Maratona dles Dolomites 2013
The Maratona dles Dolomites is a beautiful gran fondo on a testing course in the Italian Dolomites mountain range.
The full 138km Maratona course takes riders over five 2,000m+ passes and the saw tooth profile means you are either ascending or descending throughout the day.
Maratona dles Dolomites Official Tour Operator
The readers of Cycling Weekly rated the Maratona dles Dolomites 3rd favorite international sportive behind the Etape du Tour and La Marmotte.
Looming large on the course profile are the Passo Giau (2,236m over 9.9km at 9.3%) and Passo Valparola (2,200m over 11.5km at 5.8%); make no mistake this is right up there with La Marmotte and Nove Colli for difficulty.
For many cyclists the Maratona is a ‘must do’ and it’s proximity to Venice and the Adriatic coast means a trip to take on the Maratona dles Dolomites can be combined with some sightseeing too. SwissRetreat’s Maratona dles Dolomites Cycling Holiday includes a day in Venice.
Maratona dles Dolomites Event Details
- Date: Sunday 30th June 2013
- Distances: 138km (Maratona), 106km (Middle) and 55km (Sellaronda)
- Cyclists: 9,000+ riders start
- Established since: 1987
- Start: La Villa, Italy
- Finish: Corvara, Italy
- Nearest Airport: Alta Badia is the host town and Bolzano, Treviso and Venice airports are all options
- Accommodation: SwissRetreat’s Maratona dles Dolomites Cycling Holiday
Maratona dles Dolomites Course Preview
Maratona dles Dolomites Course Profile
There are three sportive distances to choose from including the full Gran Fondo “Maratona” length course. All of the routes start at La Villa and finish at Corvara, so you will not miss any of the pre or post race atmosphere if you choose to take on one of the shorter distances. As you can imagine cycling in the Dolomites involves plenty of climbing and the saw tooth profiles are testament to how challenging this gran fondo is!
- Maratona: 138km with 4,190m of climbing
- Middle: 106km with 3,090m of climbing
- Sellaronda: 55km with 1,780m of climbing
Profile of the full Maratona distance
The full maratona distance includes five 2,000m+ passes or “Passo” in Italian:
- Passo Pordoi (2,239m) 9.2km at 6.9%
- Passo Sella (2, 239m) 5.5km at 7.9%
- Passo Gardena (2,121m) 5.8km at 4.3%
- Passo Giau (2,236m) 9.9km at 9.3%
- Passo Valparola (2,200m) 11.5km at 5.8%
Training for Maratona dles Dolomites
A quick look at the course profile welcomes you nicely to the reality of cycling in the mountains. The Dolomites provide an inspirational backdrop to this gran fondo and training consistently in advance of the big day will help you appreciate the views more.
The key to cycling up (and down) challenging mountain cols is experience. There are many long steady hills in the Maratona and it’s essential to build up experience of ascending climbs for up to 60 minutes at a steady, controllable cadence.
Descending should also not be underestimated and it’s a good idea to focus on your descents rather than just using it as a freewheel recovery. Practicing lines around corners, refueling with water and energy products and getting in some back and leg stretches are all useful exercises to practice in advance so that you descend safely and intelligently come race day.
When you are in training for a challenging sportive it is very important to be consistent. Your body will adjust best to consistent training efforts, making continual improvements and changes if you train and rest consistently.
Maratona dles Dolomites Training Tips
- CYCLEFILM have a great full length Maratona dles Dolomites recon DVD version of the preview above for £7.99; perfect for indoor turbo or roller training
- Set yourself an achievable cycling training plan and set training dates with mates for peer pressure – train consistently
- Book your Maratona dles Dolomites Cycling Holiday before places run out!
Maratona dles Dolomites Holiday
SwissRetreat’s Maratona dles Dolomites Cycling Holiday includes a route recce on the famous Sella Ronda course as well as a great day out climbing the infamous Passo Fedaia or Marmolada as it is better known.
Our fully supported tour includes a 6:1 client to guide ratio and support from a team car on all training rides in the days building up to Maratona 2013.
Maratona dles Dolomites Entry
Places for the 2012 edition sold out immediately (and crashed the website in seconds). At SwissRetreat we have a limited number of guaranteed Maratona 2013 entries.
Useful websites for the Maratona dles Dolomites
- Official website: Maratona dles Dolomites
- Facebook: Chat with fellow riders on the official Facebook page
- Twitter feed: Join in the conversation @mdolomites with the hashtag #mdd27
- YouTube: Watch race highlights on the official YouTube channel
- SwissRetreat’s Maratona 2013 Cycling Holiday
Searching for a sportive? Then check out our sportive calendar for the best sportives, cyclotours and gran fondos in Europe.
Photo credit: All photos supplied by Maratona dles Dolomites and credited to Freddy Planincheck and Sportograf.
