^{photos by Carlos Meyer}

Racing The Rift with Marius Karteusch

With a route that crosses 200km of winding, washboarded volcanic roads, The Rift is Iceland’s premier gravel race—and one of the toughest single-day competitions on the adventure circuit, with challenging terrain, severe winds, and ever-shifting weather constant companions for any rider willing to take on the event. We spoke with one-such rider, Marius Karteusch, to talk about his experience at this year’s race.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

My name is Marius. I’m from Germany. I’m already 35 years old. I started cycling not so long ago—like three years ago—after a severe motorcycle accident. I did a lot of motocross and enduro riding, but then I broke my leg bone into like 20 pieces. I had to learn to walk again and all that stuff. My left leg, the broken one, was pretty thin.

How did you transition from cycling as a means of recovery to cycling for competition?

Competition is a big part of who I am. I went to a boarding school, and I did kayaking starting at the age of nine. By 17, I was on the German national youth team. I was pretty addicted to sports in general. Additionally, I have ADHD, and that brings me a lot of motivation. I’m more hyperactive, in my case. So, I have a lot of motivation to train, even in rain or bad conditions because I’m used to it from kayaking. You train outside, no matter the environment or bad weather.

But I got the motivation for the things I’m doing now from the film about the Atlas Mountain Race; it’s an ultra-race in Morocco. That motivated me to start training for this specific goal: for ultra-riding and for gravel racing.

What motivated you to take on The Rift this year?

The Rift had pretty much been on my list since the beginning, since 2021.

What were your expectations going into the race?

I didn’t expect too much because I had Covid four weeks ago, so it was my first race after Covid. And I had it pretty hard. It was two weeks in bed. I had a 40-degree temperature. It was pretty severe. So, my expectations were pretty low. I just wanted to finish—and I did. So, I got what I wanted.

What was your experience like in the race?

The ground is harsh. I would say like 60 or 70 percent of the terrain is washboarded. And it breaks not only your body—your arms and your shoulders—but it also breaks your mind. You have a headwind for 50km and you’re alone after four punctures with washboarded roads, this is a mental game. It’s pretty hard, the surface, the washboards, the temperature, the wind…everything.

How was the weather during this year’s race?

It was like summer; it was pretty good, for Iceland.

But in our case, the day before the race was like 20 degrees. It was proper summer for Iceland. During the race, it was like 15 degrees maximum, and in the highlands, like 5 degrees minimum. The water crossings in the highlands were a bit tough because the water was so cold. But overall, the weather was good.

What was the scenery like? How was Iceland different from other places you’ve ridden?

Everything is different there. The thing is, I started pretty good. I made it into the first group. But then I had some problems with my rear valve. It was slowly leaking, so I had to stop two times to add air, and I lost the front group. That was a bit annoying because this section was in the highlands with a proper headwind.

After some bad vibes, I thought about it: Come on, man, it’s so beautiful. And

There was no sun, but it was like you’d expect in Iceland: some fog, some clouds, the black surface. It was so beautiful. I was pretty lucky to really see those landscapes because, in the front group, it wasn’t possible to do so. The pace was too high.

What was the social aspect of the race like? Were you able to meet many of your fellow racers?

It was perfect. I got to know a lot of new faces, even from Lightweight with the photoshoot before the race. There were a lot of social rides. It’s really nice there.

What was your riding setup for the race?

I was riding a Cervelo Aspero, it’s their gravel race bike. I had Lightweight PFADFINDER EVO wheels with 40c tires, which were a bit too thin for the terrain there, to be honest. And like a mullet setup—a Sram drivetrain with a lot of gears in the back. That part was perfect.

How did the Lightweight wheels handle the race?

Sometimes you have to play with the tire pressure because they are pretty stiff wheels. They are perfect for power transfer, but for more comfort, you have to go lower on the tire pressure. Once you get used to it, you know how low you can go. But it was perfect, like always. They are so light and stiff.

Do you think you’ll take on The Rift again next year?

I don’t know yet. I mean, you have to be fast with the registration. It takes like one or two days to fill all the registration spots, so you have to be fast with your decision. I will go back to Iceland for holiday and tourist stuff, but I don’t know yet if I’ll go back for racing.

What other races do you have on your list?

I think that I will go back to the longer stuff next year, like ultra-racing. But I’m also interested in the complete Gravel Earth series. I would love to go to the Migration Gravel Race in Africa. There are so many great races out there. I think I’ll do more of the non-UCI stuff next year.

What advice would you have for anyone looking to take on The Rift in the future?

You can bring a mountain bike, at least a hardtail. Overall, I think it’s good to bring wider tires. Bring all the clothes you might need. You can expect any weather condition out there.

You can follow along on Marius’ many upcoming races and adventures on Instagram @mariuskarte or sign up to take on The Rift yourself at https://www.therift.bike