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The
Alps

ULTRACYCLING ADVENTURE

June 22, 2024

Race,
journey or
adventure

THE ALPS ultracycling adventure follows a fixed route through the mountains of the Bavarian, Austrian and Italian Alps. It’s an unsupported, solo stage bikepacking adventure that takes you to high peaks, deep valleys and some of the most picturesque landscapes of the Alps. Mostly offroad, but still enough tarmac sections to call it an allroad adventure. And for sure some hike a bike to honor the historical and harsh charakter of the Alps. In total, the track requires to tackle around 630 km and 22.000 meters in altitude.

The
alps
2024

Ready to Ride THE ALPS?

Days
Hours
Minutes
Seconds
Summer – Next Year

Registration closed

The Team

Founder

Marco

Lives in Munich - Loves to explore the Alps by bike, feet & ski - Hates being overpacked

Designer

Janik

Lives in Bochum - Loves mountains (unfortunately there are only hills in Western Germany) - Hates cars

Video- & Photographer

Tobi

Lives in the Bavarian Alps - Rides and films bikes - Hates liquid sunshine

Not possible without them <3

Friends & Family

Allround support - Brainstorming partners - Important people for execution

Rules

This point is particularly important to us because the environment in general and especially the Alps with their unique ecosystem need to be protected to a particular extent. We will donate 10 euros from every entry fee paid to BUND Naturschutz in Bayern e.V. with the purpose of protecting nature in the Bavarian Alps.

If you have to leave the track for any reason, you’re always allowed to do so. Just make sure to continue the race at the same point you were leaving it. If the route is not passable at one point due to obstacles or other health-endangering circumstances, it is permitted to choose an appropriate detour. We ask all participants to report this to the race organization immediately so that we can react immediately and inform the other participants.

This means that you are self-sufficient from the start to the finish line and do not receive any assistance from third parties who are not part of the event, unless it is commercially available for each participant. However, for us, unsupported does not mean that participants are not allowed to help each other during the race, as for us this is part of the cycling culture in the sense of community. Everyone should be able to decide for themselves whether they want to help someone else or not.

Every participant is obliged to carry the following equipment with them at all times during the race: ID card, bicycle helmet, front and rear lights, mobile phone, cash, first aid kit, emergency blanket, rain & warm jacket, gloves.

As we all know, riding first or fifth in a group makes a huge difference in strength. Because we know that we cannot control it, we appeal to the sportsmanship and fairness of all riders. However, it doesn’t mean that you’re not allowed to drive next to each other at times and share the experience. We even invite you to meet other riders along the way as it makes the experience all the more special.

You can use any type of bike as long as it does not have an electric drive system.

Since the route runs through Germany, Austria and Italy, no major cross-border changes are to be expected. Nevertheless, you should inform yourself in advance and always adhere to the local regulations.

FAQ

  1. Event organisation including registration & rider briefing, start, checkpoints, control & media cars, 24/7 availability, finish line party
  2. A race manual, including all relevant and detailed information about the route
  3. A GPX file that is completely checked again 2 weeks before the event
  4. Rental fee for the gps tracker and online tracking platform
  5. Brevet Card including emergency contacts for Germany, Austria and Italy
  6. Race Cap
  7. Race T-Shirt
  8. Luggage transport to the finish line including one bike case & one small bag (that fits into the bike case)
  9. Instead of finisher trophies we donate 10 euros from every entry fee paid to BUND Naturschutz in Bayern e.V. with the purpose of protecting nature in the Bavarian Alps

You can find a provisional version of the route on komoot that you can largely use to plan your strategy for the race. Since we check the whole route again 2 weeks before the event, all participants receive the final GPX file(s) one week before the start. We don’t expect to have to change anything, but after a winter in the Alps you never know and better check twice to keep riders safe. Further details on individual route sections will be provided in the race manual and discussed during the mandatory drivers‘ meeting the day before the start.

In our experience, there are many different ways to handle such an event. Some do it as a race, some to test their mental and physical strength and some just to make it to the finish line. The word adventure speaks for itself and at the same time leaves enough space for your own interpretation of the approach.

It means that you are self-sufficient from the start to the finish line and do not receive any assistance from third parties who are not part of the event, unless it is commercially available for each participant. However, for us, unsupported does not mean that participants are not allowed to help each other during the race, as for us this is part of the cycling culture in the sense of community. Everyone should be able to decide for themselves whether they want to help someone else or not.

If you have to leave the track for any reason, you’re always allowed to do so. Just make sure to continue the race at the same point you were leaving it. If the route is not passable at one point due to obstacles or other health-endangering circumstances, it is permitted to choose an appropriate detour. We ask all participants to report this to the race organization immediately so that we can react immediately and inform the other participants.

Yes, it’s mandatory and must be proven after the final registration.

Yes, it’s mandatory and must be submitted at least 2 weeks before the start. It must not be older than 6 months and confirm that the participant meets the medical requirements to take part in the named (THE ALPS ultracycling adventure) event.

In a serious emergency, just a few minutes can mean the difference between life and death. Since a medical emergency car from the racing organization would always arrive at the scene of the accident later than a public ambulance or helicopter, we ask you, if possible, to always contact the local emergency services directly. A major advantage of the Alps is the availability of mountain rescue, which is a specialized form of rescue service in the mountains. You can find the corresponding telephone numbers on your brevet card. If you don’t have a cell phone network available, you can always use the SOS function of your tracker. We are available 24/7 and will take over emergency communication with the local rescue services immediately.

If the event has to be canceled due to force majeure (natural disaster, Covid19, pandemics, war or something similar) participants will have the opportunity to transfer their starting place to an alternative date or to the next event. Alternatively, you have the opportunity to receive 70% of the entry fee back.

It simply comes down to your personal preferences. More speed, less comfort or more comfort and less speed? From gravel bikes to full suspension mountain bikes, everything has its place. The only thing we would definitely recommend to everyone due to the challenging topography of the route, including steep climbs, is a decent mountain bike gearing.

The legal framework conditions are set out in the rider agreement in order to create clarity for the participants and the organizer alike. It will be made available after final registration and must be submitted no later than 2 weeks before the event.

We know that sometimes things don’t go as planned – so we tried to make all the necessary planning as flexible as possible. The result is the following refund plan:

  • refund until January 31, 2024: 75 % of the entry fee paid.
  • refund until March 31, 2024: 50 % of the entry fee paid.
  • refund until April 30, 2024: 25 % of the entry fee paid.
  • refund until May 17, 2024: 50 % of the entry fee paid *

*only for medical reasons upon presentation of a medical certificate

If you wish, we will transport your luggage to the finish line including one bike case & one small bag (that fits into the bike case).

Sure! On Saturday June 29th there will be a finisher party in the evening at 7 p.m. Location around Salo – TBD

Since we are moving through sensitive ecosystems and nature reserves during the event, we have decided to limit the number of registrations to 100 riders.

Just drop us an E-mail to: info@thealps-ultracycling.com

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