Close the mountain #Dolomiti Ride
End of season ride with Stefan and Assault to Freedom team
Situated in the northern Italian mountain region of the Dolomiti, this epic ride takes you to several summits and is a true cycling challenge. It can however be broken down into several elements, and has lots of options for accommodation and refreshments along the way.
Stefano and the guys from Assault to Freedom completed this Italian mountains, cycling epic in one ride, as an end-of-season adventure!
Famed for the natural beauty, and a haven for adventure tourists in summer and winter, the Dolomites, or Dolomiti in Italian, is part of the Northern Italian Alps. It’s dominated by 18 majestic peaks, and its diverse landscape consists of more than 350,000 acres of jagged pinnacles, sheer rock faces, icy glaciers, deep gorges, lush forests, and verdant valleys. Within this area, there are a phenomenal 2,131 named mountains: Marmolada, which boasts Punta Penía, the highest peak of the mountain range, is nicknamed the “Queen of the Dolomites.” Because of its stunning beauty and well-preserved Mesozoic carbonate platform system that was formed 250 million years ago, the Dolomites were named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2009.
It’s a place that every cyclist to Italy should visit in their lifetime. This ride is an epic cycling ride through the Dolomiti mountains of Italy, from Stefano – a truly inspiring athlete and human being!
Route Information
Stats 175.56 km 5, 273 metres
Refreshments & Where to Stay
This ride starts at Canazei, which is an alpine resort, sitting near the Pordoi, Sella and Fedaia passes. It is part of the Dolomiti Super ski area, which in winter, offers numerous downhill runs. A cable car ascends to the Punta Rocca panoramic terrace on Marmolada peak, making a stop at the Marmolada Great War Museum 3000M, with displays on WWI. The Sass Pordoi Mountain has views stretching as far afield as the Swiss and Austrian Alps. As a well known holiday resort, it’s a great base and you’ll find plenty of accommodation choices and places to eat. Agorda is also not too far away, and another place to base yourself.
Along the way, there are some useful places to stay over, if you plan on riding over two days. There’s the Rifugio Passo Staulanza after 92km, and also the village of Mareson-Pecol shortly afterwards, with far more options. PLaces to eat are plenty along the way, but take hydration and snacks. Be well kitted out, as well. These are mountain roads.
Character
This ride starts and finishes in the Dolomiti region of Northern Italy, traversing numerous summits along the way. Stefano and the guys from Assault to Freedom rode it in one swoop. However, for mere mortal cyclists, it can be done as a two or three day epic Italian cycling journey. Lots of climbing, so you need to ensure that your fitness is on par for this one!
Route
- From the town of Canazei, ride towards the Pordoi Pass and start the climbing. The climbing reaches 8.5% at times, and the summit is reached after 13.km.
- Descend for 10 km to the resort village of Arabba, then begin the climbing once more, heading this time for the Passo Falzagarego at 50 km. You can get a snack and drink here, at the Cafe Paninoteca.
- Descend now to the bridge on the road SP638, crossing the Curto River, before climbing once more.
- We’re now riding to the famed Berghotel at the Passo Giau, reached after 73 km, and which is a good option for the night. You now get to descend the famed 29 hairpins of the pass, in one of the most spectacular areas of the Dolomites. If you can make one more minor climb, as you take in tis epic and long descent, you can stay the night at the Dolomiti town of Dont, which has lots of options for accommodation and places to eat. With 105 km of Dolomites cycling in your legs, this is a good idea for those not wanting a one-day epic. You can also talk about the epic Giau descent over pasta and wine.
- Setting off now, the alpine village of Chiesa is next on the list, surrounded by tree lined pastures and wooden houses and chalets.
- Ascending the narrow and tree lined SP347 road, after some 115 km, you are given the epic view of the Civetta mountain to your left, sublime, looking down across the Dolomites.
- We now descend to Agorda, one of the most renowned and beautiful places in the Dolomiti (Dolomites); from where you can see the magnificent Mount Agner and Mount Moiazza, standing sentinel of the beautiful area around Agorda. If you don’t use this as a stop and overnight halt, then it’s definitely a place to return to with your cycling friends, one day! You have 125 km cycled, in some of the most magnificent and best cycling routes in Italy and the Dolomites. You begin to feel how special this ride is; an epic cycling route from Stefano, and probably one of the best cycling routes in the whole of the Dolomites.
- The roads now head upwards again, and after 142 km, you reach the beautiful Lago di Alleghi, where you can take refreshments on board at the nearby town.
- All that remains is to ascend through the town of Caprile, before summitting the Passo Fedaia-Marmolada, where you can take in the fact that you’ve cycled the highest peak in the region, and a Giro D’Italia classic.
- It’s now just a short descent back to the start at Canazei.
