Today, I participated in the Maratona dles Dolomites, a big gran fondo in the northern part of Italy, surrounded by the huge and unique rock mountains known as the Dolomites. I was quite nervous in the last few days, questioning whether my fitness was good enough for this challenge. However, I had prepared for the last 9 months, losing a few pounds, participating in mucker races, and engaging in long endurance indoor and outdoor rides.

The event offered three routes: a short one (55km), a middle one (106km), and a long route (136km). I opted for the long route, but during the ride, there was the flexibility to switch to the short or middle routes.

Starting in the early morning at 5:30, the cold air greeted us due to the elevation of 1200m. My strategy was not to push too hard at the beginning and conserve energy as much as possible. It was essential because the 135km were paired with a total elevation gain of 4200m.

As the ride progressed, I allowed the lightweighted riders to take the lead. The first climb served as a good warm-up, followed by a very steep downhill section with sharp curves, demanding extra caution due to the busy roads.

The second hill, Pordoijoch, was a pleasant one with 638m of elevation gain and a 7% gradient. The beautiful landscape made the climb a pleasurable experience. The third and fourth climbs were 450m and 250m of elevation gain, respectively. Upon reaching Corvara, the little route was completed. From there, we retraced the first climb and then headed towards Passo Giau.

Unfortunately, I arrived 10 minutes late after the cut-off time at Passo Giau. I had to decide whether to switch to the middle route and get an official result or give my starting bib away and continue with the long route without an official result. It was an easy decision as I wanted to challenge myself to finish the long route. So, I handed my transponder to the officials and kept on riding.

Despite having already covered 90km with approximately 2400m of elevation gain, I felt quite good when I reached the bottom of Passo Giau. However, the climb up Passo Giau proved to be a real challenge: 930m of elevation gain with a 9.3% gradient and maxing out at 15%. I managed to reach the top, overtaking at least 50 English riders who were also taking on the long route.

Following a long and fast downhill section, the last hill, Valporala, awaited with 670m of elevation gain and a maximum gradient of 15%. I still had some reserves and maintained a power output of 210-220W, but the final kilometer with a 10-15% gradient was tough. Nevertheless, I pushed through and reached the top, knowing that the finish was close.

With just 4km to go, I faced the Mür dl Giat, a short, steep climb with 370m of elevation gain and a maximum gradient of 19%. It was a challenging climb, almost like a practice run for Flandern, though it was paved, without cobblestones. While I questioned why such a tough climb was placed at the end after the previous 130km, I eventually made it to the finish line after 7 hours and 57 minutes. I couldn’t have been happier; it was the best gran fondo I had ever participated in. If you enjoy mountain climbs coupled with a fantastic scenery, this is the place to go. I am already considering returning next year for another attempt.

Additional facts about the event: There were around 8000 riders, with 1000 from Great Britain, 950 from Germany, and fewer than 300 from Belgium and the Netherlands. During the ride, I also met two Irish riders, one of whom struggled at the last climb, but we all faced challenges and pushed through.

Cheers from Italy, Daniel