I ride with 9000 cyclists in the Alps; in one of the biggest, most challenging, and most beautiful cycling events in the world.
On July 2nd, 2023 I participated in the Maratona dles Dolomites. It is an Italian Gran Fondo bicycle ride held in the in the Dolomite region of the Eastern Alps. The very difficult course goes over many of the same steep mountain passes used in the Giro d’Italia. It is hard enough that participants are required to submit a health certificate; it must be signed by your doctor to guarantee that you will not die while riding the Maratona.
I was lucky to even be able to go. It is such a popular event that they have to select participants by lottery. In 2023, 30,000 people applied for one of the 9,000 spots. So, I had a less than one-in-three chance of going.
The Maratona dles Dolomites is a timed event that attracts top athletes who are competing for a place on the podium. There were helicopters flying over the racecourse with camera crews-the Maratona is broadcast live on Italian TV. That said, most participants are recreational riders who are participating just for fun (like myself).
The Maratona lived up to its reputation as a tough ride, but it was totally worth it to peddle through such stunningly beautiful mountain scenery on closed roads. After the ride I still had three days in the Dolomites, so I used that time to go hiking and to climb a couple via ferrata routes. Combining cycling and climbing into the same trip made for a fantastic twofer vacation.
The Dolomites are in the South Tyrol region of northeastern Italy, near the Austrian border. Although the South Tyrol is in Italy, the majority of the population speaks German. Even more confusingly for an American like me, in the area the Maratona dles Dolomites is held in the people speak Ladin, an official minority language in Italy. So, the name Maratona dles Dolomites is the Ladin spelling. In Italian it is Maratona delle Dolomiti. In English it translates to Dolomites Marathon.
Maratona dles Dolomites
www.maratona.i...
Video
All the video was recorded by me using two GoPro Cameras and a DJI Mini 3 Pro drone. The DJI is why I’m wearing a backpack in the video-I was carrying the drone in it. The POV video was shot on a GoPro HERO10 with the Max Lens Mod. The POV camera was mounted on a GoPro Chesty harness. The handheld shots were recorded with a GoPro HERO11 mounted on the GoPro 3-Way camera grip. I edited the video in Final Cut Pro on my old MacBook Pro.
Photos
All photos by Sportograf (except my post-race lunch).
www.sportograf...
Music Tracks
In A Hole (Instrumental Version)
Sven Karlsson
www.epidemicso...
Other Sides of Glory
Fabien Tell
www.epidemicso...
Saved by the Sun
Plain Strolls
www.epidemicso...
I Wish That I Was A Mad Man (Instrumental Version)
Staffan Carlén
www.epidemicso...
Stuck In A Frame (Instrumental Version)
Sven Karlsson
www.epidemicso...
The Oldest Tale
Benjamin Carey
www.epidemicso...
Trumpet Sad
Sound Effects / Cartoon
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Black Magic (Instrumental Version)
The Furthermores
www.epidemicso...
Windowpane (Instrumental Version)
Staffan Carlén
www.epidemicso...
Cow Bell Hit Mute
Sound Effects / Bells
www.epidemicso...
#MaratonadlesDolomites #GranFondo #Cycling
13 сен 2024
