The race has over the decades had different profiles and also different categories, leading to a very diverse palmarès. Its first edition dates back to 1962 and notoriously, it is a race in which Eddy Merckx sealed his name back in 1971 – although he attempted, without success, to win it several other times.
With many of Germany’s biggest names over modern history being sprinters, it is a race that has also seen several of them target it with success – Erik Zabel, Fabian Wegmann, John Degenkolb and Pascal Ackermann have all won it. From 2014 to 2018 (there was no race in 2015) Alexander Kristoff won all editions, marking a period where the sprinters ruled over the race. After Covid, Jasper Philipsen and Sam Bennett continued the trend of the fast men.
Decathlon CMA CGM Team will be backing up Tobias Lund Andresen whilst having several riders also for the mountainous terrain that will be faced; INEOS Grenadiers has Ben Turner, Axel Laurance and Samuel Watson all present as riders who can both climb and sprint; Whilst different teams such as Bahrain – Victorious will focus on its climbers, in this case Pello Bilbao and Afonso Eulálio.
Startlist Eschborn-Frankfurt 2026
| Decathlon CMA CGM Team | ||
| Andresen, Tobias Lund | ||
| Chamberlain, Oscar | ||
| Ghys, Robbe | ||
| Labrosse, Jordan | ||
| Lapeira, Paul | ||
| Mühlberger, Gregor | ||
| Paret-Peintre, Aurélien | ||
| Netcompany INEOS Cycling Team | ||
| Foss, Tobias | ||
| Hamilton, Lucas | ||
| Heiduk, Kim | ||
| Laurance, Axel | ||
| Rodríguez, Oscar | ||
| Turner, Ben | ||
| Watson, Sam | ||
| Tudor Pro Cycling Team | ||
| Kluckers, Arthur | ||
| Kolze Changizi, Sebastian | ||
| Mikutis, Aivaras | ||
| Stork, Florian | ||
| Weiss, Fabian | ||
| Wilksch, Hannes | ||
| Zijlaard, Maikel | ||
| Bahrain Victorious | ||
| Bilbao, Pello | ||
| Eulálio, Afonso | ||
| Kepplinger, Rainer | ||
| Miquel, Pau | ||
| Omrzel, Jakob | ||
| Paasschens, Mathijs | ||
| Uno-X Mobility | ||
| Bugge, Martin Urianstad | ||
| Cort, Magnus | ||
| Dalby, Simon | ||
| Dversnes, Fredrik | ||
| Kamp, Alexander | ||
| Løland, Sakarias Koller | ||
| Svarre, Tobias | ||
| NSN Cycling Team | ||
| Côté, Pier-André | ||
| Martí, Pau | ||
| Neilands, Krists | ||
| Schultz, Nick | ||
| Smith, Dion | ||
| Stewart, Jake | ||
| Strong, Corbin | ||
| Pinarello – Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team | ||
| Azparren, Xabier Mikel | ||
| Bax, Sjoerd | ||
| Calzoni, Walter | ||
| Christen, Fabio | ||
| Hermans, Quinten | ||
| Meurisse, Xandro | ||
| Pidcock, Tom | ||
| Lidl – Trek | ||
| Andersen, Søren Kragh | ||
| Bagioli, Andrea | ||
| Kämna, Lennard | ||
| Norsgaard, Mathias | ||
| Skujiņš, Toms | ||
| Vergaerde, Otto | ||
| Walscheid, Max | ||
| Alpecin – Premier Tech | ||
| Debruyne, Ramses | ||
| Del Grosso, Tibor | ||
| Glivar, Gal | ||
| Houle, Hugo | ||
| Plowright, Jensen | ||
| Riesebeek, Oscar | ||
| Verstrynge, Emiel | ||
| Team Jayco AlUla | ||
| Ackermann, Pascal | ||
| Covi, Alessandro | ||
| Engelhardt, Felix | ||
| Foldager, Anders | ||
| Pickering, Finlay | ||
| Porter, Rudy | ||
| Sütterlin, Jasha | ||
| Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe | ||
| Etxeberria, Haimar | ||
| Hajek, Alexander | ||
| Herzog, Emil | ||
| Pithie, Laurence | ||
| Poppel, Danny van | ||
| Thornley, Callum | ||
| Wandahl, Frederik | ||
| TotalEnergies | ||
| Bonnet, Thomas | ||
| Burgaudeau, Mathieu | ||
| Gachignard, Thomas | ||
| Guernalec, Thibault | ||
| Jeannière, Emilien | ||
| Marcerou, Nicola | ||
| Thierry, Pierre | ||
| EF Education – EasyPost | ||
| Agostinacchio, Mattia | ||
| Albanese, Vincenzo | ||
| Baudin, Alex | ||
| Hobbs, Noah | ||
| Schwarzbacher, Matthias | ||
| Simmons, Colby | ||
| Valgren, Michael | ||
| Team Picnic PostNL | ||
| Biesterbos, Frits | ||
| Broek, Frank van den | ||
| Degenkolb, John | ||
| Dinham, Matthew | ||
| Jakobsen, Fabio | ||
| Koerdt, Bjoern | ||
| Märkl, Niklas | ||
| Lotto – Intermarché | ||
| Boven, Luca Van | ||
| Eetvelt, Lennert Van | ||
| Gualdi, Simone | ||
| Orins, Robin | ||
| Rota, Lorenzo | ||
| Rutsch, Jonas | ||
| Zimmermann, Georg | ||
| Team Visma – Lease a Bike | ||
| Belle, Loe van | ||
| Doull, Owain | ||
| Fiorelli, Filippo | ||
| Hagenes, Per Strand | ||
| Kelderman, Wilco | ||
| Tulett, Ben | ||
| Soudal – Quick-Step | ||
| Bastiaens, Ayco | ||
| Dainese, Alberto | ||
| Eenkhoorn, Pascal | ||
| Lampaert, Yves | ||
| Raccagni, Andrea | ||
| Reinderink, Pepijn | ||
| Vansevenant, Mauri | ||
| UAE Team Emirates XRG | ||
| Baroncini, Filippo | ||
| Giaimi, Luca | ||
| Herregodts, Rune | ||
| Oliveira, Rui | ||
| Pericas, Adrià | ||
| Politt, Nils | ||
| Wellens, Tim | ||
| Cofidis | ||
| Aranburu, Alex | ||
| Ferron, Valentin | ||
| Izagirre, Ion | ||
| Joalland, Yaël | ||
| Maas, Jan | ||
| Meehan, Jamie | ||
| Ourselin, Paul | ||
| Movistar Team | ||
| Barrenetxea, Jon | ||
| Hessmann, Michel | ||
| Moro, Manlio | ||
| Pescador, Diego | ||
| Sanchez, Pelayo | ||
| Serrano, Gonzalo | ||
| Tesfatsion, Natnael | ||
| Unibet Rose Rockets | ||
| Augé, Ronan | ||
| Johannink, Jelle | ||
| Kopecký, Matyáš | ||
| Loockx, Lander | ||
| Meris, Sergio | ||
| Müller, Tobias | ||
| Venturini, Clément |