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Passo delle Erbe from Val di Funes

Passo delle Erbe

Note: The Passo delle Erbe description was originally written in collaboration with the inrng.com blog.   The Dolomites are part of the Italian Alps and offer plenty of great cycling routes that are rich in race history. This month the site is sponsored by travel company Holimites and speaking to them about the best places […]

YOLOmites5000

Cycling Dolomites

Update 2018 #YOLOmites5000 3.0 edition: We will be back again on the #YOLOmites5000 roads on September 8-9th 2018. If you want to get in make sure you book a place to stay early enough. If you are traveling from abroad check the Holimites Rent-Ride-Relax offer with free road-bike rental. If you don’t find any rooms […]

Passo Giau from Colle Santa Lucia

Monster Giau, Mighty Giau, Killer Giau, etc., etc. Whichever adjective you want to use, one thing is sure: you need to ride it at least once if you’re in the Dolomites. The numbers say it all: 9.8 km climbing with an average grade of 9.4%. But let’s start with a bit of interesting history. The […]

Maratona dles Dolomites

Maratona dles Dolomites

Maratona dles Dolomites has already made a name for itself as an important international sportive. Much has been written about this amazing cycling event that is held every year in Alta Badia (Dolomites), usually on the first Sunday of July. Here are a few statistics that best describe the Maratona: Over 34,000 applications for a limited 9,000 starting riders Over 70 nationalities […]

Sellaronda Bikeday

Sellaronda Bikeday

The Sellaronda Bikeday is always held in the month of June. In 2015, the date is June 21. You can’t call it an event per se but it should be considered one of the greatest cycling hangouts in the Dolomites. On this day, all the climbs that surround the Sellaronda (Gardena, Sella, Pordoi, Campolongo) are closed […]

Sellaronda [counterclockwise]

Sellaronda Bikeday

Description: The Sellaronda loop counterclockwise. Once you’ve gone around clockwise you should try this direction, too, in order to see the views that you missed on the descents in the other direction. You’ll be thinking that you’re riding a totally different route. This is also the direction that is ridden during the Sellaronda Bikeday that is held every […]

Sellaronda [clockwise]

Sellaronda

Description: The classic Sellaronda loop should be ridden by every cyclist at least once. This is the direction we prefer because having Passo Campolongo at the beginning is a nice warm-up for the next 3 climbs. 0 km Starting in Badia head south (uphill) on the SP244 towards Corvara. 4.5 km There’s a fantastic cold water […]

Passo Sella from the Pordoi crossroads

Passo Sella

If you are riding the Sella from Canazei, then read the first part of the description about the Passo Pordoi from Canazei first (read here). Passo Sella actually begins 5.5 km after Canazei on the Pordoi climb. The description of Passo Sella in this article is based on riding the Sellaronda clockwise. So, the first tip I […]

Passo Pordoi from Arabba

33 hairpins on the Pordoi from Arabba

We already wrote about the “Great Dolomites Road” in the section about the Pordoi climb from Canazei (read here). On the Arabba side, the engineer just did the same great job – a climb with an average grade that never goes above 7%. If you look at the elevation profile in the chart above, it’s just a straight […]

Passo Campolongo from Corvara

Campolongo descent towards Arabba

Campolongo, Campagnolo, Campolongo, Campagnolo, Campagnolongo …. confused enough? Of course, these 2 names have nothing in common. The name of the pass is simply Campolongo. The Campolongo is perhaps considered by most cyclists as an Ugly Duckling compared to all the other climbs around. It’s one of the lowest climbs in the Dolomites with an altitude […]

Plan de Corones from Furcia

This is one of those climbs that you should do when you don’t have any other rides left to do, or if you just really want to weep and fight against gravity before putting your feet on the ground on the steepest parts of the climb. Yes, this climb is going to be brutal and even though I wrote that you should ride […]

Passo Falzarego (and Valparola) from Andraz

Passo Falzarego hairpins

The Falzarego is the perfect climb for people like me who are considered ‘passistas‘. So, what is a ‘passista‘? Actually, one of the best italian  passistas was Francesco Moser, a quality time trialist and a great spring classics specialist. Then, how can a climb be good for this kind of cyclist? Well, Passo Falzarego has a beautiful, easy […]

Passo Sella from the Passo Gardena crossroads

If you plan to ride Passo Sella from Val Gardena, then the first part up to Plan de Gralba is mentioned in the Passo Gardena description. As you climb Passo Sella, ‘His Majesty’ the Sassolungo / Langkofel will be watching your efforts all the way to the top. You’ll see it transforming. At the beginning, it simply looks like one […]

Passo Gardena from Selva

Passo Gardena from Selva ©PatitucciPhoto

Looking at the numbers, Passo Gardena from the side of Selva di Val Gardena seems pretty easy. Well, it isn’t hard for sure, but if you’re approaching the Passo Gardena after a long loop – maybe after already climbing the whole Val Gardena or coming from the Passo delle Erbe loop – it may feel […]

Fodom loop [clockwise]

Fodom loop   Description: 0 km Starting in Badia head south on the SP244 towards La Villa. 3 km In the town of La Villa, turn left at the first intersection in the direction of San Cassiano. Ahead of you is a short downhill. Then the road starts to climb towards San Cassiano and Passo Valparola. 5.8 […]

Passo Campolongo from Arabba

Finally! A short climb in the Dolomites, right? Well, don’t declare victory so soon because this portion of Passo Campolongo should be climbed when you already have some km in your legs, and – trust me – you’ll be feeling the 7% average gradient! Another characteristic of Passo Campolongo is the wind. It’s rare to ride it without […]