Tell us first briefly about your adventure:
Where were you on the go and what was the destination of this race?
I signed up for the Atlas Mountain Race in the summer of 2025 and planned to compete there as a team with a friend. We were lucky and secured a spot. So, in February, we flew to Morocco a few days before the race started, spent two days exploring Marrakech, and then took a bus to the starting point in Beni-Mellal. The route then ran from Beni-Mellal for about 1,400 km and 25,000 meters of elevation gain in an arc across the Atlas Mountains, the desert, and all sorts of highlights, all the way to the coastal city of Essaouira. The goal was to complete the entire race in about 7 days, but at the very least to finish within the allotted time of about 9 days.
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What made you decide to embark on this particular adventure?
After I had already taken part in the Transcontinental Race with my friend Lieven and the Race Across Belgium (RAB) started, we had considered doing an off-road race to do. The Atlas Mountain Race had been on Lieven’s list for a long time, and since I had covered the route (1100 km and around 11,000 metres of elevation gain) in under 70 hours had managed to do, I thought to myself, with consistent training it might work out. 🙂 Perhaps also the euphoria – we had immediately after the RAB talked about it. 😛
If you had to describe the race in three words – what would they be?
Versatile – Hearty – Omelette
Where did that moment come from, when you briefly doubted that you wouldn’t be able to manage it?
Actually, even before the race. I was racing as part of a team with Lieven, and we arrived in Morocco a bit early and had a look around Marrakesh. Then, the day before the race, we took a transfer to Beni-Mellal, and unfortunately the night before the race wasn’t exactly restful. At the time, I still thought: ‘Oh come on, it’ll be fine, you’re not ill, you’ve just had a bad night’s sleep.’
We then started the race at 5 pm and, despite the bad weather, had already covered quite a few kilometres and metres of elevation gain by around 2–3 am. Finding a place to sleep at an altitude of around 2,000 metres was a bit tricky, as everything was wet and muddy. But we eventually found a good spot and slept for about 5 hours.
Things went well again in the morning, but at the first shop, where we had some omelette for breakfast, I realised: I don’t think this is going to work. I simply had hardly any energy, despite eating plenty and getting five hours’ sleep. It carried on like that until, after the last pass before Imilchil, I simply had to push the bike, even though it was only a 5% gradient. We then rode into the village and there was something like a hotel/restaurant. Whilst eating there, I started shivering and it was actually clear: this isn’t going to work out here.
Which moment has really stuck in your mind?
Tja – ehrlich gesagt hat es sich nicht wirklich gelohnt. Auch wenn es immer heißt, Erfahrungen und Niederschläge machen einen stärker – hier war einfach nur Enttäuschung da, weil ich mich nicht mal im Ansatz ausprobieren konnte.
Was super positiv war, ist, dass die Freundschaft zwischen mir und Lieven auch solche Momente einfach super aushält und wir aufeinander zählen können.
How important was your set-up for this race?
I felt very comfortable with my setup overall. I had already carried out a few tests beforehand and would say, that really everything fit very well.
All in all, I am already someone, who places a lot of value on an setup that’s perfect for me. It doesn’t have to be super lightweight right now, but it simply has to suit me and the event.
Many think of such adventures first and foremost in terms of speed or performance: What is for you personally the most important thing, when you are on such routes ?
That adventure – if you do something like that and don’t want to finish in the top 10, then the adventure should be the main focus. The rest will follow naturally. 🙂
How do you prepare for an adventure like this?
Training and preparation are absolutely vital and form the very foundation. You don’t need to ride 10–15 hours a week straight away if you’re already in decent shape. I’ve been training well at around 6 hours a week and my performance figures have been relatively good. But your mindset when you’re actually there is just as important. For me, staying positive and always focusing on solutions is essential for mastering a race or a bikepacking tour.
Was there along the way anything that turned out completely differently than planned?
Klar – der frühe Scratch. Auch wenn ich mit einem Scratch gerechnet habe (tue ich immer), war der einfach viel zu früh und ich hatte mich darauf gedanklich nicht vorbereitet.
What was the biggest challenge on the course?
The weather was really awful. The worst weather in 20 years in the region. We had everything from drizzle to as much as 20 litres per square metre of rain and snow at –8 °C just on the first 160 km. After that, things didn’t get any better with all that extreme headwind at the finish I heard at the finish line.
What role does cycling play in your life?
Radfahren ist etwas, das mich immer glücklich macht. Egal, ob ich eine Stunde oder 20 Stunden am Stück auf dem Sattel sitze – ich bin selten dabei schlecht gelaunt. Ich mache auch so alles im Alltag mit dem Rad.
If you had to give a piece of advice to someone who dreams of going on an adventure like that themselves – what would it be?
I’m actually the sort of person who just goes for it. But projects like that usually end up going wrong. So I’m starting small with a race – about 500 km – in a country where the support is good (the AMR is the race with the worst support), and then I’ll step it up, depending on how it goes and how I feel.
Has this race changed your view of cycling ?
Not necessarily. It was a hard lesson to learn because it was a really tough time for me. (I was ill for about another four weeks in total and couldn’t do any sport.) But you learn from your mistakes – for me, that means: no races in winter if you’re sending your child to childcare for the first time. There are just too many viruses going around to cope with. 🙂
And most importantly: Where will your next adventure take you? 🙂
My next adventure will probably be a short trip with my boyfriend Lieven to the Ardennes, lasting about 3–5 days. But my next race is already planned too: the Highland and Steel, which takes place right on my doorstep. It starts in Dortmund, covers about 500–600 km through the Sauerland region and back again. My aim is to complete the route in one go – I’ve always wanted to do that. 😉
What do you think of the bike?
Matthias pulled out of the race after 160 kilometres and 4,000 metres of climbing. Not because he gave up – but because his body simply couldn’t go on any longer. A fever, chills, the worst weather in 20 years. Sometimes you don’t win. Sometimes you learn instead. And you know what? That’s absolutely not a defeat. In a sport that so often talks only of performance, wattage and times, it’s one of the strongest decisions you can make – to listen to your body and not carry on purely out of ego. That takes more courage than gritting your teeth and pushing through. Seriously. But Matthias already has his next adventures planned – a trip with his friend Lieven in the Ardennes and then the Highland and Steel in Dortmund in August. 500–600 km through the Sauerland, in one go. Matthias isn’t the type to dwell on things for long; he just carries on.
And us? We’re glad he shared his story with us, because not every story has to end at the finish line to be a good one – sometimes that’s exactly what makes it even more real. Thank you, Matthias. ✌🏻
Have you also had an adventure on a Veloheld bike, which you would like to share? Write to us – we would love to share your story with others.
