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Michael Strasser's new world record: Project 771

05.07.2024 |Simplon Riders

It's the third time Michael Strasser has broken a world record - this time on the SIMPLON PAVO IV. With his Project 771, the extreme athlete covered 1,400 kilometres and 34,000 metres in altitude non-stop and without any outside assistance.

The project

Climbing the 7 highest peaks in the 7 Alpine countries all by himself (1) - only on foot and on the PAVO IV: this has been the goal of top athlete Michael Strasser with his Project 771. And he has actually made it: Starting on 2 July at 04:22 at the foot of Mont Blanc, he arrived 7 days, 10 hours and 56 minutes later at the foot of Triglav in Slovenia (after climbing it, of course).

The previously known world record time from 2012 by long-distance icon Wolfgang Fasching had been 9.5 days. However, Wolfgang Fasching had been travelling with a support team and was therefore able to shorten the bike distance by 10%.

Michael Strassers route speaks for itself:

In order to set the record in the "solo unsupported" category, he did not take any motorised help or external support of any kind. This means, for example, no support car, no mountain partners and no support from the roadside. Not even cheering was allowed - that would have already been considered mental support.

Of course, Michael Strasser also transported his entire mountain equipment (including ice axe, crampons, shoes, etc.) on the PAVO IV all by himself. With a loaded total weight of over 20 kg, he rode our all-round racer over mountain passes with thousands of metres of altitude.

Discover the PAVO IV

The fact that I'm on my own makes the project even more exciting!

-Michael Strasser-

Live information for full transparency

Michael Strasser was keen to ensure that his world record attempt is documented in a transparent and complete manner in order to be credible: Live GPS tracking has been available throughout the entire endeavour. The athlete has also publish his physical activity (including heart rate and power meter data) directly on Strava after each section.

Thanks to mobile phone selfies and action cam recordings, which Michael Strasser has transmitted to a media team during his short stops with network coverage, his fans were able to join in the excitement on Instagram.

Michael Strasser's world records

He is known as a man of extremes, whom we have been supporting with great admiration and pleasure as one of our top athletes for years: Michael Strasser. In 2016, he set his first world record with his solo continental bike crossing from Cairo to Cape Town: He completed the 11,000 kilometres in 34 days, 11 hours and 10 minutes. Just two years later, he followed this up with the Ice2Ice project: On his SIMPLON PRIDE (which can be admired in our Experience Center today, by the way), he rode the incredible 23,000 kilometre route from Alaska to Patagonia - from North American to South American ice - in 84 days, 11 hours and 50 minutes. In between, he had to battle temperatures of over 50 degrees.

So now he has set another world record with his Project 771, which was also intended to help him overcome his trauma after a serious cycling accident in 2022. What an incredible achievement!

In addition to all his sporting milestones, another achievement should not go unmentioned: Michael Strasser has been voted Austria's "Sportsman with a Heart" in 2018 and 2023 (as part of the "Sportsman of the Year" vote) for his humanitarian work. Michael, you are and remain a real source of inspiration!