German ultra-cyclist Max Riese dies aged just 36 during training ride
CyclingSunday, 20 September 2026 at 15:30
Well-known German ultra-endurance cyclist Max Riese has been killed in an accident during a training ride near Berchtesgaden on Tuesday, 15 September 2026.
The circumstances are still being investigated, but according to reports from police sources, it is believed that he may have collided with a wild animal. This is suspected because animal hair was reportedly found on his jersey in the aftermath.
Whether the exact sequence of events leading to the accident can be reconstructed remains unclear. The police investigation, being carried out in cooperation with experts and the relevant local hunters, has not yet been completed.
A woman driving along the Rossfeld Panoramic Road near Berchtesgaden found Max Riese with extremely serious injuries and immediately alerted the emergency services. However, when they had arrived, they were only able to confirm his death.
Max Riese may not have been a familiar name to everyone, but within the international ultra-endurance cycling scene, the 36-year-old was regarded as one of its leading and best-known riders.
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One of the biggest successes of his career came in May this year, when he won the Hellenic Mountain Race in Greece. He had also repeatedly proved himself at countless other races and events, continually adding to his palmarès. Most recently, in August, he finished second at the Silk Road Mountain Race in Kyrgyzstan.
His completely unexpected and sudden death has sent shockwaves far beyond the extreme sports community. He leaves an enormous void, particularly among his family and those closest to him, but also through his work as an entrepreneur and co-founder of the cycling company GravGrav.
All involved with the CyclingUpToDate team extends its sincere condolences to the family, relatives and friends of Max Riese. We also wish them great strength during this incredibly difficult time as they come to terms with their loss.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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Rafionain-Glas20-09-2026 - like I trust anyone on here with my personal information. I don’t assume anything about anyone, other than one shouldn’t watch a movie or see a picture of someone and make a broad characterization about them. To see this video and dismiss all the talent hard work, and effort someone has put into their career, and to chalk it up as “easy” is extremely prejudicial. to spout off about someone without knowing anything about them is prejudicial. I know nothing of anyone here and am not attacking who they are, simply the words they post. and don’t take my word for what a photo shoot is like, research it. we had an annual 110 page product catalog we had to produce. It was about 4 days in the studio, and very, very grueling days. for everyone. I was not and am not a model. I was CEO of the company.mij20-09-2026
- Are you watching stage 5Rafionain-Glas20-09-2026
- Or automated translation. I suspect hub could be hubris though. I don’t know multilingualism is the reason but it’s really not hard at all to understand what is meant. Or perhaps I’ve gotten too used to reading automatic translations imposed by the likes of Google, Airbnb, Tripadvisor etc. for foreign messages and reviewsJumpyjohn20-09-2026
- If it’s hard for him, imagine how it must be for the others.Jumpyjohn20-09-2026
- And yet, without any research or knowledge you quite liberally assume whatever you feel like about the people you argue with (whilst, I notice, spouting off quite a bit about yourself that we have to assume is true for lack of any verification possibilities). Maybe you should reveal your own identity for us to check out your story? On the other hand, if taking part in a photo shoot (or even two) is given prominence by you, is it worth us looking at your CV?Jumpyjohn20-09-2026
- No Tom Dumoulin?
DareDevil20-09-2026 - Indeed, and it doesn’t even seem well correlated to age, some of the older viewers being way more modern than the newer generations.Jumpyjohn20-09-2026
- You are the only one who ever asks, try not to make things too obviousJumpyjohn20-09-2026
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