From Erfurt, the route follows the Gera south. The first kilometres still feel urban, then the ride becomes quieter: fields, villages and the Thuringian Forest on the horizon. Via Arnstadt and Plaue, the stage climbs out of the flat foreland. The central section brings the clear change of the day. Beyond Geraberg, the road gets steeper, the forest becomes denser and the air turns cooler. Around Oberhof, the route reaches the Rennsteig area and its highest point; here, the stage briefly feels like a proper low-mountain crossing. After that comes a long descent on the southern side of the Thuringian Forest. Via Zella-Mehlis, Benshausen and the Werra valley, the final kilometres lead into Meiningen, with its old town, theatre and Elisabethenburg Palace as clear end points.
