1,300 kilometres without anyone waiting for you

In a normal stage race, support is everywhere. There’s a bus, a physio on standby, someone handing you a bottle from the team car. At the Monaco di Baviera Classic, none of that exists. Self-supported means no personal crew allowed: no follow car, no private food, no travelling mechanic. If you get a flat at night on a climb, you kneel alone at the roadside and patch it under a headlamp, fingers numb with cold. If you’re hungry, you must know which petrol station within the next 40 kilometres is even open. The organisers call it an Unsupported Challenge, and here it’s not a pose-it’s the rule.

That single rule transforms the race. Speed still matters, but it’s not enough. What becomes decisive is how cleanly you thread your way through the coming hours. When and where do I sleep? Do I eat now, even though I don’t feel hungry, because nothing will be available in two hours? Do I pull on the rain jacket before the downpour, or save those two minutes? A thousand tiny decisions accumulate until they decide whether you gain hours or drop out. It’s strength sport, navigation and self-control on two wheels.

Why more riders are starting without a support crew

Self-supported ultra-cycling has evolved from the fringes of the toughest competitors. Since the Transcontinental boom of recent years, a community has emerged that actively seeks this minimalist approach: one bike, one rider, one route-nothing more. The Monaco di Baviera Classic, listed on the World UltraCycling Association calendar, fits squarely into this movement. To be classified as a finisher, riders must collect points at so-called Explorer-Point sectors along the way-at least 20 of them.

The route gathers some of the biggest names in European mountain cycling. It heads south from Munich, through Austria into the Italian Dolomites, over passes that even professionals approach with respect.

What you can learn from the solo principle

You don’t need to ride 1,300 kilometres to take something away from this race. The self-supported principle works on a smaller scale too. Most of us have been training with an invisible support car in our heads for years: the app that tells us when to take a break, the video that demonstrates the exercise, the group that pulls us along. None of that is wrong. But it robs you of the one skill that matters most in long efforts: learning to feel for yourself what your body needs right now.

The pros on the course train precisely this. Mental stamina isn’t some soft add-on for them; it’s the toughest discipline of all, and it often fails before the muscles do. Anyone who has ever ridden alone at night on an empty country road-no music, no one else around-knows the moment when only your own thoughts remain, and they can be brutally honest. That’s the moment when those who romanticise the format part ways with those who can actually do it.

The practical takeaway is unglamorous yet remarkably effective. Plan your next long session entirely without aids. No break reminders, no route app holding your hand. You decide when to eat, when to drink, when to turn back. That’s closer to what the riders tackling the Monaco di Baviera Classic are experiencing than any indoor session could ever be. Those who embrace the principle also navigate bikepacking on a gravel bike or a longer endurance block with far more confidence, simply because they’ve learned to trust their own judgment instead of the screen.

Cool-down

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What exactly does self-supported mean in an ultracycling race?

It means no personal support team is allowed. No follow car, no private supply station, no traveling mechanic. You can only use what’s open to everyone: gas stations, supermarkets, public workshops, standard accommodations. You carry your own gear and fix your own bike. That’s the core of the format.

How long does the Monaco di Baviera Classic last?

The time window runs from the start on June 20 to the finish deadline on June 27, so roughly a week. The fastest solo riders take significantly less time, sleep very little, and ride through the night. How fast someone is depends almost as much on sleep and break management as on pure climbing power.

Can an ambitious amateur rider even attempt something like this?

Basically, yes. The field is mixed and not just pros. But it requires years of foundational training, proven gear, and a very honest self-assessment. A sensible starting point is shorter brevets or two- or three-day bikepacking tours. Once you learn to manage on your own there, you’ll know if the big format is really for you.

What’s harder: the elevation gain or sleep deprivation?

Experienced ultra riders almost unanimously say: sleep deprivation. The mountains take a physical toll, but they’re predictable. The mind, however, becomes unpredictable after the second or third short night. Perception shifts, decision-making deteriorates. That’s why sleep strategy matters more to many than squeezing out the last watt.

How can I follow the race live?

Self-supported races are typically tracked via GPS trackers that platforms like DotWatcher aggregate. There you can see where riders are at any given moment, who’s sleeping, and who’s pushing through. That’s what makes it compelling for spectators: you’re not following stage finishes, but a living dot on a map struggling across the Alps for an entire week.

Sonja Höslmeier
Editorial IBS Publishing ››

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Image source: Cover and article images AI-generated (June 2026)