Rund um Köln Velodom: routes and how to prepare
- Distance
- 124 km
- Climbing
- 1,176 m
- Highest point
- 301 m
- Categorised climbs
- 9 · up to 12 %
- Shape
- Loop
Measured on the course you ride in Cycloscape. The organiser's own figures are below.
Elevation profile
42–301 m · 9 categorised climbsThe 6 biggest of 9 categorised climbs, in the order you ride them.
Rund um Köln is Cologne's one-day classic, and its gran fondo rides, the Velodom 60 and Velodom 120, use the professional race's course. The next edition is on Sunday 23 May 2027. The route leaves from the Rheinauhafen, crosses the Bergisches Land to the east of the city — long straights, short climbs and a cobbled passage up to Schloss Bensberg — and finishes in Cologne.
Rund um Köln Velodom at a glance
- Where
- Cologne, Germany
- Official website
- rundumkoeln.de ↗
- Next edition
- 23 May 2027
- Routes
- Velodom 120: 120 km · Velodom 60: 60 km
- Terrain
- Hilly — repeated climbs
- Facts checked
- 4 November 2026, against the sources below
Full preparation and course training require Event Coach Pro.
Ride the real course on your trainer. The route of Rund um Köln Velodom, 124 km, as a 3D world, with your trainer following its gradients — any day, and as part of your Event Coach plan. Part of Cycloscape Pro.
The routes
Rund um Köln offers 2 routes.
| Route | Distance | Climbing |
|---|---|---|
| Velodom 120 | 120 km | — |
| Velodom 60 | 60 km | — |
What the course asks of you
The Bergisches Land is hilly rather than mountainous: short climbs through wooded valleys, linked by fast roads where groups form and break. The cobbles to Schloss Bensberg are short but rough.
Short climbs repeated over a fast course reward an even effort and a good position in the group before each one: arrive at the foot of a climb near the front and you can climb at your own pace.
How to prepare
The general shape of a good preparation, which Event Coach turns into a plan for your fitness, time and date:
- Train repeated climbs: several efforts of 8 to 15 minutes close to your threshold, with short recoveries, copy the rhythm of Rund um Köln.
- Build the long ride towards 120 km, so the final climbs are not the first time your legs have been out that long.
- Add a few short efforts at low cadence on steep gradients, for the ramps that come late in the day.
Pacing mistakes to avoid
The mistakes that cost riders the most on a day like this:
- Answering every climb of Rund um Köln with a surge: repeated climbs reward an even effort, not a burst on each ramp.
- Spending the most on the famous climb when the hardest part of the day is still to come.
- Letting the pace of the group on the flat decide how tired you arrive at the climbs.
Prepare Rund um Köln with Cycloscape
Tell Event Coach you are doing Rund um Köln, your route and what you want from the day, and it builds your preparation towards 23 May 2027: structured workouts held by your trainer in ERG, Race Pacing for how to spend your effort, and Performance Lab to see whether the work is landing. Full preparation and course training require Event Coach Pro.
Frequently asked
When is Rund um Köln 2027?
On Sunday, 23 May 2027, according to the organiser.
How long are the routes of Rund um Köln?
Velodom 120: 120 km; Velodom 60: 60 km. The two gran fondo distances as the organiser lists them for 2027.
How many riders take part?
About 8,000 places, sold out in 2025.
Can I ride the course of Rund um Köln in Cycloscape?
Yes, inside Event Coach with Cycloscape Pro: once you start your preparation, the course is ridden on your trainer as part of the plan.