The 55th edition of Eschborn-Frankfurt gets underway on Sunday. The 206km German one-day race features a steep ascent, the Mammolshainer Berg which has to be climbed four times before hitting the finishing circuit in Frankfurt. Team Giant-Alpecin's John Degenkolb is set to make his race comeback on Sunday following a recovery period of more than three months.

"First of all, I am really happy to pin my race number on again and to be at the starting line. It’s my home race on Sunday which makes it even more special for me. I am really thankful to all the people who have supported me and who have made it possible for me to race again,” he said.

"I am certainly not here to aim for the win. The goal is to get back the feeling of riding in the peloton and of course this is my first test on competition ground since January. Let’s not forget what I have been through the last few months and keep it all in perspective. For Sunday, I hope I can finish the race in a good way."

Simon Geschke and Ramon Sinkeldam will share the leadership.

"I am looking forward to this Sunday and we will try to put in a good performance. It's always nice to race in your home country. As a German, that doesn't happen too often so I will make the most of it," Geschke said.

"I hope that I have recovered sufficiently from my Ardennes classics campaign and be involved in the finale. The outcome of this race is always different. Sometimes it ends up in a bunch sprint but it may also be a sprint with a select group of riders. Either way, we have a strong team here to deal with the different scenarios."

"My form feels good at the moment and I am excited to race in Frankfurt this weekend. I did a one-week training camp after Paris-Roubaix and that went very well. We are really happy to see John back in the team after such a long period out injured and I hope he can have a positive return to racing, Sinkeldam said.

"The organizers have made the route tougher this year but if there is is an opportunity for a bunch sprint, I will go for it and target a top ten finish."

"It has been a challenging few months but we saw in the Ardennes classics that the results started to get better and I hope we will continue in the same direction. It's great to have John back in the team since the training accident. It 's been a long period of recovery and working hard on his comeback. For Sunday, it's just about regaining the feeling of racing again with no immediate pressure on him for results," coach Matthias Reeck said

"I expect it to be a tough race and the weather can be a factor throughout the day so we will have to be vigilant. The last time the riders tackle the Mammolshainer Berg will be a key moment so we need to be in a good position before it begins. If the race becomes really hard and uncontrolled, we have Simon and Sam [Oomen]  who are able to follow the attacks. If the race is still all together then we will prepare the sprint for Ramon and we can aim for a top 10 result."