A few days ago I was at the start of the Maratona dles Dolomites in Italy. My day started at 4:30 a.m., after all I had to go to the start in La Villa at 1436 meters an hour later. At just 6 degrees Celsius it was very fresh). I wasn't the first in the starting block, but I wasn't the last either, because there was already a large crowd that kept growing.
At 6:40 a.m. the first lap started, which went over four passes and 55 kilometers over 1.700 meters in altitude. It started from the village of La Villa to Corvara over the Passo Campolongo (1875 meters in altitude - 5,8 kilometers - 6,1 percent) past the hotel into the Arabba valley. This first section was very crowded because we had already approached the slower ones from the first starting block. Here it was important to be careful and make up time.
We continued through the Provincia di Belluno over the Passo Pordoi (2239 meters in altitude - 9,2 kilometers - 6,9 percent), the longest climb on this round and at the same time the coldest descent. There was no rest, because once at the bottom it went straight up to the Passo Sella (2244 meters in altitude - 5,5 kilometers - 7,9 percent) and on via the Provinca di Bolzano to the Passo Gardena (2112 meters in altitude - 5,8 kilometers - 4,3, 86 percent). Then we headed into the Covara-Arrivo valley, where we got through right after the start before the final lap of 2.406 kilometers and XNUMX meters in altitude.
So after 2:32 hours I set out for the last lap, which took me back past the hotel. Here I exchanged my drinking bottles. After the Passo Campolongo there was now the first refreshment station. Again we went to the Arabba valley, but this time we had to turn left. This part of the Provincia di Belluno was a bit flatter, so I was able to relax a bit. From kilometer 81 there was a climb of 2,3 kilometers in length and 7,5 percent gradient, as a foretaste of the Passo Giau (2236 meters in altitude - 10,6 kilometers - 10 percent).
This pass has it all, it starts with a gradient of 7 to 9 percent and quickly increases to 14 percent. Fortunately, there are one or two passages with a 5 to 7 percent incline, which unfortunately are only 100 meters long. Halfway up the climb I found it very difficult to keep motivating myself because to be honest the giau knocks your shoes off!
My motivation came from small goals that only reached the next hairpin bend. So I survived the longest mountain time trial of my life in 54:59,7 minutes, with an average speed of 11,6 km/h and 121st place in my age group.
Unfortunately, you couldn't recover on the descent from the Giau either, because there was no opportunity to be able to pedal lightly. It didn't take long and I was already standing in front of the last pass on this tour, the Passo Falzarego (2117 meters in altitude - 10,6 kilometers - 5,8 percent), which then leads into the Passo Valparola (2200 meters in altitude - 11,6 kilometers - 6 percent) resulted.
This kilometer difference made me tired and proud at the same time, because now it was time to go to the finish line. On the descent it started to drizzle and the temperatures dropped from 20 to 11 degrees Celsius. Arrived down in La Villa - Badia, a highlight was waiting, the Cat hump with a length of 400 meters and a gradient of 19 percent, with five kilometers to go. That was nasty. On these last few kilometers the weather suddenly turned to rain. He accompanied us to the finish, where my time was displayed on the finish sheet. My effective riding time was 6:13 hours, at 22,7 km/h over 141 kilometers and 4.106 meters in altitude. I'm proud and happy to have made it.
Anyone looking for a challenge has come to the right place.
Greetings, Andy