Stage 27 follows the Hamburg to Berlin railway line east from Gardelegen to Tangermude, fifty miles west of Berlin. Although it’s billed as downhill stage, the first three miles are uphill and it’s not until a third of the way into the stage that the fun starts. Indeed, virtually all of the climbing and descending are in the first half of the stage, leaving the second half virtually flat.
The rollout climbs through Javenitz straight from the off, with the Lausebach river on the right side (south) and the railway line beyond the river. The climb peaks just after Hottendorf at four miles then remains lumpy flat for a couple of miles to Utchtspringe, and that’s where the descent begins. Hottendorf is the highest point on the stage. With the communities of Wilhelmseiche, Sidelung, Boritz and Staats all just to the south and accessed from Utchtspringe, the descent rattles through Volgfelde and past the north/south junction that serves Kathen and Vinzelberg, to Nahrstedt where the highway snakes right/left/right south of the town. It’s also the end of the main descent although there are the remnants of a gentle descent past Insel at twelve miles and Dobbelin two miles later.
After Dobbelin, the road curves right before crossing under route 189 that connects Stendal to the north (on the left in the direction of travel) with Buchholz and Luderitz to the south. After the junction comes the Dahlener Flottgrabben river flowing south to north at sixteen miles followed by a right hander south of Bindfelde which translates in real life as route 188 heading south east while route 189 heads north (anti-clockwise) around the eastern side of Stendal.
After heading south east for only a short distance, the highway swings back north east between Langensalzwedel to the north and Miltern to the south. That leaves just enough time and distance for one final right hander that lines up the curving run to the finish, which crosses the Elbe river north of Tangermunde just before the line.
Distance: 24 miles / 38 kilometres
Ascent: 295 feet / 90 metres
RGT Magic Road: pzDNjSDncMrU
Max elevation: 642 ft
Min elevation: 455 ft
Total climbing: 280 ft
Total descent: -361 ft
You must log in to post a comment.