Atlas Mountain Racers: Marei Moldenhauer
The Atlas Mountain Race, the great bikepacking race in Morocco, is happening right now. Yesterday, more than 250 racers headed out of Marrakesh and started their 1,300 km journey over long-forgotten gravel tracks. What they are finding along the way is very little pavement and plenty of hike-a-bikes. Distances between resupply points are large. The Atlas Mountain Race is a true adventure.
We took this opportunity to catch up with a few riders. For today’s part of this ‘mini-series,’ we talked to Marei Moldenhauer from Germany. She has only been racing for two years, but has already won bikepacking races in Germany (Taunus Bikepacking, Mittelgebirge Classique) and Norway (Bright Midnight), as well as ridden to a 2nd place in the epic Transcontinental Race. As I write this on Friday night, a little over twelve hours into the Atlas Mountain Race, Marei has traversed the Atlas Mountains and is leading the women’s classification.
JH: What attracts you to ultra-cycling?
Marei: I love the feeling of freedom that comes with carrying everything I need, while covering long distances on my bike. It allows me to see so much and meet so many people along the way.
JH: Why racing and not just bikepacking?
Marei: Because pushing my limits fascinates me. The intensity of these races forces you to confront yourself—physically and mentally—and I enjoy that challenge.
JH: Your results have been very impressive, but it’s clear that you don’t race just to stand on a podium. What have been some of your best moments on the bike?
Marei: There have been so many! The Transcontinental Race had many highlights, like riding a parcours in Albania at sunset and suddenly seeing a bear. The brutal, but stunning, parcours in Greece. And then riding back from the race through the remote mountains of Greece with a friend. The endless cappuccinos on the way back through Italy. Then there was the Bright Midnight in Norway, where I was climbing a high plateau, and it was still so bright at night that I could see the mountains and landscape without any lights. During my first bikepacking race, the Taunus Bikepacking, I slept under the open sky for the first time and saw shooting stars…
JH: Thank you for sharing those wonderful memories. Back to earth, we all wonder about your bike and how you set it up for the Atlas Mountain Race.
Marei: I’ll be riding a Trek Supercaliber full-suspension MTB with 55 mm Rene Herse Fleecer Ridge tires. My setup includes Cyclite bags, including a custom-made frame bag that I love. Up front, I have a hydration bladder, and I carry an Apidura Cargo Visibility Vest with an additional 2.5-liter water capacity. I’m using Hunt Proven Carbon Dynamo MTB wheels. The generator hub gives me the flexibility and freedom to ride without worrying about plugging in to recharge lights and GPS.
JH: What are your goals for the Atlas Mountain Race?
Marei: This is my first ultra on a mountain bike, and I’ll be riding a completely new setup. For me, this race is a test and a personal challenge rather than a competition against others. One big challenge will be finding enough food since I have celiac disease and can’t eat gluten, so no bread, pasta, cakes, or cookies. I’ll have to rely on omelets and whatever else I can find, which will make it hard to get enough carbs. Of course, I’ll try to ride fast—that’s what I love about these races—but my main goal is to have a good experience and learn as much as possible.
JH: Thank you Marei. We’ll be following your progress out there in the wilds of the Atlas Mountains!
Further Reading:
- The first parts of the Atlas Mountain Race mini-series: Sofiane Sehili and Meaghan Hackinen
- Follow the riders with the Atlas Mountain Race tracker
