Alta Badia launches summer fun for cycling fans
Part 2
MARVEL AT THE MARATHON
On Sunday, June 30, Alta Badia hosts the 27th Maratona dles Dolomites – Enel 2013, with 9,000 participants taking part. This year there will be three routes through the majestic Dolomites from La Villa to Corvara: the Marathon, which is 138km long with 4190m of elevation, a Medium that is 106km long with 3090m elevation, and the Sellaronda, which is 55km long and rises 1780m.
Patron of this prestigious event, Michil Costa, says: “This is not just a challenge, it’s not just contemplating and being contemplated by nature: the Maratona is being part of a form of spirituality shared by thousands of other people. It is the immersion of those who can and want to experience something special.”
As well as supporting education projects in the Third World, the Maratona is the first sports event to be certified carbon neutral. Spectators can also take part in a wide range of fun activities and events planned for the days leading up to the competition and afterwards.
For more information visit www.maratona.it
WE CAN BE HEROES
The fantastic fourth edition of the Sellaronda Hero takes place on Saturday, June 22, when the bravest two-wheelers gear up for what has been described as the toughest mountain bike race in the Alps. Participants can choose from two routes: 62km or 84km. The heroic feats begin in Selva in Val Gardena, before cyclists circle the Sella Range, following the Winter Sellaronda . . . only this time without the aid of the ski lifts! For more information visit www.sellarondahero.com
Not everybody is ready to test their mettle against the pros. Another key feature in Alta Badia for all keen cyclists is the Sellaronda Bike Day, a non-competitive event open to professionals and amateurs who share a love of two wheels. From 9am until 3pm on Sunday, June 23, the Sella, Gardena, Pordoi and Campolongo passes around Sella Mountain will be reserved exclusively for cyclists. The event gets under way from all the surrounding Ladin valleys and restaurants, mountain huts and refuges will be offering extra-special ‘cyclist’s dishes’. Anyone can join in the fun and there’s no need to register. And if you can’t make this one, Sellaronda Bike Day will be repeated on September 15. For more information visit www.sellarondabikeday.com
UP, UP AND AWAY!
The guided Sellaronda MTB Tour offers visitors the perfect chance to discover the fabulous natural beauty of the Dolomites by mountain bike, around the Sella Range, clockwise and anti-clockwise, departing Alta Badia from Corvara. The clockwise route measures 58km with a rise of more than 3400m. But fear not! Only 500m of this elevation is by bike and so even a medium-level biker can enjoy the route. The anti-clockwise route is more challenging, at 53km and with an elevation of 1150m by bike. Get those legs pumping! For info and/or to book a guide: www.dolomitebiking.com
INSPIRATIONAL ATTIRE
This year sees the introduction of Alta Badia’s very first bespoke cycling kit, created by Manuel Bottazzo. The design of the jersey and cycling shorts have been specially chosen to reflect Alta Badia’s spectacular scenery and they will be on sale in top sportswear shops.
