And They're Off: Preview for Dead Ends and Dolci!

A Quick Single Rider Update - Thomas Quirk - Plus Dolci Release One

Into the Night: Day 1 is almost over

Guido Takes the Dolci Hatrick 

Leonie Baumgartner is First Woman and 6th Overall

43 Finishers and Counting

And That's A Dolci-licious Wrap

Guido Toscanelli

Thomas Schlatter

Manuele Ghirlanda

Simon Imhof

Simon Casanova

Leonie Baumgartner

Reto Aeppli

Simone Allemann

Paul Merkel

Anton Kiefer

Pascal Yoncaova

Günter Hansinger

Stefanie Maurer

Roberto Forni

Freddy Mondale

Moritz Kreilinger

Pascal Mayor

Timon Riedi

Henri Walter

Quinda Verheul

Hristos Fleturis

Kate Sommer

Tobias Reischle

Matthias Treber

Tereza Langova

Thibault Raynaud

David Welz

Stavros Antifakos

Thomas Link

Stefan Süess

Matthias Hausmann

Jonas Klock

Evelyn Weiss

Steven Ford

David Pleschko

Laura Villiger

Sylvain Follonier

Ariane Richter

Peter Rinauer

Oona Baumann

Basil Wyss

Christian Gfeller

Christian Juchler

Daniel Züst

Katerina Sedlackova

Lisa Banz

Thomas Brunner

Gregor Pfiil Zimmermann

Hanna Claesdotter

Julia Holweck

Alexandra Casutt

Howard Brundrett

Matthias Münzner

Markus Stampfli

Helen Adams

Thomas Quirk

Niklas Kuschewski

Annika Kamper

Bastian Bukatz

Aurelia Zemp

Sabrina Belotti

Ivan Gallati

Patrick Gerber

Dominik Süsstrunk

Lena Reese

Karl Rechenberger

Lena Hehemann

Si Gittings

Mandy Birkner

Franzi Buss

Rolf Michel

Naomi Mederlet

Vera Hunkeler & David Eychmüller

Melanie Müller-Reichert & Martin Reichert

Stefan Grossmann & Tobias Kuster

Marcus Cieslak & Simon Schreck

Julia Weder & Sandra Hohl

Isabella Marti & sabine herzig

Lukas Müller & Benjamin Schreiber

Daniela Lorenz & Sebastian Strohmaier

Franziska Stoof & Clara Köhler

Benedikt Mühldorfer & Simon Kleinfeld

Ximun Daguerre & Marie Daubagna

Christian Biehl & Mark Henkel

Nathalie Monnier & Fabien Monnier

Kathrin Koch & Holger Könen

Sophia Kühn & David Schor

Robert Strom & Patrik Balg

Tobias & Andrea

Larissa & Luca

Race organiser Dominik is ready and the riders were off nice and early this morning.

With the Start/Finish being in the middle of the seven dead ends this year, there are also some key roads that cannot must ride.

The organiser commented on these new banned roads here:
*Our goal is to offer you the best possible riding in Ticino. Therefore we have a layer of roads, which riders aren’t allowed to ride on. Mainly ugly and dangerous mainroads, and some to spice things up a little. 😉*

The road is primarily designed as a gravel/off-road race but the route will depend on the rider. In 2023, one rider brought his snow shoes so that he could walk between the checkpoints via the mountain shoulders!

The checkpoints can be visited in any order, the riders must go to them, collect a stamp and then get their sweet reward. Whoever has all the CPs and is back at basecamp is the winner, but at the Cake Movement it isn't about winning. 

![IMG 5437 (1)](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6JPEcLkZriIrEDGylwnXFc/edd8c878a08f032403bc1841766d361f/IMG_5437__1_.JPG)

It'll be tough to keep on track so we'll break it down for you - the Dead Ends.

## Checkpoint Adula

This one is tunnel bingo, three tunnels - which to choose? Only the most careful planners will pick the right one. However, riders still have to go to the viewpoint at Garzott first. The valley lies at 800m and the CP at 2000m.

## Checkpoint Malcantone

Checkpoint Malcantone will be split into two with the stamp at Stamp at Monte Faeata and  Dolci at the Cima Pianca Hut (1.2 km Distance in between). The riders can visit in any order, at 1100m and from the valley at 700m it's a smaller leap but no less challenging. The views of the Italian mountains will be a sweet reward (and Dolci).

## Checkpoint Corona dei Pinci

The Cake Movement has claimed this as the most mediterranean climb in the event, with stunning views over Lago Maggiore. A paved climb leads to a small stone hut - no refuge awaits though. No sleeping or restaurant is here just the dolci team and a stamp. If reached from the road, this is a switchbacked journey along the Via ai Mont1.

## Checkpoint Palazi

An isolated mountain hut that is completely off-grid, only a water fountain for its users. What makes this ride beautiful for those coming up from the East are the tight switchbacks leading up from the Calancasa. They could even make a quick visit to the waterfalls!

## Checkpoint Prabello

The first ever CP in ITALY! This CP has many, many paths leading to it.Within touching distance of the summit, Poncione Di Cabbio, riders will have choices of walking tracks, gravel roads but no paved way to this CP.

Keep an eye on the tracking - as we update you'll see some photos arriving of these stunning locations.


Dominik sent through a roundup of the Dolci and we wanted to save each one for the updates throughout the adventure:

## Checkpoint Adula

This is one of the most breathtaking places of Ticino. At over 2000m above sea level (Dolci Camp is at 230 m!).

Before riders can go get their dolci, they have to play "Tunnel-Bingo". At the dam of Luzzone, there are three tunnels next to each other. One leads into the wrong direction, one leads to Alp Garzott, where riders have to get a coin which can be traded against a Dolci at Adula, which is behind the third tunnel. 

Crazy things - only in swiss mountains.

### DOLCI: homemade Crostate

aaaand there is a big surprise! To motivate riders we have built a Italo-Disco Machine. 

It is placed in one of the tunnels and has a motion sensor. As soon as a rider enters the tunnels, disco lights will go off and Gianna Nannini will start to sing!

![fdce90d7-cca2-4b98-87f8-55ec604815ee](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2SU63ocpueVbN0CCKx33tm/69422ff57760fdcb288e91c9a07708c4/fdce90d7-cca2-4b98-87f8-55ec604815ee.jpg)

We asked the organiser about who he thinks the best riders to watch are. Dominik mentioned some strong riders, such as Quinda Verheul, Simon Alleman, and Maria Ossowska. As is often the case, the Cake Movement entices some incredibly strong women to their start lines.

![Screenshot 2025-10-03 at 17.11.35](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3UzzHgQhB1UfQZlvTbSoMS/500dcb83ff41ad2f3edc74ae0520f247/Screenshot_2025-10-03_at_17.11.35.png)

However, we want to quickly talk about [Thomas Quirk](https://www.instagram.com/thomas_quirk75/)...

Quirk is the rider who brought his snowshoes in 2023. This year, again, he is trying to avoid any of those Dead Ends. Given the aim of the game is to ride those Dead Ends, it means it's a tougher challenge to miss them. This year he is armed with ice axes and a rope... we're glued to the screen to see what's happening. He and RSPB (Robert and Patrick) also took the ferry across Lago Maggiore.

![Screenshot 2025-10-03 at 17.12.02](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2QIqmro2ve1FnfSVuzNAJm/529bedee3d8c0b32d70e3407836b1534/Screenshot_2025-10-03_at_17.12.02.png)

Dead Ends and Cake, the more road orientated version, was tackled by Emma Pooley in 2021 who equipped her bike with some scaffolding foam to climb over the mountain passes. She set a trend, and laid down the gauntlet for the wildest adventure possible. Keep your eyes peeled for more updates.

[https://www.instagram.com/p/CQkvbKOBtDr/](https://www.instagram.com/p/CQkvbKOBtDr/)


The layout of the course means that the campsite, the start/finish, is where most of the riders will hunker down for the night. Dominik explained a little more about the campsite:

Riders are invited to camp for free at our camp from Thursday to Monday. We have a little hut with a kitchen, showers and toilets.Throughout the weekened the team will be cooking food with Pasta provided before the start and Pizza at the party at the end. During the event, the food will be sold at a reasonable price to keep it on a par with riders stopping elsewhere.

*"Last year we did the camp for the first time and it was amazing. It creates a unique vibe and that's what makes our little bikepacking family so beautiful. And even more important, it helps those, who are riding on a budget."*

*For the first time, riders are allowed to come back to the camp during the ride. Because Start & Finish is more or less in the middle of the checkpoints, this offers a good chance to resupply, rest and reset (without having to book an expensive swiss hotelroom). This may not be inside the usual self-supported rules, but it helps to create the best possible ride. And this is what we are looking for.*

![IMG 5429](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6b0pGYtp6DbQqGjaJGoB2f/145e98a707316e1ebf4120c6168c9e99/IMG_5429.JPG)

A fantastic initiative from the Cake Movement team to bring some community spirit. As the campsite is available to all of the competitors, it offers no advantage over another in terms of availability but those looking for a more competitive event are free to press on. Speaking of... 

Guido Toscanelli, last year's winner is currently 1 CP away from finishing. Having travelled a whopping 344.76 km in 17 hours, he's looking to finish any minute now and claim the crown.

The top group of women are Kate Sommer, Evelyn Weiss, Stefanie Maurer, Leonie Baumgartner, Simone Allemann, Lisa Banz,	Quinda Verheul. They are all pressing over 200km and it is too early to tell who will take the win. It is all to play for at Dead Ends as tactics make more of a difference than distance, especially at Dolci. Their overnight plans will most likely make the biggest difference so tune in tomorrow am!

![Screenshot 2025-10-03 at 22.13.38](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2DiJC2FDtSz8HTnNbSJU1a/068622b1897b714974ad4d8de6c5f337/Screenshot_2025-10-03_at_22.13.38.png)

[Quinda](https://www.instagram.com/quindaverheul_/) has been providing some great updates on Instagram, it's worth having a look at her stories to see what it is like out there.

Finally another Dolci delight from Dominik:

## Checkpoint Malcantone

Riders will get their stamp at Monte Faeta, a remote pass close to the Italian border. During the day, our volunteers will be there and hand out dolci. But as this crew is a three generation family business,from Kids to Grandparents - or Nonni in Italian, they will be in a small hut nearby at night and riders will pick up their Dolci there - at Cima Pianca.

Riders will either come up the Italian side and climb the countless hairpins of Pradeccolo - or the will climb the Swiss side from Novaggio.

### DOLCI: 
most delicious Brownies - made by the social organisation who rents out the hut at the dolci-camp.


In the early hours of the morning, Guido arrived at the finish having ridden 405km in just 20 hrs 24 mins, an absolutely mammoth haul. Taking pretty much the most direct route to each CP, he had an efficient ride that has most certainly taken a lot of planning. Out of the first three, Guido's route has been the longest.

In second place was Thomas Schlatter in 26 hrs 25 mins	and then absolutely down to the last minute, third place saw Manuele Ghirlanda in in 26 hrs and 37 mins! A tight 2/3 there, with only 12 minutes between. All their routes where very similar, apart from Manuele's trip to Malconte where he road the banks of Lake Maggiore.

## To Fondue or Fondon't?
It's always a surprise with the Cake Movement, this year [Wheycation](https://www.instagram.com/wheycation/) have a mobile fondue station that is roaming around hitting up riders with some Fondue on their ride!

[https://www.instagram.com/p/DPXmGGpiCH6/?img_index=1
](https://www.instagram.com/p/DPXmGGpiCH6/?img_index=1)

We've also seen a lot of the riders stopping at the Camp Dolci overnight, there's been some interesting methods of keeping warm as the cool October air lies in the valleys:

![Screenshot 2025-10-04 at 09.10.45](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5RTXQgIMnZHceVEbEIXVFE/37907f29ea3e0b071513d2f29050d275/Screenshot_2025-10-04_at_09.10.45.png)

Our next Dolci reveal from Dominik:

## Checkpoint Pinci

Corona dei Pinci is a true Ticino classic. It's a long climb starting down at Lago Maggiore, with palm trees and a very mediteranean feel. Riders climb higher and higher above the lake on a road that is closed for cars. At the top we have 3 (okay, maybe 2.5) old stonehuts, where our bike-messenger crew sets up camp. They have no electricity and the huts are open to all sides... but the vibe is always great.

Not too many route options - but some Mountain bikers will dare the steep rocky singletrail down to the lake. 

__DOLCI:__ Brioche that can be filled with Pistacchio-Creme or Chocolate

Leonie Baumgartner  was the first woman to finish in 30 hrs 12 mins with a solid almost 420km of riding behind her. Simone Allemann the finished in 31 hrs 47 mins and Stefanie Maurer in 34 hrs 37 mins. This was a tight women's podium and a fierce ride from all involved. Anton Kiefer is the first Diverse rider to finish in 10th overall and 33 hrs 5 mins.

Thomas Quirk gave us a taste of his route profile, as seen in the featured photo. It really gives a bit of context for quite how challenging this event is; mountain passes up and down for up to 500km straight!

![Screenshot 2025-10-04 at 21.21.43](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6ETzoBRzeciUUNp7A9R2Jm/2626637c3f04fabceaf6bbd324bdb08c/Screenshot_2025-10-04_at_21.21.43.png)

There has been some subtle clues left for the riders to find the Dolci and the riders are not just being treated with sweet treats, but undeniably magical views.

![Screenshot 2025-10-04 at 21.21.13](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/12mVEGWnnbI0wVUZ5d05wr/0aa687c0e6caed9949bda044aefc886b/Screenshot_2025-10-04_at_21.21.13.png)

We've got the next installment of the Dolci explainers here:

## Checkpoint Palazi

Palazi is a tiny hut in the middle of nowhere. There is a perfectly fine road straight up from the valley but... this road is banned for our riders. You may ask why? Well, first of all, we want to bring riders to the most beautiful places,  the climb on the other side of the valley, passing Castaneda towards Laghetto di Buseno is amazing. And so is the tiny road leading up from there...

But the main reason was, that the road to our initally planned checkpoint further down the valley is currently closed due to roadworks and landslides. In the past years, Ticino has seen increasingly heavy rainfall in summer, leading to landslides. Many of these steep and remote valleys get cut off from the rest of the world over the summer. Us not having a checkpoint isn't a big thing, but for (the few) people living in these mountains it's a constant threat. And it's getting worse and worse, and we all know why...

DOLCI: Val Calanca is very famous for a local specialty - Torta di Castagne (Chestnut cake)

Before we start, I failed to mention in my previous update the pairs' podium which was almost as speedy as the singles:
Vera Hunkeler & David Eychmüller - 29 hrs 53 mins	
Melanie Müller-Reichert & Martin Reichert - 31 hrs 23 mins
Stefan Grossmann & Tobias Kuster - 39 hrs 7 mins

A stunning ride from Vera and David coming in in less than 30 hours and covering 413.59 km. It seems the pairs overall have had slightly longer rides than the singles.

As more riders are finishing, it is becoming clear there were a few key routes ridden by most riders. Often going back into the centre and out in a more asterisk shape, many of the riders were doing true Dead Ends! Some were making their way around Lake Maggiore with some including Simone Alleman even taking the ferry right across the centre, preventing a ride back along the Western shore.

![Screenshot 2025-10-05 at 08.35.04](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1285bIYBDSQEidBiKJMlhN/c369d695b01c442254dbff0a571f4454/Screenshot_2025-10-05_at_08.35.04.png)

Thomas Quirk is sticking to his plan (the big green loop to the East) where he is not hitting any dead ends. He seems to have been spending a huge amount of his time hiking with a bike on his back - we've yet to see the ice axe be deployed!

![Screenshot 2025-10-05 at 08.39.44](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2h1ZjavKZ67sbCucMlfmU9/5feee32db05c499983bf54263274a689/Screenshot_2025-10-05_at_08.39.44.png)

Another interesting deviation (included with a few routes in the Follow My Challenge Replay screenshot) are those up to Malconte. With so many different ways up, you can almost identify each rider's bike based on their route choice. 

I highly recommend heading to the replay and having a good look through the routes. It makes you want to get out there and have an explore.

Next Dolci update:

## Checkpoint Prabello
Our first checkpoint in Italy! Okay, it's just a few meters across the border, but it counts! This southern point will be reached from various directions. *Looking at the tracking, really various directions including Robert Strom & Patrik Balg pair 102 who took a nice long jaunt into Italy.*

DOLCI: homemade fruit cake (some nutritional value in the fruit!)

Photo by [Tobias](https://www.instagram.com/tobikarlfuchs/)

![Screenshot 2025-10-06 at 11.17.05](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2G04bzeJ8KJXGl9BbTrkR3/ccba3ac148705874343a716786607b55/Screenshot_2025-10-06_at_11.17.05.png)

Firstly, Thomas Quirk did sadly hit a dead end - with snow completely covering his hike-a-bike track he had to turn around and head back to the same sport he joined the mountain. He finished in a total time of 61 hrs 36 mins, a strong time given he'd hiked over mountain passes and in the snow!

![Screenshot 2025-10-06 at 11.16.53](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5FHUUCuv8iF213ErZHZL3C/c6971e694d1a574adb723cd9a04b5fad/Screenshot_2025-10-06_at_11.16.53.png)

After the finishers pizza part last night, there are still 4 solo and 1 pair left out on the course, savouring the Dolci. We wish them the best of luck on the rest of their exciting journey.

[https://www.instagram.com/p/DPbW0szCFEx/?img_index=1](https://www.instagram.com/p/DPbW0szCFEx/?img_index=1)

As ever, I find myself moving closer and closer to the enter button for the Cake Movement events. They're well thought through, all about community and take a rider first approach. There is never any doubt that Dominik and his team of organisers and volunteers are doing this for the sheer love of cycling. 


Kitty Dennis

Ellen Martin

Guido Toscanelli Franklin

A sweet surprise awaits the riders at every checkpoint on this off-road race through the Swiss Mountains. To reach the checkpoints, the fierce competitors must climb five dead ends.

DEAD ENDS & dolci 2025 Tracking and Commentary

A sweet surprise awaits the riders at every checkpoint on this off-road race through the Swiss mountains. To reach the checkpoints, the fierce competitors must climb six dead ends.

DEAD ENDS & dolci 2025

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