jeffg
07-10-2005, 03:34 PM
Last Sunday, I had the wonderful opportunity to take part in the Maratona dles Dolomites, an organized ride with over 8,500 participants and closed roads. This ride, however, is more than a normal gran fondo. It is a celebration of cycling, with 6 hours of live television coverage, a yearly theme, and just as much pomp and circumstance as the folks in Alta Badia can muster.
We arrived the day before the ride after a long drive from Frankfurt and checked into our hotel. I picked up my registration packet, made sure the bike was in order, and went to dinner. After a short sleep, I woke at 4:00 to have breakfast and make sure I was in the starting blocks by a little after 5:00. Since I did not have a qualifying time from the past two years (or was not a pro or ex-pro), I had a starting number of 9433, so I wanted to have not many more than 5000 riders in front of me. Even though it was about 40 degrees, it seemed like it would be a nice day so I took off my leg warmers and huddled in with the masses.
It was awesome seeing the sun rise over the Dolomites and seeing all the cyclists get into position, with helicopters flying over, commentators talking, music blaring, etc.
Then, we were off! It was pretty hairy at the outset as everyone tries to push to the front. Then, when we hit the Campolongo pass, an easy 6km ascent, the bunch slowed as many people in front could not maintain the pace and everyone tried to pass left. We would often almost come to a standstill in the hairpins as many riders slowed. At this point I was wishing I had stuck to rides like La Ventoux with fewer riders and mostly serious riders since here there was a 57km option and at La Ventoux everyone had to do Ventoux the hard way and do at least 100km.
Anyway, that led to me pushing to get some room at the top in order to have some breathing room on the descent and then pushing very hard on the Pordoi to get to a point where I could ride a more even pace. That worked for the Sella Ring, but I had a sense I had gone out too hard. Who cares, though, when women dressed in Angel costumes are handing out flowers at the top of Dolomite passes in perfect weather?!
After the first circuit was done, the 110km and 147km riders headed out over the Campolongo again to do battle with some longer climbs. I had managed the first 57km and 1800m of climbing in under 2:30, so I was doing well but was alarmed to see how high my HR had been. Indeed, I was having the sense that the altitude was getting to me, a fact borne out that a few days later I rode the Sella Ring at the same pace and 15bpm lower!
I rode over a series of lesser climbs to the base of the Giau, which is the hardest climb at 10km @9.2%. At that point I was starting to run out of energy since the altitude effect was getting worse. It took an hour to climb the Giau and I made sure to fuel up at the top. On the way down to the base of the Falzarego I had some bad cramps but had a blast on more wonderful descents. I then settled in for the long but relatively easy ascent of the Falzarego/Valparola and then busted out for the finish. I was just floored at the wonderful feeling of descending closed roads with great banked switchbacks and finally tipped over 50mph on some of the straights. Although I had one more cramp, I gritted my teeth for the last gradual ascent towards the finish and hit the line in 6:28. I had been hoping to break 6:15 in order to qualify for the second group (the first for non-pros, but I heard I might make it in yet since only 1000 qualified this year for that 2500 strong group).
Stats:
147km, 4345m of climbing in 6:28, or just under 23km/h
HR: 164 average/188 max, 1.5 hours between 166-176, 2.5 hours above 176.
Placing: 905 out of 3885 male participants that did the long course (12 women also whupped me ;) ).
http://services.datasport.com/2005/velo/maradolo/RANG085.HTM
Cost: 50 Euros including jersey, t-shirt, all sorts of local products, pasta party afterwards, flowers handed by Angels and choirs of children singing on top of the Sella/Gardena passes!
Summary: Priceless, particularly since my wife and mother-in-law fell in love with the Dolomites and want to return as often as possible. Also, my wife wants to ride next year!!
We arrived the day before the ride after a long drive from Frankfurt and checked into our hotel. I picked up my registration packet, made sure the bike was in order, and went to dinner. After a short sleep, I woke at 4:00 to have breakfast and make sure I was in the starting blocks by a little after 5:00. Since I did not have a qualifying time from the past two years (or was not a pro or ex-pro), I had a starting number of 9433, so I wanted to have not many more than 5000 riders in front of me. Even though it was about 40 degrees, it seemed like it would be a nice day so I took off my leg warmers and huddled in with the masses.
It was awesome seeing the sun rise over the Dolomites and seeing all the cyclists get into position, with helicopters flying over, commentators talking, music blaring, etc.
Then, we were off! It was pretty hairy at the outset as everyone tries to push to the front. Then, when we hit the Campolongo pass, an easy 6km ascent, the bunch slowed as many people in front could not maintain the pace and everyone tried to pass left. We would often almost come to a standstill in the hairpins as many riders slowed. At this point I was wishing I had stuck to rides like La Ventoux with fewer riders and mostly serious riders since here there was a 57km option and at La Ventoux everyone had to do Ventoux the hard way and do at least 100km.
Anyway, that led to me pushing to get some room at the top in order to have some breathing room on the descent and then pushing very hard on the Pordoi to get to a point where I could ride a more even pace. That worked for the Sella Ring, but I had a sense I had gone out too hard. Who cares, though, when women dressed in Angel costumes are handing out flowers at the top of Dolomite passes in perfect weather?!
After the first circuit was done, the 110km and 147km riders headed out over the Campolongo again to do battle with some longer climbs. I had managed the first 57km and 1800m of climbing in under 2:30, so I was doing well but was alarmed to see how high my HR had been. Indeed, I was having the sense that the altitude was getting to me, a fact borne out that a few days later I rode the Sella Ring at the same pace and 15bpm lower!
I rode over a series of lesser climbs to the base of the Giau, which is the hardest climb at 10km @9.2%. At that point I was starting to run out of energy since the altitude effect was getting worse. It took an hour to climb the Giau and I made sure to fuel up at the top. On the way down to the base of the Falzarego I had some bad cramps but had a blast on more wonderful descents. I then settled in for the long but relatively easy ascent of the Falzarego/Valparola and then busted out for the finish. I was just floored at the wonderful feeling of descending closed roads with great banked switchbacks and finally tipped over 50mph on some of the straights. Although I had one more cramp, I gritted my teeth for the last gradual ascent towards the finish and hit the line in 6:28. I had been hoping to break 6:15 in order to qualify for the second group (the first for non-pros, but I heard I might make it in yet since only 1000 qualified this year for that 2500 strong group).
Stats:
147km, 4345m of climbing in 6:28, or just under 23km/h
HR: 164 average/188 max, 1.5 hours between 166-176, 2.5 hours above 176.
Placing: 905 out of 3885 male participants that did the long course (12 women also whupped me ;) ).
http://services.datasport.com/2005/velo/maradolo/RANG085.HTM
Cost: 50 Euros including jersey, t-shirt, all sorts of local products, pasta party afterwards, flowers handed by Angels and choirs of children singing on top of the Sella/Gardena passes!
Summary: Priceless, particularly since my wife and mother-in-law fell in love with the Dolomites and want to return as often as possible. Also, my wife wants to ride next year!!