Before continuing onto the story note that the random draw for this year's Maratona already took late last year. However, an additional further 190 entries will be sold online on www.maratona.it on March 27th 2013, check there for details.
"My passion for cycling the most challenging and hilliest sportives I suspect comes from my roots living in the Conwy Valley in North Wales. Cycling up the steepest climbs we could find with our old Raleigh 5 speeds zigzagging our way up to the lakes above. Then suddenly the MTB was here and years of majestic riding and racing followed in the great forestry’s of North Wales.
Then suddenly I found myself in Lincolnshire, and my passion for MTB and cycling began to wane. Simply put; not enough mountains or even the modest hill! My friend however persuaded me to buy a road bike and suddenly my passion for cycling was reborn.
My first challenge was to cycle a 100 miles locally in the Lincolnshire Wolds which I enjoyed but was already hungry for the next challenge.
Then the challenge moved swiftly to cycle the hardest British Sportive over 100 miles, widely recognised as the infamous Fred Whitton Challenge.
Then after completing the Fred Whitton you naturally look for something even harder and I soon learned of ‘La Marmotte’ widely recognised as the most challenging of European sportives!
After completing the La Marmotte three times in the French Alps my focus turned to the Maratona dles Dolomites in Italy and still my passion for sportives continues.
he Maratona is a mass participation event, and in 2012 attracted 31,600 applications for 8,800 places. Anyone can enter online at their website, but unlike the La Marmotte, it is a lottery.
I was drawn to this event looking for a new challenge for 2012, after in previous years participating in La Marmotte.
The event itself is not considered as hard as La Marmotte, due to the fact there is less vertical climbing (4190m) and it’s shorter in distance (138km). But the experience of riding in the picturesque and majestic Italian Dolomites and to ride up the same passes made famous by the Giro d’Italia makes this Gran Fondo a must do event.
There seems little rest bite from the off as you climb 7 Dolomite Passes. Namely Passo Campolongo, Passo Pordoi, Passo Sella, Passo Gardena, Passo Camplongo (2nd time), Passo Giau and Passo Falzarego/ Passo Valporola.
8703 cyclists started the 2012 event from LaVilla. Within minutes you are climbing the first pass the Passo Campolongo wheel to wheel, shoulder to shoulder with thousands of cyclists. Cyclists jump for gaps ahead, cross your path, cyclists shout out aloud for fear of losing their partners, and worse of all for me, braking and coming to gridlock as your going up hill!
1. Passo Campolongo
Strava: http://app.strava.com/segments/1493686
Average: 5%
Length: 6.15 km
Height: 1875m
Going up the next two passes Passo Pordoi and Passo Sella the crowds of cyclists slowly start to thin out. Passo Gardena follows with then a second ascent of Passo Campolongo which is much more enjoyable without the crowds.
2. Passo Pordoi
Strava: http://app.strava.com/segments/2503
Average: 6.8%
Length: 9.4km
Height top: 2239m
3. Passo Sella
Strava: http://app.strava.com/segments/2273645
Average: 7.3%
Length: 5.5 km
Height: 2214m
Strava: http://app.strava.com/segments/1493739
Average: 4.2%
Length: 5.9 km
Height : 2121m
5.5 minor bumps on the way to
Once Passo Campolongo is completed the second time around a timely interlude from climbing with a faster section of rolling hills before the harder part of the ride begins with the relentless ascent up Passo Giau. Save yourselves for this one it’s the hardest part of the ride. After Giau the last long climb begins up to Passo Falzarego followed by the short extension up to Passo Valporola.
6. Passo Giau
Strava: http://app.strava.com/segments/618935
Average: 9.1%
Length: 10.12 km
Height: 2236m
7. Passo Falzarego/Passo Valparola
Strava: http://app.strava.com/segments/699200
Average: 5.4%
Length: 13 km
Height: 2192m
After Valporola there is only 20km left. Downhill to LaVilla and then a steady incline to Corvara to finish in a blaze of glory.
The Maratona in my opinion is a must do event. It is the best organised and value for money event I have ever done, at home or abroad. I’ve come away with great memories and I am already entered in Maratona 2013.
If you are interested in entering the Maratona in 2014 you can find all the information you need at their website www.maratona.it.
Yours in Sport
Alwyn Jones"
Strava Leaderboard for Maratona dles Dolomites here.
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Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, touring, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, racing, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are now more than 2,700 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog. There is also a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page.
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