I love cycling.

I have always had. Over the years I have developed a strong affinity for long days on the saddle. Very long days.

CLIMBING GLENGESH PASS IN DONEGAL, IRL, DURING THE 2019 TRANSATLANTICWAY || PHOTO: Rich Marshall

2024

25.04.24
Cancelled SWIFT
I finally did it. To reduce my time on the bike and stay fit, I traded my Wahoo Kickr for Concept2 ErgRower with a friend. Named my little dry-land boat “Catalina”.

I will be racing again. Kind of.
I have signed up, been accepted, and already paid the entry fee for the 5th edition of the Swiss Ultracycling CHallenge. (SUCH) I am already planning the route and very excited about it. This time , around after being twice 2nd (Pair) and once 11th (solo), i am not planning to ride too fast. (wish i could) I will be more than happy if I reach Bern in one piece.

01.o2.24
Yesterday I did my first “pain-free” ride since Mai 2022. My cycling future starts to look a bit brighter again. I am afraid of dreaming too big. But, … i know myself.

2023

I developed an injury in the lower region of my pubic bone during the Hope1000 in June 2022. I raced all season after injured and obviously I did not do anything but make it worse.
I planned to take the 2023 season easy to recover, but … I raced and finished (not very successfully) the inaugural edition of Dead Ends & Dolci at the end of April to make things even worse. I developed a tissue infection on top of my nerve/bone injury.

Basically, after I crossed the finish line in Bellinzona, I did not ride my bike in 2023.

2022 (UPDATE)

5:00 AM Finish line of Further Perseverance

Hope1000 - Finished. 15th position. 5d 18h 41m
- Amazing race. One of the hottest editions ever. Temperatures over 40 degrees. … read more here.

Tour de Stations - Finished. (Not fast but with a smile)
- Made it to the Social Media channels and promo video of the Event. So i guess at least I looked good.

Further Persevernce - Finished. 9th position. 2d 22h
- Probably my favourite race up to date. My camera died on the first day. Not many fotos. Very pleased with a Top 10 in one of the most challenging races in the world.

Swiss Ultra Cycling Challenge - Finished. 11th position. 64h
- Went better also anticipated. Only 9 days after Further. Happy with my performance.

2022

For over two years I had been caught in a senseless cycle of non stop preparation for the North Cape-Tarifa. Around 35000Km of prearation and due to the pandemic restricitosn, I never made it to the start of the event.
At the end of summer 2021, I felt that I needed to take a “rest/reset” approach to the 2022 season. Instead of putting all my eggs in one basket, I decided to concentrate my energy in “shorter”events close to home ant to exposure me to new (but familiar) challenges. I grabbed my bucket list, sent some corageous emails and planned my 2022 season:

26th Mai:
JuraFest22 - Very hard (invitational) bikepacking group overnighter. JuraFest22

18th June
Hope1000 - Needs no presentation. Yes, I know. It is a MTB event 🤦🏻‍♂️ and it is very hard. Freddy, I will do my best to see you before midnight on Friday but don’t leave post, just in case. www.hope1000.ch

6th August:
Tour de Stations - Mmmh!!? Ultrafondo The Everest or Marmotte Gran Fondo.

26th-29th August:
Further - Super excited (and scared) to be able to take part of an event I have admired since day one!!! frthr.co (MTB ?🤷🏻 )

7th-11th September
Swiss Ultra Cycling Challenge - this time solo. Already having nightmares about Mt. Soleil. I should have read the race manual before I signed up. such.bike

(Since I have heard this question times in the last couple months)
Do you know how to ride a MTB?
Not many know that I was part of he first european wave of MTB cycling in the late 80s and early 90s. I discovered the MTB platform in the US while finishing my highschool in 87. Got one as soon as i got back home, and jumped straight on into racing local events mostly in the Basque Country (without any success btw) . Later I even raced in England and Wales while my Erasmus studies, took part in the what to my knowledge was the first ever multi-day MTB race in Europe between Madrid and Valencia, and later even guided MTB groups in Colorado and Utah while my time overseas, so … yes, I know how to ride a MTB (or at least use to know! 🤣 )

A little video of my crossing of Las Bardenas Reales in summer 2021

2021

_15.Sept 2021
To finish the year TeamWE completed the Swiss Ultracycling Challenge in 59h, finishing in 2nd position in the pairs category.

_16.June 2021
Off to the Tour of Consolation MkII a private/solo 2300Km adventure following waterways through France and Spain.

_01.June 2021
Flight cancelled. Quarentaine is obligatory in Norway till July.
North Cape-Tarifa is once more off for me.
Time to “suck it up and deal”.

_ 30 April 2021
Things are not looking very good for the upcoming summer. Right now, the idea of crossing 13 European borders sounds kind of absurd. I remain positive. Training goes as planned. 5000Km down.
Keeping the bug alive by organizing some private bikepacking events for this spring and fall, planing some big/fun Plan-B alternative in case the NCTA does not happen. (Keep an eye on AUSLANDIA.COM for news).**
And ... am registered as solo rider for the SUCH21 so i will have to keep the engine running til September.

_ 27 March 2021
Simone Eder and I got Team WE running and completed the 360Km of the Orbit360 | Ride for a Reason a couple weeks ago. 18h brutto, 8th position. Not bad for these two old geezers considering the time of the year and weather conditions.

_01.January 2021
In the summer of 2021 I plan(ed) to ride the "North Cape-Tarifa", an unsupported cycling adventure/race that travels Europe north to south. Start is planned for the midnight of the 20th of June at Norway's more northerly point, the North Cape. After cycling 7300 Km, crossing 15 countries and climbing some of the highest mountain passes in the Europe, I hope to arrive at the most southern point of Spain, the village of Tarifa somewhen around the second week of July. | www.northcape-tarifa.com

04:14 AM | Healy Pass, Irland. | 2019

2020

I turned 50, had big plans to for 2020. The world went mad, instead ... I rode 500 Km in one go to celebrate the longest day of the year. Did a solo 7D/1400Km/200Km-day bike packing trip through France, properly named the "Tour of Consolation", where I followed waterways and visited nature parks and reserves through the Massif Central leading me finally into the Mediterranean.

And in early September I paired with Simone Eder to race in the Swiss Ultracycling Challenge (SUCH). A fun event that in its first edition required to cycle around our beloved alpine paradise and to visit all 26 Swiss cantons as fast as possible. In our first race together, we managed to finish the task in 66 hours, taking the 2nd place in the "Pairs" category. (892 Km / 9500 vm).

*Best spot bivy ever. Worst decision I took at the TAW19*

2019

I participated in the 3rd edition of the Transatlanticway (TAW), an unsupported cycling adventure that follows the wild coast of Irland, zigzags in and out of its bays and fjords, crossing its green sheep dotted hills, and always promises plenty of rain and furious winds.

Took me 7 days and 20 hours to cover the 2340Km & 32000vm. Averaging 298Km/D. Finishing in 14th position overall. | Gallery

2018

I completed the 4354Km of the second edition of the North Cape 4000. An event crossing Europe, from the town of Arco in Italy to theat the northest point of continental Europe, the North Cape in Norway.

I completed the race in 14D-7H-9M, averaging 302Km/D and finishing in 27th position out of 200 participants.

2017

For the first time, I rode 400 Km in one go.
Also, I built a “gravel” bike, I cycled to from Basel to Torino where I took part in the Torino-Nice Rally, a non competitive bike packing adventure of 640Km / 16000vm between Torino in Italy and Nice in France, climbing some epic military passes through the maritime Alps. Honestly, a MTB would have been better.

There is a gallery here.