Congratulations to Adrien Liechti of Geneva, Switzerland, who recently became the first rider ever to finish the new Hellenic Mountain Race across Greece, completing the grueling 940-kilometer route in just 4 days, 12 hours, and 6 minutes. Learn more about Adrien and his record-setting ride here…

Photos by Nils Laengner

The premiere edition of the Hellenic Mountain Race is happening now, with riders pedaling and pushing nearly 1,000 kilometers throughout the steep slopes of Greece’s Pindus Mountains. Swiss rider Adrien Liechti just became the first person to complete the route, establishing the new time to beat of just over four and a half days. He endured intense knee pain, sloppy conditions, and minimal rest, crossing the finish line aboard his Bombtrack Cale AL after 4 days, 12 hours, and 6 minutes of riding.

2023 Hellenic Mountain Race, Adrien Liechti

We’ve highlighted the 38-year-old former bike messenger’s incredible efforts a few times of the last years, and he’s been out there setting records and finishing among the first riders since 2019, when he was second across the finish line of the Race Across France. Other noteworthy finishes include fifth place at the 2020 Atlas Mountain Race, first place at the 2021 edition of Dead Ends and Cake, and first place at the 2022 French Divide and first pair at the inaugural Rhino Run in South Africa/Namibia. Later this year, he’ll also take on Ascend Armenia and the Silk Road Mountain Race, among others. Adrien is the newest rider to join the Bombtrack Bikes family, and they recently shot this short video introducing him:

In between Adrien’s race performances in the last few years, he’s also toured across Oman, Myanmar, and around Africa. He moved out of his apartment a while back and is living on the bike full-time these days, and he typically rides to and from races. He even rode all the way home from the Rhino Run after finishing in Windhoek, pedaling thousands of miles across Africa and Europe before arriving back in Switzerland.

2023 Hellenic Mountain Race, Adrien Liechti
  • 2023 Hellenic Mountain Race, Adrien Liechti
  • 2023 Hellenic Mountain Race, Adrien Liechti
  • 2023 Hellenic Mountain Race, Adrien Liechti

Other Updates from the 2023 Hellenic Mountain Race

Not far behind Adrien, Manuel Truccolo finished in second place with a time of 4 days, 13 hours, and 37 minutes. He crashed and broke his derailleur hanger at one point, but was able to replace it and keep rolling. In third place, Max Riese completed the route in 4 days, 16 hours, and 37 minutes. Congrats to Adrien, Manuel, and Max, and best of luck to all of those who are still out on the route!

Related Content

Make sure to dig into these related articles for more info...

FILED IN (CATEGORIES & TAGS)

Dispatch

Please keep the conversation civil, constructive, and inclusive, or your comment will be removed.