Felix Engelhardt has claimed his first elite men’s road race title at the German Road Race Championships in Bad Liebenstein.
In the scorching heat of the Thuringian Forest, the 25-year-old rider was the protagonist of a remarkable comeback in the last of the seven laps on the demanding 27.3km circuit. After being dropped on the final climb, Engelhardt reduced the deficit to the five-rider breakaway on the descent with less than 3km to go.
In a tense finish, Engelhardt out sprinted Lennart Jasch and Nico Denz to claim the German title and he will now start his debut Tour de France in the national champion’s jersey next weekend.
Felix Engelhardt:
“It’s an incredible feeling. Everyone dreams of this. There’s nothing better than wearing the champion’s jersey, especially when heading to the most important race in the world: the Tour de France.
It was an amazing race. On the last lap, I was on the verge of cramping and lost contact. I rode the descent as hard as I could and managed to get back on, then gave it absolutely everything I had left in the sprint!”
2026 German Road Race Championships – Results
1. Felix Engelhardt (Team Jayco AlUla) 4:38:08
2. Lennart Jasch ST
3. Nico Denz ST
Photo: Sprint Cycling
