This paper focuses on the self-organization of ad hoc and hybrid networks. We propose to organize networks with two integrated virtual structures: a backbone and clusters. The backbone helps to optimize the flooding of control packets, and to offer a natural prolongation of the backbone of wired networks. Clusters help to hierarchize the network, each of which is managed logically by its clusterhead. Since MANETs are mobile, we propose distributed algorithms for both the construction and the maintenance to preserve an efficient virtual structure despite topology changes. Simulations results exhibit the robustness and persistence of the proposed virtual structure.