2026 - Our Rides in Words, Photos, Maps and Videos

[stompandgo]

Last year, there were too many controversies because of the "racing" format. Like, a rider ignoring a red light or crossing a railway with the barriers closed (they were caught on cameras). Or, unsafe riding on the last segment of the race just to win or get a better place. There were controversial disqualifications. For those reasons, it is not a race (but a rally) anymore. (The racers gonna race anyway).

That's pro/am gravel racing. They do not want any rules, and they don't care about safety. They just want to race however they feel like and win. The organizers are all about "epic". They want their race to be the one everyone talks about on social media. Priority #1. So no police, very few marshaled intersections, no race officials, no consequences. It's a rebellion against organized racing. Talk to the pros who have done it for a few years and got out.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

That's pro/am gravel racing. They do not want any rules, and they don't care about safety. They just want to race however they feel like and win. The organizers are all about "epic". They want their race to be the one everyone talks about on social media. Priority #1. So no police, very few marshaled intersections, no race officials, no consequences. It's a rebellion against organized racing. Talk to the pros who have done it for a few years and got out.

Certainly it is. Very different in Europe. Or, the extreme Moroccan race I talked about.

 

[stompandgo]

I think it's awesome that you do these events as a rally. Yes, it's assisted, but that's a lot of miles over difficult terrain at speeds you probably don't ride every day. Stay safe out there.

 

[Rás Cnoic]

Certainly it is. Very different in Europe. Or, the extreme Moroccan race I talked about.

The Moroccan Mountain Race est 2020 is organised by the company Mountain Races along with their other long range off road races; the already famous Silk Road Mountain Race (Kyrgzstan) est 2018 and the Hellenic Mountain Race in Greece est 2023, These are all self supported against the clock and because of the long length are more like time trials then mass finish races. The distances are so large it's rare you see your competitors on the road.

The original, or at least the race that propelled the popularity of these type of long range MTB bikepacking races, is the big daddio; the Tour Divide Mountain Bike race established in 2008 along the GDMBR route from Canada to Mexico.

It's been fascinating to watch this type of racing grow in popularity from underground, bunch of friends challenging each other, to now having long distance races on most continents.