Cycling sensation in the ILM district: Jonastal Challenge inspires 262 participants!

Cycling sensation in the ILM district: Jonastal Challenge inspires 262 participants!

Arnstadt, Thüringen, Deutschland - Last weekend, the ILM district in Thuringia organized two exciting cycling events: the Jonastal Challenge in Arnstadt and the campus pedal in Ilmenau. In particular, the Jonastal Challenge has proven to be a real highlight, but not only captivates cycling enthusiasts, but also promotes young people in organized cycling.

The Jonastal Challenge took place for the third time, attracted a total of 262 participants on Saturday, June 14, 2025. The route, which extends over 13.2 kilometers, is known as one of the most winding individual time trials worldwide. With almost 140 changes of direction and a slight slope of around 1.5 percent, the route is waiting for cyclists with a proper swing and a very demanding challenge.

route and challenges

Starting at the Arnstadt traffic education center, the route led over Crawinkel and back. The spokesman for the event, Stefan Röder, referred to the wind conditions in the open valley areas, which represented an additional challenge for many participants. Such weather conditions simply cannot be defined away, and every driver had to adjust well.

Participation was open to adults and for the youngsters (U13, U15, U17). Shorter routes of 8.8 and 17.7 km were offered for the youngest. The Challenge not only helps to arouse enthusiasm for cycling, but also makes a valuable contribution to the youth work in Germany.

The cycling tradition in Arnstadt

Arnstadt has established itself as an important location for cycling, not least because it is the birthplace of cycling greats like Marcel Kittel and Thomas Ziegler. The first Jonastal Challenge took place in July 2023 and has steadily developed since then. Now it is important to continue this tradition and reach more and more cycling fans. The city administration of Arnstadt and RSV Adler Arnstadt e.V. are here in committed cooperation.

cycling lovers who may not have been able to participate or want to pursue other events in the region can find a variety of events and information at cycling.de . So cycling remains alive and exciting, and everyone has the opportunity to be a piece of this dynamic community.