750 km & 12,000 m of climbing on the trail of the first crossing of the Alps
Start: 29 August 2026 · 10:00 · Milan (Porta Romana) — Finisher party: 3 September at 3 Mills
The key facts
Data, figures, facts — what awaits you at this Supergrevet?
- 750 kilometres
- 12,000 m elevation gain
- August ’26
- A ride — not a race
Milan–Munich — the legendary long-distance ride experienced anew
The Milan–Munich long-distance ride brings one of the great classics of cycling back to life — the first transalpine bicycle race in history (1894). This extraordinary crossing of the Alps follows the tracks of those pioneers who conquered the mountains with steel frames, woollen jerseys and unbending will — and connects the raw spirit of past endeavours with the dynamism of today’s gravel scene.
On the trail of the pioneers
Anyone who sets off today between Milan and Munich rides in the tracks of cycling’s first transalpine crossing — an undertaking that in 1894 demanded more courage than equipment. Steel frame, woollen jersey, lantern — and a will of granite.
Back then, 46 riders rolled off from Porta Romana, over the Alps, in rain, hail and cold. “The Brenner was not an idea — it was a wall of darkness and gradient,” Hans Traugott Hirsch later wrote in his report. Josef Fischer, the winner, reached Munich after 31 hours and 22 minutes — a record hard to grasp once you know the conditions: gravel, mud, lashing rain and sheer endurance.
German original: „Der Brenner war keine Idee – er war eine Mauer aus Dunkelheit und Steigung.“ — Hans Traugott Hirsch
But the long-distance ride was more than a race. It was a European event. Italians, Austrians and Germans fought their way over the mountains side by side, while a telegraph service wired every report to Munich — the dotwatching of the nineteenth century.
“You slip — most safely in the tyre tracks full of rainwater.” — Hirsch
Original: „Man rutscht – am sichersten in den Reifenspuren voll Regenwasser.“ – Hirsch
“I would have preferred to cross the Brenner a second time than the last ten kilometres before Munich.” — Gerger
Original: „Mir wäre ein zweitmaliges Passieren des Brenners lieber gewesen als die letzten zehn Kilometer vor München.“ – Gerger
The reports of those days read like an epic in chain oil and dust. No pathos, no pose — only the raw seriousness of conquering the route.
Today Milan–Munich returns as a modern gravel distance — not as a re-enactment, but as a continuation. The paths have changed, the spirit remains: self-determined, enduring, real.
Original reports & sources: the full eyewitness accounts by Hirsch, Grüttner, Gerger and Dr Speer can be found on the Grevet blog.
A journey between two worlds
From the cultural diversity and Mediterranean elegance of Milan to the urban energy and Bavarian way of life in Munich, this route runs through one of Europe’s most impressive landscapes. Over alpine passes, through deep valleys and along historic trade routes, the ride connects not only two cities but two eras of cycling: the heroic years of the long-distance rides — and today’s spirit of discovery in gravel cycling.
Tradition meets innovation
What began in 1894 as a daring experiment — Josef Fischer won the first running and wrote cycling history — is today reinterpreted as a homage to that pioneering feat. The modern route follows the spirit of the historic course, not its exact line: over gravel roads instead of asphalt, over old alpine crossings instead of motorways, with a focus on experience rather than pure speed.
More than a race
This long-distance ride is no ordinary event. It is an invitation to experience history — not to read it. In the legs. In the landscape. In the encounters along the way.
Milan–Munich combines sporting challenge with cultural awareness, individual achievement with shared experience. From the espresso bars of northern Italy to the beer gardens of Upper Bavaria, this ride becomes a transalpine experience that merges tradition and innovation, past and present into an unforgettable journey.
