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Road Bikepacking Events

All three 2025 events are SOLD OUT
Check out the next year events in Slovenia, Germany and Tuscany

What is The Grand Escape?

The first road bikepacking event series in Europe

It's a celebration of freedom, of exploration, and of the spirit of adventure that lies within every cyclist.
The journey itself is the destination, offering a seamless connection between you, your bike, and the open road.
There are no rankings, checkpoints, or fixed time. You will just have one rule: have fun.
In 2026, ride in three stunning locations on the best routes possible.

Your 2025 adventures

Italy / Slovenia
June 2026

Italy / Slovenia

550km
7000m

Start/Finish: Udine (IT)

All on asphalt

Germany / Austria
September 2026

Germany / Austria

600km
5500m

Start/Finish: Innsbruck (AT)

All on asphalt

Tuscany
October 2026

Tuscany

600km
7500m

Start/Finish: Campiglia Marittima (LI)

All on asphalt

What The Grand Escape 
stands for

We believe cycling should feel like it did when you first discovered the joy of two wheels. Before power meters and social media turned rides into spreadsheets. Before every hill became a competition and every photo became content.

The Grand Escape brings back what matters: the smell of morning air on empty roads, conversations that happen naturally when you share miles with strangers, the satisfaction of reaching a viewpoint not because you beat a time but because you chose to be there.

We stand for moments that can't be quantified.

For the understanding that the best cycling experiences live in the spaces between start and finish. For the belief that adventure doesn't require suffering, and community doesn't need rankings.

This is cycling stripped of everything that doesn't serve the essential truth: bikes make life better when we let them.

No Race

Ride at your own pace. Don't get distracted by plastic trophies or a bland Instagram post. At The Grand Escape, no KOMS, no fastest time matters. The people around you are not your adversaries. They are your companions. Together, you will embark on a journey filled with good times, overcoming challenges, and joy.

Human curated routes

We are cyclists like you. We don't enjoy going on a straight, busy road. Our routes are meticulously designed and tested throughout the year. You'll ride on the best roads possible: backroads, cyclepaths, hidden secrets, and always great scenery. No impossible climbs, no useless hardness. Experience, first. No AI bullshit.

Be in good company

Live a fulfilling holiday with your friends, partner, or on your own. You'll create new friendships here. The people who come to The Grand Escape don't race each other. Enjoy a relaxing vibe with no wanna-be pro stuff.

Your pace, your time

There are no fixed times or checkpoints. Take 4 days, a week or two. There are no cut-offs and no rankings. You choose how to plan it, where to stop and eat. Enjoy the freedom of the definitive unsupported bikepacking adventure.

Get the updates of the next editions

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Your 2026 Adventures

ITALY/SLOVENIA

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Cross borders on two wheels through Europe's hidden green heart. Emerald rivers guide you through untouched valleys while ancient forests whisper stories only cyclists get to hear.

This route reveals the secrets locals have guarded for generations, quiet roads that wind through landscapes so beautiful you'll question if they're real.

Slovenia and Friuli-Venezia Giulia at the pace they deserve to be experienced.

Limited spots available

GERMANY/AUSTRIA

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The Alps without the agony. We've cracked the code on alpine cycling—all the majesty, none of the impossible gradients.

Wind through fairy-tale villages where castle spires pierce morning mist. Breathe pine-scented air as you cruise beside crystal lakes. Follow cycle paths so perfect they feel designed just for you.

500 kilometers of pure alpine magic, accessible to every rider.

Limited spots available

TUSCANY

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Italy distilled to its absolute essence.

Rolling hills dotted with cypress trees. Medieval towns that crown every ridge. Renaissance cities where art lives in the streets, not just museums.

From Chianti vineyards to Tuscan hilltop villages, this route connects the postcard moments everyone dreams about but few get to experience from the saddle.

What people say about their experience

99% satisfaction rate

We know that your time is precious, so our focus is for you to live an unforgettable experience.
These adventures feature people on their first trip, experienced bikepackers, families on vacation, and people looking for something new.

Here’s what the riders told us via the finisher survey

Each climb takes you to a more beautiful place than the next. A true celebration of cycling!

I am already counting down the days to the next edition

I am already counting down the days to the next edition

This is the first time I’ve participated in an event without boring connecting roads, each connecting an even more enchanting landscape than the last

It was great not to have the pressure of a race; everyone was in the same mood

I am truly grateful for The Grand Escape; it was beautiful. Thank you for your time and love and for meeting like-minded cyclists

My eyes and heart are full of amazement. Already counting down to the next edition!

It’s amazing how all these hidden back roads connected together

This is the first time I’ve participated in an event without boring connecting roads, each connecting an even more enchanting landscape than the last

Ride the Italian paradise

What riders discover at The Grand Escape

Forget the race stress mentality

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Leave your power meter at home. Your Strava segments can wait.

The riders around you aren't competitors: they're fellow travelers. People who understand that the best cycling stories can't be measured in watts or speed.

Share a coffee. Stop for photos. Laugh at the climbs. This is how cycling was meant to feel.

Roads that restore your faith in cycling

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We spend months finding the routes others miss. Hidden backroads that connect incredible places. Cycle paths that feel like private trails. Secondary routes where cars are rare and views are spectacular.

No traffic anxiety. No dodging buses. Just you, perfect tarmac, and landscapes that make stopping irresistible.

Your schedule, your way

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Take three days or take a week. Start at sunrise or sleep in. Stop for long lunches or pack energy bars.

No checkpoints. No cutoff times. No officials telling you when to ride or where to rest.

This is unsupported bikepacking at its purest, complete freedom to experience the journey exactly as you want.

Stories worth telling

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Our media team follows the routes, capturing moments you'll treasure forever. Not just finish line photos, but the real story—your face when you crest that perfect hill, the group coffee stop that turned into an hour of laughter, the sunset that made you forget you were tired.

These become the photos you'll show for years, proof of adventures that changed how you see cycling.

How to register?

Registration will open in the following months - we'll send an email with all the details. Subscribe to get all the updates and more info.

Why we created The Grand Escape

Cycling changed our lives. But somewhere along the way, the sport lost its soul to spreadsheets and social media metrics.
We wanted to give it back.

The Grand Escape exists for cyclists who remember that the best rides can't be quantified. People who choose adventure over achievement, experience over ego.

We scout every kilometer ourselves. We test every route multiple times. We obsess over details because your time is precious and these memories last forever.

No shortcuts. No compromises. Just the most beautiful cycling experiences Europe has to offer, designed for people who understand that the journey itself is the destination.

See you on the roads that matter.

Member of Bike Adventure Series

We’re a founding member of the Bike Adventure Series, Europe’s first no-race bikepacking event series.
Our events are among the best in the world, like Tuscany Trail, NorthCape4000, Final Frontier Patagoani and Unpaved Roads.
Create your account to register for The Grand Escape’s events here.

F.A.Q.