Bikepacking across Europe: Jonas Deichmann is back

World record holder Jonas Deichmann and Josefine Rutkowski completed the journey around Europe in bikepacking style. Starting from Munich, the route first took them round Italy, before the two adventurers circumnavigated Europe in a clockwise direction. Unlike in previous projects, the focus was not on covering the distance as quickly as possible, but on a deliberately chosen route along small roads and paths through the countryside.

Jonas Deichmann and Josefine Rutkowski

The route did not run exclusively along the coastlines, but often through hilly terrain. In the south, and later in Eastern Europe, there was extreme heat, whilst in the far north they faced three weeks of continuous rain and freezing cold. To avoid the many forest fires in Eastern Europe, the pair had to keep adjusting their route time and again. Every day, Deichmann and Rutkowski spent nine hours in the saddle, without a single rest day throughout the entire journey. Securing supplies proved particularly difficult, especially in Eastern Europe.

Highlights of the cycling tour

Both cyclists were captivated by the diversity of the landscapes across 27 countries and the hospitality of the people. On the penultimate day, the Großglockner – the highest point of the journey – lay ahead; the cycle tour came to an end at Odeonsplatz in Munich. Just a few days ago, the pair were still in Albania, a country of stark contrasts. “The mountains in the north on the first day were one of the most beautiful sections of our tour, whilst on the coastal plain in the south-west we encountered an awful lot of traffic, rubbish and chaos on the roads,” writes Jonas Deichmann on Instagram. The five days in Greece were also extremely challenging, “with heat, elevation gain and long distances without any food supplies”. As Deichmann has been cycling through Europe for some time now, he has also noticed negative changes. From the mountains in Romania, he reports queues of cars stretching for kilometres. Visitors feed the brown bears waiting by the roadside for food. “I cycled along this stretch 15 years ago, long before the road was hyped on social media and the bears lost their natural shyness because motorists were feeding them.” In terms of the weather, the cycle tour presented a wide range of different conditions. The 3,000 kilometres through Norway, in particular, were challenging due to the cold, wind and rain. In Norway, too, the pair had to cover long distances without any opportunities to restock.

World records by Jonas Deichmann

Jonas Deichmann was born in Stuttgart on 15 April 1987 and is an author, adventurer, extreme athlete and holder of several world records in cycling and endurance sports. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he became the first person to complete a round-the-world triathlon – swimming, cycling and running a total of over 25,000 kilometres. In 2024, he completed 120 Ironman-distance events over 120 consecutive days – swimming nearly four kilometres, cycling 180 kilometres and running a marathon every day. As well as his sporting achievements, he also works as a motivational speaker.

• ​2024: the first person to have completed 120 long-distance triathlons in a row
• 2020–21: first round-the-world triathlon – 120 Ironman distances
• 2020: Longest unsupported swim, Croatia
• 2019: Fastest unsupported cycle crossing from North Cape to Cape Town
• 2018: the fastest unsupported cycle crossing of South America from north to south
• 2018: the fastest unsupported cycle crossing of the Pan-American Highway from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego
• 2017: Fastest unsupported cycle crossing of Eurasia from west to east
• The fastest unsupported cycle crossing of Europe from west to east in 2017

Jonas Deichmann’s next project

Deichmann has three weeks to prepare for his next project. As part of the charity initiative ‘MOVE IT! Let’s make a difference together’, he will run 30 marathons on 30 consecutive days across Baden-Württemberg.