Report: Streets are lit! The 1896CMRR VI race 2025.

After missing a gap year due to shop’s relocation to a new address the 1896 Classic Marathon Race Revival was coming back for a 6th edition on May 10 2025. The event is maturing as the alternative bike scene is progressing and it has found its own space within the cycling industry. For 2025 the decision was taken to move the race along the classic original route towards Marathon village. Its a route familiar to runners and cyclists – it offers long stretches of open road for speed with some climbing sections and to spice things up a 7klm climb up towards Penteli mountain was added to the route where the only control point was positioned.

Participation again this year poured from everywhere. Italy, France, United Kingdom, Spain, Colombia and Denmark as well as racers from Thessaloniki, Korinthos and ofcourse Athens. Their profile varied as well, from Elite level sponsored riders to messengers, brevet riders and fixed gear fans, from 19 to 60+ years of age. A superb mix in our opinion that makes us feel super grateful and honoured. The 1896CMRR is flourishing as the years go by because people still find fun in getting together to celebrate indy bike culture and spin some heavy gears.

Race day: The weather was perfect, 23 degrees and sunny with a hint of breeze. Riders gathered at historic Kalimarmaro Stadium, location of the first Modern Olympic Games of 1896, where they would register, take number tags and get prepared. Friends and bystanders also circled around them, peaking and examining curiously – creating a warm nice vibe. Smiles were there, friends were greeted and a sense of anticipation was looming as the countdown was coming close.

The dynamics this year were well defined. Hugo Fulon (Cinelli) champion of Fixed42 in Berlin, Coast to Coast in Barcelona and Respublica in Genova was here with the Rush Club from Rouen (FR) being a top contender eager to reassure his dominance, but had to face a group of Italian riders loosely formed together from various Milanese bike outfits as they have been waiting for their chance to prove their strength. Also worth to mention was another nucleus, that of the Barcelona crew PRBLMS boosting street cred and race proven skills, while local team Brekeles leaded by Yiannis Sfetsos – always a super strong contender with knowledge of his home turf as an advantage.

As the clock hit 17:45 racers lined and it was time for showdown. The route was going to follow a neutralised section of 8klm on a controlled pace up to Stavros Ag. Paraskevi. Riders had to follow the leading race marshal on a moped, that was giving them essential time to warm up but also a safe way to get over the array of city traffic lights.

Riders were smiling, chatty and did last minute on bike adjustments as they were pedalling through the city in an impressive big track peloton at controlled speed. The city was fairly calm, few cars, shops were closing and Saturday night out was still few hours away. As the peloton completed the uphill section after Ag. Paraskevi, the race marshal gave a countdown on the ntountouka…
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 GO!
… and they dived into the Stavros tunnel and then it was BOOM and the streets were lit with power.

Coming out of the tunnel the traffic was on our side and the race scooters managed to block off all three traffic light intersections as the racers blasted through towards Palini. Hugo Fulon (FR) with Samuel Cook (UK) easily took the lead changing headwind between each other as Yiannis Sfetsos (GR) and Cedric Sion (FR) followed closely behind.

The race was fast and mental, streets were not busy and cars and traffic didnt seem to obscure anyone as racers made their groups and moves. Group dynamics were starting to develop as racers after their first move realised their comfortable space and seek to find help. Few of these groups progressed together, some other splitted up and at some point after 10-15klm Hugo Fulon opened a gap on Sam Cook in the lead, looking forward to the turn and the climb to Penteli.

A big group of Greek riders was formed midway with Meletakos, Kalitzerakis and Papadimitriou showing cooperation trying to find rhythm and a hint of strategy. Dallas and Tsakos-Zaravinos tried to do the same but most efficiently was done by the Colombinas with Valero and Castillo blazing the pedals with fury chasing the leaders with a purpose.

But as the race was progressing it was evident that the mountain was to decide the winners. Penteli – one of the 3 main mountains of Athens – offers an entry point through Nea Makri and this is where the climb started. Hugo comfortable with a huge gap entered the climb dominant spinning a crazy RPM approaching the control point.

But where were the Italians?

However, Nea Makri is not the only entry point to the mountain. Following a very very controversial move (discussed later) a group of Italian riders, most notably Guerra, De Giacomo, Sguatti, Santi, Corbascio and Farina have decided on their own to enter the mountain at Paiania – quite a few klm before Nea Makri cutting the distance short but adding substantially to the climb, almost double the elevation (1122m)… and done that twice!

For those knowing Penteli mountain it is understood that this is a remarkable achievement, Penteli has some steep grades and boosts massive elevation in short distance, its back roads are rugged tarmac and easily can be felt like a maze.
Guerra with De Giacomo were the first to reach the controlpoint from this group shortly after Fulon, the situation was unfolding as a race between climbing Penteli or sprinting the route. Would this unorthodox move make the trick?

As the Italians were off through the mountain again, the race on the other side was unfolding into a frenzy. Fulon sporting a mental RPM was sprinting back to the city, followed by Cook, Sion and Sfetsos – followed closely by the Colombians. Whoever had saved the most energy up to this point would be receiving the dividends of their effort.

On the other side of the mountain Guerra clearly on the zone fell and was saved by De Giacomo and Sguatti as they set out to perform the final phase of their master plan of squatting the route back. In the end at the finish line it was a difference of less than a minute between Hugo Fulon and Francisco Guerra and they both celebrated this amazing showdown of skill and power between them.

About the local scene, we loved the new faces, prepared and fit, from Aggelos stelar performance to 19yo Panagiotis that was only just a boy from Mani on the last 1896CMRR and this year was racing with the big guns – from the regulars of the local Krima Ride to the brevets roadies and the Master guys of 55+yo still finding fun in racing brakeless bikes on the streets.

Lets hope we will see more strong local legs at the front group helping Sfetsos (you know who you are) and more people volunteering to help us with this gig. There is so much to make better (photos, time keeping etc).

Congratulations to all that participated, helped, came to the after party, talked, hyped and shared. We are also honoured to have you all traveling from far away for another year.

It was an extremely difficult and peculiar situation for us to decide the winner. A decision had to be taken whether to disqualify the group that diverted from the route. We had to take a meeting between all 7 of us at the organisation and after listening to all sides we took the decision to not disqualify them. So here is the explanation of our decission:

The rules of the race did not mention the route as “mandatory”, it was neither “suggested” or “official”. To be fair it is maybe our fault that it was not clear by the set of rules if the racers are obliged to follow the given route or wether they could be creative and divert. There was only one controlpoint after all and also the rules stated that “all street racing rules apply like Monstertrack etc – you are on your own”.

However maybe the small letters dont matter so much. Starting with the bold: Do we like the athleticism, performance and training spirit such as we saw from Cook, Sfetso and Fulon? Hell yeah!. Do we like watching participants shredding and pumping the gas climbing the mountain. We dont just like it, WE LOVE IT! It is what makes this sport of crazy street track bike go on another level, progressing it, making it legit, equal to that of ELITE level racing. And this sport came from nowhere with some kids fooling around with old track bikes to being a demanding, full on racing category that demands its own space in the history of cycling. Lets see more we say!

But it is also the cheekiness that made street racing what it is. To be creative and try to “outsmart” the city in a way to your own advantage. Cutting lines, hustling rules, dodging traffic, mountains and anything that comes your way. It is part of DIY street racing, “hustling” against your opponents superiority. Is it fair? We cant tell! Are the streets fair? Maybe not. Do we want to see more people teaming up, planning attacks and strategy instead of just going fast. I think we do!

In all respect it is our own fault not be precise on the rules. But in the end the verdict is that both sides win. Because both of them represent the essence of fixed gear racing. And we would like to see more of that!

In a nutshel, we loved 1896CMRR 2025 because we saw passion, power, brains and hustle. We saw people giving a shit about it, battling it and facing opponents with whatever best they had in them in a true upfront spirit. It is something we keep from this year. Some too cheeky or some too fast, street racing maybe should have a place for all.

Dont forget that Aristeidis Konstantinidis himself borrowed a bike from a bystander to finish the race, showing a bit of cheekiness too.
His spirit really resurfaced again this May 2025.

1 Hugo Fulon / Francisco Guerra
2 Pietro Tulio De Giacomo / Samuel Cook
3 Andrea Sguatti
4 Giacomo Santi
5 Cedric Sion
6 Giannis sfetsos
7 Brandon Castillo
8 Andrea Corbascio
9 Diego Valero
10 Andrea Farina
11 Kevin Cauhape
12 Arthur Tampurello
13 Angelos Katzilierakis
14 Umberto Nochi
15 Αλέξανδρος Haxhijani
16 Thodoris Meletakos
17 Ioannis Dosis
18 Orestis Kalonaris
19 Panos Dallas
20 Pantelis Messaropoulos
21 Panagiotis Petropoulos
22 Antonio Piepo
23 Adam Mouratidis
24 Markos Doxakis
25 Makis Mertikas
26 Aggelos Papadimitriou
27 Xristos Fanariotis
28 Argiris Dinopoulos
19 Konstantinos Georgopoulos Bosinas
30 Stellios Petrakis
31 Vagelis Kounadis
32 Giannis Kalyvas
33 Kisando Dymishi
34 Sotos Meligdis
… lost after this

Grand sponsor: Cinelli
Sponsors: A-traction, Anastasiou Brewery, Monokeros Bakery
Supporters: Prblms Barcelona, Brekeles Athens, Scvdo Genova

Photos by Filippos Parousis and Vito Quinci
Words by Agis Kolyvas

Production Team:
Dionysis Souliotis, Gina Manou, Spyros Koukos, Mixalis Zouros, Vasilis Tsoumas, Alexandros Skordas, Simon Baumgart, Sheldon Els
Photographers: Filippos Parousis, Jules Stallaerts
Race consultants: John-Taki Theodoracopoulos, Vito Quinci
Race director: Agis Kolyvas