tour. At the time, it was usually eight laps. In this stripped down version you do it only twice -
once from each side.

But keep in mind that there are other climbs, like Mondhalde, Schelinger Höhe oder Vogelsang dazu. Non eof them are very long, but we are talking vineyards, so they are steep.

86 km 1142 Höhenmeter
53 miles 3746 vertical feet

Tour 2 - Around the Kaiserstuhl & Tuniberg

Flat recovery route one time around the Kaiserstuhl, with really nice areas to discover. Often, you riude close enough to the border that you may be tempted to cross into France - which does offer nice rides as well. Bridges in Breisach and Sasbach provide the opportunity to ride into the neighboring country. Tour possible at almost all times of the year.

84 km 165 Höhenmeter
52 miles 541 vertical feet

Tour 3 -
Wild &
Heartily

Supernice tour, with the Black Forest at its best. Climb up Simonaswald and enter Wildgutach - a super-pretty creek all the way to the Hexenlochmühle (witch's area mill...) After a few more vertical meters you reach the Linachtalsperre, a very calm and quiet area. Eventually, you will pass the ruins of the Hochburg and have a splendid view to the Rhine Delta.

112 km 1600 Höhenmeter
70 Miles 5249 vertical feet

Tour 4 - Europa-Park Tour

The amusement park Europa-Park is the starting point for a tour over so many hills that you end up with more than 7,000 feet of climbing and almost a century. It goes up and down just like on the roller coatser. "Fun tour for those who enjoy quietly" says Jan Ullrich. I guess after all these vertical miles the enjoyer will be quiet alright!

149 Kilometer 2150 Höhenmeter
92 miles 7053 vertical feet

Tour 5 - Over the Wiedener Eck

We are not goiung over the tough Belchen climb here, but just barely miss it. This is enough vertical feet to feel the pain in your legs. In the beautiful Münstertal the climb starts out quiet easy, but is getting steeper at the end. On the other side, one more long climb awaits us before we can take it easy and ride mostly through parts of the area

152 Kilometer 1950 Höhenmeter
94 miles 6397 vertical feet

Tour 6 - Six-Valley-Ride

Lipple, Schanze, Scheideck - no names that are known from the Tour de France - but those suckers are as hard as any category one climb. At the end of the day you not only did a nice tour through the Black Forest, but also ended up with more than 8,000 feet of climbing. Relax your legs at the spa in Badenweiler after the ride!

130 Kilometer 2567 Höhenmeter
80 miles 8421 vertical feet

Tour 7 - High above the Wehra Valley

We are in the most southern part of the Black Forrst. The Hochkopf climb is a new one, but the Kreuzweg (also known as Sirnitz) we already know from Tour 5. Won't be easier, though. But the long easy part in the beginning allows to loosen up the muscles, before the road tilts upwards. Shorter Tour, but more than 6000 feet of climbing.

69miles 6500 vertical feet

Tour 8 - Le Tour malade

Maybe you have to be a little bit sick to do a tour with about 17000 feet of climbing, spread over 140 miles. But: Mountaiin joy pure, descending some of the nicest roads in the Black Forest. Where there is an Up there is aDown and you better look on the bright side of life. Small reminder to the Four-Summit rides of the adfc in the past!

231km 5110 Höhenmeter
140 miles 17000 vertical ft

Tour 9 - Three-Lakes-Tour

Three lakes, that sounds like easy, flat rolling along in beautiful scenery. Well, it is, sort of. But the roads aren't as flat as the lakes we pass, clocking up almost 7000 feet of climbing instead.But well woth the effort through really scenic country side.

153km 1992 Höhenmeter
96 miles 6500 vertical feet

Tour 10 - Just for mountain goats

A relatively short tour at around 70 miles, but with 10000 vertical feet, thanks to a constant up and down. After a small warmup we hit the mountains with Schauinsland and Belchen. The short but steep Stohren awaits us at the end.

113km 2955 Höhenmeter
96 miles 10000 vertical feet

Tour 11 - Border Patrol

We are hitting the home of Olympic Mountain Bike Champion Sabine Spitz. Just a little over 64 miles and 5000 feet of climbing, so a rather moderate tour. Area is the home turf of DSM rider Nico Denz. We hit a max of 700 Meter of altitude (2100 ft)

103km 1578 Höhenmeter
66 niles 5000 vertical feet

Tour 12 - Danube and Lake Constance

Even Jan Ullrich declares it a two-day tour, admitting it is not the regular training route, with 387 kilometers (240 miles) But at season's end (or as a weekend highlight) well worth it. Plus the chance to ride undiscovered terrain.

387km 4010 Höhenmeter
240 miles 13000 vertical feet

Tour 13 - Crossing the Black Forest

The title says it all - crossing it from North to South in its entirety and ending up in... Switzerland! From Pforzheim to Basel, there are 4000 vertical meter waiting, sprerad over 309 KIlometer. THe nice thoing is to discover some of the roads less traveled, especialy towards the North.

309km 4426 Höhenmeter

Tour 14 - Onto the Äulemer Kreuz

We see a lot of known landmarks fropm previous tours, like Kreuzweg/Sirnitz, Titisee, St. Märgen. Still a tour worth its effort, as the scenery is spectacular , the climbs are nice and the descents rewarding.

152 km 2356 Höhenmeter

Tour 15 - Schwarzwaldhochstraße

Parts are on the busy B500 but the Mumelsee is a must see on the bicycle. It is also the highest point of the tour. An early start will minimze the tourist spottings. THe tour is short - less than 90 kilometers..

88km 1296 Höhenmeter

Tour 16 - Mountain- and Spa Tour

Spa Tour, as start and finish are in Baden Baden, where you can relax after a hard day in the mountains and relax your tired muscles. The tour is long, with 145 kilometers and more than two and a half thousand vertical meters. But we are reaching the end opf the book, so a strong effort is to be expected here.

145km 2766 Höhenmeter

Tour 17 - Alexanderschanze

Last tour. We climb once more to almost 1000 Meter of altitude. But with 'only' 1500 vertical meter and 115 kilometer, the final tour is not that bad. A flat stzart from Lahr, then we are off into the hilly area towards the east.

115km 1490 Höhenmeter