With its unique route through the Dolomites, the Maratona dles Dolomites is one of the most beautiful and impressive cycling marathons. In order to get one of the coveted starting places, you not only have to bring a bit of luck with you, you also have to register for the raffle in good time. Today, October 12th, the pre-registrations for the 36th edition of the Maratona dles Dolomites start, which is scheduled for Sunday July 2nd, 2023. Our editor Florian Nowak was at the 2022 edition for the third time and has 3 professional tips with him on how the Maratona can be a complete success.
Every year at the Maratona dles Dolomites there is a very special motto that characterizes the event down to the last detail. With its motto "Umanité", the 2023 event is all about humanity and wants to draw more attention to a more livable and humane coexistence. In this way, you want to live up to your responsibilities outside of sport and get involved in relevant issues in everyday life.
From a sporting point of view, the Maratona with its three routes really has a lot to offer. So that the quality of the event can be kept at the highest level and the athletes can fully enjoy the day, the number of participants was also limited to 2023 for the 8.000 event. Our editor and former EuropeTour professional Florian Nowak has ten tips for the Maratona dles Dolomites in order to get one of the coveted starting places and thus make participation a complete success.
Ten professional tips for the Maratona dles Dolomites
Back in 2017, when I was still a EuropeTour driver, I was able to take part in my first Maratona. Over the years, I have always loved returning to Alta Badia to be able to experience this top-class event. Not only the impressive scenery of the Dolomites, but the entire organization and the feeling on site are unparalleled. In my opinion a must for every cyclist. In order for the Maratona dles Dolomites 2023 to be a success, however, you have to consider a few things.
1. The registration
Pre-registration for the Maratona 12 will start on October 2022, 2023. You can register until November 2nd to take part in the draw for starting places. With a bit of luck, you will receive positive news in the second half of November and you can look forward to 2 other participants. If you weren't lucky in the raffle, you can purchase a starter package (hotel + start number) from the official tour operator Holimites. There are also some slots that are sold for charity. These will be for sale exclusively online on the Maratona homepage on Tuesday, November 8.000, 22 and Wednesday, March 2022, 22. If you get one of the starting places, you should take care of a health certificate as soon as possible, which is mandatory for participation. More information can be found on the organizer's website.
Register here from October 12, 2022!
2. Route check
There are three routes in the Maratona dles Dolomites, which can also be selected during the journey. The routes lead on roads that are exclusively closed to traffic over the legendary mountain passes of the Dolomites. Starting with the Sella Ronda with Passo Pordoi, Sella, Gardena, Campolongo, the two longer routes include the Falzarego, Giau and Valparola passes.
Of course, you will not tackle the Maratona dles Dolomites unprepared. Familiarizing yourself with the track is just as important as training at home. Here it is perhaps advisable to use a weekend in preparation and to drive the routes. Maybe it even fits on June 10th or 24th at the Sella Ronda or Dolomites Bike Day, where the roads are completely closed to traffic. Otherwise, there are still plenty of opportunities to explore the routes in the week before the Maratona. In times of GPS bike computers, it is definitely advisable to have the route saved on the day of the race as well, in order to be able to better assess the climbs in the first place. You can hardly get lost on the route.
3. The right material
Once you have dealt with the route, you should also deal with the topic of material. From my point of view, it is important to have the right gear ratio installed in addition to a fully functional setup with decent brakes and good tires. The long climbs in particular are tough and there are also steeper sections that need to be mastered, but basically all passes are nice and even to ride. In my case I was running a gear ratio of 52/34 and 11-30.
4. Replacement material just in case
While you are dealing with the topic of material during the preparation, you will eventually come across the topic of substitute material. Of course you want to be as light as possible during the Maratona dles Dolomites, but it is still advisable to have a small saddle bag with a multi-tool, as well as a spare hose and pump or sealant with you. At least in some cases you are protected and not dependent on outside help. Larger defects are of course also possible, for which there are various service stations along the route.
5. Appropriate clothing
At the latest on the eve of the marathon, the discussion about the right clothing usually comes up. The weather in the Dolomites can change quickly during the several-hour drive, and the temperatures above 2.000 meters are different than in the valley. There have been rainy days in the history of marathons, so you have to be prepared for anything. Since the start is at 6:30 a.m., it is usually still quite fresh here anyway, but you shouldn’t make the mistake of dressing too warmly here, as it goes directly after the start in the direction of Passo Campolongo and you quickly start sweating.
In normal weather conditions (sun/cloud mix 10-17 degrees) it has proven useful for me to start with a thin undershirt under the racing kit plus arm warmers and a thin vest and to have a thin rain jacket with me for the descents. Alternatively, I always like to have a scarf with me.
6. In time for the start
If you have made all the preparations and the race day is here, you should also pay attention to a few things here. The start is made of blocks, which you can find out using the start number. In order to be able to go to the right starting block in peace, you should be there in time despite the early start time of 6:30 a.m. When I took part for the first time, I had made this mistake myself and was only 5 minutes before the starting signal in my starting block, in which I was of course at the very back. So find out how to get to your starting block and plan enough time to get there, because with 8.000 participants it can get tight.
7. Choose the right pace
Once you have arrived at your starting block, checked your bike in advance, dressed properly and know what to expect, then you can finally start. But be careful, because it's always very hectic at the start and everyone wants to get going as quickly as possible. Here it is important to stay focused and not rush, because the first pass is imminent and every route has enough challenges to offer. For this reason, you should set off quickly, but also find your own pace first. Especially the two longer distances don't forgive too fast a pace and could take revenge at the end. Stick to your performance zones and heart rate and always try to orient yourself to your training pace. This is the only way to get through the whole route without any problems.
8. Make sure you eat well
Proper nutrition is just as important as pacing. Of course, this begins in the days and mornings before the Maratona dles Dolomites. Here you should not go into short-term experiments and trust what you have tried in training. For the marathon, it's a good idea to carry enough bars, gels, and other nutrition and start with two bottles so you can eat a small bite and drink a sip every 20 minutes. There are enough refreshment points along the route with everything your heart desires to fill up the bottles, jersey pockets and storage tanks accordingly. So the rule is: Eat, eat, eat, because on a day like this you can't take on too much energy and a starving branch can have a bad end on such a route.
9. Enjoy and have fun
With the above tips you should be well prepared to successfully master the adventure Maratona dles Dolomites 2023. If you pay a little attention to the small details, you can just drive off and enjoy the event even more and have fun. This is certainly the most essential tip, because on such a long day it is important to keep your motivation high. It always helps me to go through the day in my head before the start and to set smaller intermediate goals such as pass heights, refreshment points or mileage information during the journey, so you don't have to do everything at once, but have smaller stages ahead of you and stay fresh Head.
10. After the race is before the race
You have certainly heard this sentence so often that you can no longer take it seriously. Nevertheless, you should also be careful here, because you are particularly susceptible to catching a cold, especially after the race. Here you should fill up your storage tanks quickly and use the great catering provided by the organizer, which is offered directly in the finish area. Here you not only have the opportunity to end the day in a relaxed manner, but you can also exchange ideas with other participants and share the experiences of the day. A real must to experience the Maratona in its entirety.
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