This Week's Cycling Adventure: The Dolomites

I just booked a flight. I'm off to the Dolomites on Wednesday morning. In case you don't know, the Dolomites are located here in northern Italy. The Dolomites are a limestone mountain range and appear quite different than the Alps, even though they are just a couple of hundred kilometers away. 


Last week, I spent a couple of days planning my trip. This is how its shaping up:

• Wednesday: 830am EasyJet flight from Barcelona to Milan. Pick up a rental car and drive 400km to Badia. 
• Thursday: the Maratona dles Dolomites course (another cyclosportif, or Gran Fondo as they are known in Italy). The Maratona was held last month, but I plan to ride the 7 passos anyway (total: 138km and 4190m of climbing).
• Friday: the Sella Ronda course. Another Gran Fondo, and covering several of Thursday's passos, but in reverse.
• Saturday: rest day. Drive to Trento.
• Sunday: I have entered The Charly Gaul Gran Fondo in Trento. The race is 145km and 3,600m of ascent. Looking forward to it.
• Monday: rest day. Drive to Bormio.
• Tuesday: I plan to ride the Marco Pantani Gran Fondo (already held this year, so I'll just ride the course). 175km and 4500m over Passo Gavia, Mortirolo and Cristina.
• Wednesday: Climb Passo Stelvio (hopefully from the north and south) and Passo Umbrail. 
• Thursday: drive to Milan for a 6pm flight back to Barcelona.
• Friday: sleep for ~24 hours. Clean up the apartment before my friend, Ari Patni, visits for the weekend.

So, a nine-day trip, five of the Dolomites' six highest passos, two rest days (or buffer-days, just in case), and lots of awesome cycling.


I am expecting a rough week. The Dolomites are steeper than the Alps and Pyrenees. And although the Dolomites are popular with cyclists, I get the impression they attract the more serious cyclists. That is fine with me; I just hope there are plenty to meet while I am on the road.


For more information on the Dolomites, click here. And below are some Google images of the Dolomites.


Stay tuned. I'll be posting from the northern Italy shortly.