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🇩🇪 Germany /Culture & Society

After its year as European Capital of Culture, European Peace Ride returns with a new mission

From Die Zeit · () German

Translated from German and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources New plan
  • The European Peace Ride will begin in Zittau on Sept. 11 with about 200 cyclists and cover roughly 500 kilometers through the Czech Republic and Dresden to Chemnitz.
  • Organizers want to support Germany’s bid to host the 2029 Tour de France and include a separate group of 20 cyclists, some with severe disabilities.
  • The ride draws on the legacy of the former International Peace Race and will pass the Steile Wand climb in Meerane, with a family festival expected to feature former professional cyclist Jan Ullrich.

The European Peace Ride is returning after Chemnitz’s 2025 year as European Capital of Culture, this time with a mission that combines cycling, inclusion, and Germany’s bid for the 2029 Tour de France.

“We want to support Germany’s bid for the 2029 Tour de France,” organizer Kai Winkler said. The ride will also involve people with disabilities more prominently and revive images associated with the former International Peace Race, a competition remembered especially in the former East Germany and Eastern Europe.

The event starts on Friday, Sept. 11, in Zittau, with about 200 cyclists. They will travel roughly 500 kilometers over three stages through Liberec in the Czech Republic and Dresden before reaching Chemnitz on Sunday, Sept. 13. At the same time, a separate group of 20 cyclists, some with severe disabilities, will set off from Zittau on a different route and rejoin the main peloton for the finish.

We want to support Germany’s bid for the 2029 Tour de France.

· Kai WinklerThe organizer described the European Peace Ride’s new mission.

The European Peace Ride recalls the International Peace Race, which ran from 1948 to 2006 and used cycling to promote European understanding. Its history is associated with riders such as Täve Schur, the first East German winner in 1955, and Steffen Wesemann, the race’s most successful participant with five overall victories.

This year’s route will pass through the Steile Wand in Meerane, a legendary Peace Race location in the Zwickau district. Riders must tackle a 12% gradient and uneven cobblestones. A family festival is planned there, with former professional cyclist Jan Ullrich expected to attend. Other stops include the German Clock Museum in Glashütte and Dresden’s Frauenkirche. Winkler said the church represents the purpose of the ride, which uses sport to connect different themes and again includes an economic dialogue. The ride’s stated goal remains to signal peaceful coexistence in Europe.

A place that stands like no other for what this ride is about.

· Kai WinklerHe referred to Dresden’s Frauenkirche as a symbolic stop on the route.
About this summary

Originally published by Die Zeit in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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