After a crash forced him out of the race last year, Rick Steffen of Germany returned to this year’s Badlands event with a goal to finish in under 48 hours. Last night, Rick took first place at Badlands 2025 with a time of just over 38 hours. Find a recap and photos from the event organizers here…

Words by Chris Tonge, photos by Badlands.cc

Rick Steffen, a German firefighter and amateur cyclist, saw the Badlands race as a chance to redeem himself after a crash forced him to withdraw the previous year. He prepared extensively for the event, drawing on his experience from other ultra-cycling races, such as Paris-Brest-Paris, which he completed in 44 hours.

Rick was captivated by the unique landscape, particularly the Gorafe desert, which he described as “crazy” and akin to African scenery, making him feel as if he wasn’t in Spain or even Europe. He noted that the course was faster than the previous year, though it still presented challenges with bumps and hazardous sections. He had previously ridden the technical final stretch into Granada, which aided his navigation.

During the race, Rick faced tough competition from Max Agut on the first night, requiring him to push hard to maintain his lead. In the final hour, he was constantly on guard for other riders, making it a surprise to discover he had established a two-hour lead over the second-place finisher. His first question upon completing the race was about this time gap. Rick’s final time was 1 day, 15 hours, and 15 minutes.

Check out the Badlands 2025 Tracker page for updates, where you can follow along on the live tracking map and stay tuned in for more event coverage. Find it here.

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