BKLK – Monaco di Baviera Lite 2026 – 5th place

What I initially approached as a race with no particular goal turned into the toughest event I’ve faced so far. A reminder that numbers alone never tell the whole story — weather, unexpected challenges, and even limited planning can end up being decisive factors.

The Monaco di Baviera Lite starts in Munich and follows an 840 km loop through Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Italy.

From the very start, we knew rain was coming. It wasn’t a question of if, but when. After the first 250 km, which took us to the Resia Pass, we began the climb towards the Umbrail Pass. The original route was supposed to descend to Prato via the Stelvio Pass, but due to the uncertain weather, the organizers decided to remove that section and send us back down the Umbrail instead. I reached Prato allo Stelvio around 9:00 p.m., more or less on schedule.

The first big decision came: stop or ride through the night? The most realistic options were Merano or Bolzano, almost exactly halfway through the route. I chose Bolzano. I checked into a hotel at midnight and was back on the road at 3:00 a.m. after just two hours of sleep. Not much, but enough to feel refreshed.

At 3:15 a.m. it started raining. I hoped it would only be a passing shower. It wasn’t. The rain stayed with me until 9:30 a.m. I climbed the Passo delle Erbe, reaching around 1,800 meters of elevation, completely soaked. Before the descent, I played my dry-clothes card. I changed everything and managed to stay comfortable until the rain finally stopped.

Friday was marked by constant temperature swings between San Candido and Lienz — warm, cold, warm again, all within a few hours. Then came the news that the Austrian authorities had closed the road leading to the Hochtor Pass and Edelweissspitze for the entire day. Once again, adaptation became the key word. Route and strategy had to change. I rejoined the original course at kilometer 682, around 9:00 p.m.

Continue in the first comment.

Once again, the question returned: stop for a few hours or keep going? There were 180 km left to the finish. I already had 680 km and more than 10,000 meters of climbing in my legs. I took the gamble and continued. No rain was forecast, so I stocked up for the night and pushed on.

Looking at the GPX track, the final section seemed straightforward. In reality, the endless transitions on and off bike paths required constant attention. False flats and repeated double-digit gradients made sure there was no such thing as an easy kilometer.

As a final gift, at 4:00 a.m., with only 40 km to go, the temperature dropped to 7°C.

Then dawn arrived.

One final effort.

I crossed the finish line at 6:30 a.m., after 49 hours elapsed time, in 5th place overall.

To be honest, I was completely spent.

After a shower, I boarded my train home at 8:48 a.m.

At 8:49 a.m., I was asleep. 🚴‍♂️🌧️🏔️😴