Maratona dles Dolomites

The Maratona dles Dolomites (Ladin for "Dolomites Marathon"; Italian: Maratona delle Dolomiti), is an annual single-day road bicycle race covering seven mountain passes in the Dolomites. Open to amateur cyclists, the Maratona—with 9,000 riders chosen from 30,000 applicants,[1] from over 70 nations—is one of the biggest Italian Granfondo bicycle races.[2][3] National Geographic described it as "one of the biggest, most passionate, and most chaotic bike races on Earth."[4]

Maratona dles Dolomites
Race details
DateFirst week in July
RegionTrentino-South Tyrol, Italy
Nickname(s)Maratona dles Dolomites
DisciplineRoad
TypeGranfondo: Single-day race
OrganiserMaratona dles Dolomites Committee
Race directorMichil Costa
History
First edition12 July 1987 (1987-07-12)
Editions36 (as of 2023)
First winnerSteinmair Wolfgang (M)
Start of the race in La Villa
Altitude profile of the courses: Sellaronda in blue, the middle course in orange and the additional pass of the full Maratona in yellow
The first pass of the day
In the heart of the Dolomites
The Finish in Corvara

History

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1987 - 1993 : The pioneers of Pedraces

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1987

The first Maratona dles Dolomites was run on 12 July 1987.[5] This was a celebration of the first ten years of the cycling club Societá Ciclistica Alta Badia-Raiffeisen. The route was unique and snaked through seven Dolomite passes: Gardena, Sella, Fedaia, Duran, Forcella Staulanza, Falzarego and Valparola over 175 kilometres (109 mi).[6] It started and ended in Pedraces. There were 166 participants.[5][6] The first to pass the finish line was the Austrian Wolfgang Steinmayr who rode for over ten hours. There was also a single woman: Trui Beemsterboern from Holland, who arrived one hour after the winner.

1988

There were two routes: the first was 184 kilometres (114 mi) long and mainly followed the roads of the first edition. The second was shorter. The cold, rainy day created quite a few problems for the 440 competitors. 417 people started the race. At the Duran Pass they stopped to decide what to do. The competition times were cancelled, but the race continued. The last competitor arrived at 21:00 hours, virtually frozen to death. A tub of boiling water awaited him in the hotel.

1989

It was also very cold the following year, which featured the Maratona pennant for the first time. The number of competitors continued to increase to 541. The starter was an exceptional professional, Flavio Giupponi, who had come second in the Giro d’Italia the year before. The day was so cold that the organisers decided to end the race at the Giau Pass.

1990

The route changed, and the Maratona was 184 kilometres (114 mi) long and included the Valparola Pass, descended to Cortina, the Tre Croci Pass, Misurina Lake, the Cimabanche watershed, Cortina, the Giau Pass, Colle Santa Lucia, Caprile, the Fedaia Pass, Canazei, the Pordoi Pass, Arabba and the Campolongo Pass. There were 5,000 metres (16,000 ft) of difference in altitude. There was also a shorter, more manageable route. There were 951 participants, including the first American. It was also the year of the first Maratona jersey that was given to all competitors.

1991

There were 1,292 participants of whom 32 were women and the Maratona finish line became electronic. The passages and times of competitors were recorded by a sign on the rear numbers and registered by IT systems. The weather was bad once again: it poured down from Lake Misurina to Cortina. The hail was painful. Then the sun returned to shine on the winner, Rainer Emerich of Dobbiaco on the short route and Pasquale Fiscato, from Veneto, on the long route.

1992

In the saddest year in the history of the Maratona, 2583 signed up but only 1897 took part. The cold was biting and it rained heavily. A serious road accident cost Luigi Nagler his life and injured Giovanni Fedrizzi.

1993

The Maratona's success continued to grow exponentially. With 3,095 participants including 138 women, for logistical reasons it was the last Maratona that left from Pedraces. It was the end of the pioneering era and a new modern era began for the most fascinating race in the world. This edition's route was 160 km long, without the Giau Pass.

1994 - 1999 : The modern age

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1994

There was such an increase in participants that the organisers decided to move the start of the race to Corvara. 5,031 people took part – almost 2,000 more than the previous year. There was a start time difference of over 16 minutes between the front of the group and the rear. It was a lovely day and the competitors felt the heat. 111 riders were caught without a helmet and were disqualified.

1995

The Maratona continued to grow as 6,674 people signed up - 1,500 more than the year before. There weren't enough numbers (6,500 had been ordered) or jerseys: the former were printed hurriedly on a computer, while the latter were posted to competitors’ homes. There were starting grids, with three groups of riders starting at different times.

1996

The Maratona dles Dolomites Committee was formed and substituted the Rodes Alta Badia, with the arduous task of organising and foreseeing the ‘future’ of what was becoming a special event as part of a gran fondo cycle race. 6,463 people signed up. There was bad weather; it rained and was cold on the Sella.

1997

The first decision of the Maratona dles Dolomites Committee was to combine the race, on 28 September the same year, with the first edition of The Terrific Alta Badia Race, named after local champion Maria Canins. A brochure was printed for the first time and the week before the competition was filled with many events – not only linked to cycling.

1998

The growing success of the Maratona led the new committee to think of limiting numbers, although the competition retained the same format. It was a splendid day and the help of volunteers made it a perfect race.

1999

The introduction of the Datasport precision timing system, with Datachips that took readings in real time from start to finish. The formula of a cyclists’ week gained even more ground, thanks to sports and entertainment events, as well as collateral events to the Maratona, including the Tenerific Maria Canins, a cycle race for children aged 4 to 12.

2000 - 2005 : The Maratona begins to speak

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2000

Some new features included that each edition would have a motto, a key word, theme or special dedication. It began with ‘Living is an Art’. The start was moved to La Villa and the Fedaia Pass was no longer part of the route. The committee established a fixed number of 6,000 participants. Over thirty nationalities took part. However, the edition was marked by a terrible accident: a competitor died while coming down the Giau Pass.

2001

The theme was ‘Magic Lives in Us‘. The fixed number of participants was raised to 7,000.

2002

The edition was dedicated to women and was broadcast live for the first time on RAI3. It was an unexpected success: millions of people discovered the wonders of the route wedged between the Dolomites. All future editions of the Maratona dles Dolomites would be broadcast live on T.V.

2003

The Maratona was dedicated to the differently-abled and was twinned with the New York Marathon. Organisers introduced anti-doping tests.

2004

The family was the focus of the edition. All three routes were closed to traffic for the first time. The maximum number of participants was increased to 8,000 and registration ended in one week.

2005

The edition of the Maratona was dedicated to ‘angels’. There was also another new feature: given the growing number of participants and requests to take part, the committee introduced a draw system, so participants could only take part if their name was drawn.[citation needed]

2006 - 2010 : The modern age

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2006

The edition took place over three routes that would now become the usual ones. The Maratona was dedicated to ‘colours’ and had a special guest: Jetsum Pema, the sister of the Dalai Lama, representing the Tibetan Children's Village Association. The maximum number of participants was increased to 8,500 competitors, but requests to take part were almost double that.

2007

‘Gotes’- ‘drops’, was the theme. There were 8,500 participants from 39 countries. As in previous years there were famous names from the sports and business world at the starting line. The children's cycle race changed its name and became the "Maratona for Kids", still organised by Maria Canins.

2008

The success of the Maratona continued, known as ‘Fostüs’, ‘traces’. The race was broadcast live from the start and for the first time there was a YouTube film contest dedicated to the Maratona.

2009

Energy was the theme. A shuttle service was set up to avoid polluting roads in Alta Badia. The number of requests to take part increased continually, but the maximum number remained fixed. There was a surprise at the finish line: one of the first competitors to arrive was disqualified because he was caught throwing waste away during the race.

2010

The ecological focus of the Maratona is increasingly central and evident, and edition was entitled ‘Eco?Logical!’. The event boasted 70% carbon neutral certification. The idea was to gain international recognition for the event that managed to reduce all kinds of pollution. Closing the race routes to cars made an important contribution to this.

2011 - 2022 : An aware Maratona

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2011

‘Giulan’ – ‘thanks’ was the title of the edition, now in its 25th year. 9,131 days had passed since 1987 when the first Maratona was staged with 166 cyclists over 177 kilometres (110 mi). Some of these, like Giorgio Apolloni with bib no. 1 and Roberto Della Noce, no. 2, still race today[when?] with the same enthusiasm as in the past. Olympic champions, Italian and international managers and famous people, also ride the race. ENEL became a title sponsor of the event.

2012

The year of the ‘Smile’, 8,703 cyclists competed, 746 of whom were women. There were many well-known figures and it was a marvellous day. New features in 2012 included: official jerseys no longer wrapped individually in plastic packages (eliminating a ton of useless waste – around 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) of plastic), the eco-pocket on the side of the jersey, the use of completely recyclable propylene cups and plates at the finish line refreshment point and a 60% reduction in paper inside the race packs, thanks to the help of partners and sponsors. Numbered slips were also given out to all riders at the finish line who, once they had received a drink, gave the plastic bottle back for collection in a recycling bin. Among the slips given out, some were chosen for free registration in the next Maratona dles Dolomites. There was once again a free shuttle bus to take cyclists to the expo and bib distribution area. Finally, the cleaning staff saw a 50% reduction in waste on the Maratona roads. The event's "Carbon Neutrality" index in 2012 was 80%.

2013

Cold, snow, sun and dedication followed in perfect ‘Harmony’ - the theme of the edition. There were 9,143 cyclists of the 9,339 selected by lottery, from 52 countries. The race started at 6:30 am with an air temperature of 5 °C (41 °F). Michil Costa, the event organiser, described the day after six hours of live TV broadcasting as "…an important page in a book of wonders, the ideal combination of nature, culture and plenty of heart".

2014

‘Time’ was the main theme. 8,969 riders left La Villa in a 36-minute long train, the time it took the cyclists to enter the competition to the rhythm of live music and encouragement. There were large numbers and a huge demand for participation (32,600 people), with the usual formula: a fixed number of participants, car-free Dolomite passes, charity initiatives and eco-sustainability, with the use of electric cars and motorbikes to transport the jury and the race organisers. The "mür dl giat" was the great new feature.[7] All cyclists on the medium and long route, during the second passage through La Villa, were asked to face a final tough challenge: 200 metres (660 ft) after the turn for Corvara, then had to climb the  "mür dl giat" (the cat's wall), as the inhabitants of La Villa are known as ‘cats’. This was a deviation with a 19% grade that crossed La Villa. At the top it re-joined the main route to the finish line in Corvara.

2015

9,302 athletes from 64 countries participated in the 2015 event.[8] The theme of the race ‘Forgiveness’, demonstrated that it was a far-ranging event that touched sensibilities. The Maratona is a constant invitation to ride with strong legs and an open mind.

2016

8,903 cyclists started participated in the 2016 event. Half the cyclists were Italian, the other half are a heterogeneous group from five different continents: Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands and Belgium represented Europe; Qatar, Japan, Korea, Colombia and Kazakhstan, are only some of the nationalities of the cyclists travelling from afar. The theme chosen was ‘the journey’.

2017

The theme chosen was LOVE. 9,129 cyclists (962 women) from 69 countries started at 6:30 am from La Villa. That's a high numbers’ mechanism with more than 33,500 pre-registrations but a limited numbers race; the Dolomite passes closed for all the race long; charity's objective and eco-sustainable way to live the race with electrical cars and motorbikes for internal use. Among the participants was Sir Bradley Wiggins who completed the race for the first time and stated, "I really enjoyed it although it was very tough". The route comprised twists and turns through the seven Dolomite passes: Pordoi, Sella, Campolongo, Falzarego, Gardena, Valparola, Giau, starting from La Villa and finishing to Corvara. Three levels of competition were available: the long route of 138 kilometres (86 mi) and 4,230 metres (13,880 ft) of altitude; the medium route of 106 kilometres (66 mi) and 3,130 metres (10,270 ft) of altitude; and Sella Ronda of 55 kilometres (34 mi) and 1,780 metres (5,840 ft) of altitude.

2018

The theme chosen was EQUILIBRIUM.[9] 9,239 cyclists (including 978 women) participated in the event. The traditional starting pistol was fired by Eddy Merckx. There are always many flags flying at the queen of the international granfondo sportives: 68 different countries (from the five continents) were represented. In 2018 4,900 cyclists participated for the first time. And their total number was equally subdivided between Italians (50%) and foreigners (50%). There were three courses over the passes, closed to traffic, that made history in cycling: Pordoi, Sella, Campolongo, Falzarego, Gardena, Valparola, Giau, all of them strictly closed to traffic. The distances and altitudes were the same as the 2017 race. For the second year in a row, the male winner was Tommaso Elettrico from Matera in 4h38’13" followed by Igor Zanetti and Paolo Castelnovo, both after 50". The female winner was Christina Rausch from Germany.

2019

The theme chosen was DUMAN, TOMORROW. 9,038 cyclists, including 926 women, from 69 countries participated.[1] For more than half an hour, racers paraded on the road from La Villa to Corvara and then they tackled the first difficulty of the race, i.e. the Campolongo. It was a colourful procession that painted the hairpin turns and that then grew thinner and thinner as the road climbed to the mountain pass. These emotions were described live on TV, on the RAI 2 channel, that followed the entire race in a six-hour long sequence of images. Participants came from 72 different countries and five continents and were equally subdivided between Italians (50%) and foreigners (50%). The theme highlighted the charity initiatives that have been characteristic of the Maratona dles Dolomites-Enel. Tomorrow is closely linked to today, as evidenced by the initiatives of solidarity in favour of the Colle Santa Lucia and Livinallongo municipalities, through which the Maratona cyclists have raced for years. On 29 October 2018 a storm caused huge damage and destroyed millions of trees, roads and paths. For this reason, the Committee of the Maratona dles Dolomites - Enel organized a fund-raising initiative for the two Municipalities using special entries to the race. Many Italian celebrities cycled this year including: Martina Colombari, Nicola Savino, Paolo Bettini, Davide Cassani, Robert Kubica, Alex Zanardi, Carlos Checa, Filippo Pozzato, Dorothea Wierer, Lisa Vittozzi, Sofia Goggia, Kristian Ghedina, Vittorio Brumotti, Federico Pellegrino, Maria Canins and others. For the third year in a row, the male winner was the Italian Tommaso Elettrico in 4h36’20" followed by Fabio Cini and Vincenzo Pisani, both after 4'. The female winner was again Christina Rausch from Germany, followed by Martha Maltha and Simona Parente.

2020

Due to the Covid-19 epidemic, the organizing committee decided to cancel the event and return in 2021.[10] However, the organizers launched the MyMdD initiative, which allowed cyclists to ride the Maratona individually through the summer and autumn. Each cyclist received a customized finisher cap as a gift.[citation needed]

2021

It was supposed to be a rainy, cold, and gloomy day but at 6.30 a.m. a pale sun, which gradually became brighter and brighter, welcomed the 5.615 cyclists ready to start the 34th edition of Maratona dles Dolomites-Enel, this year dedicated to Art. A smaller number than usual, due to the pandemic. Fabio Cini and Marta Maltha won the long course of 138 kilometres and over 4,000m altitude gain in the Ladin Dolomites.

2022

Almost seven thousand cyclists participated in the 35th edition of the Maratona dles Dolomites – Enel. This edition was dedicated to “Ciüf” – Flora. The Maratona is an event that for years has been committed to combining sport and care for the environment. One of the objectives for the 2022 race was to drastically reduce the use of plastic at the final refreshment area. Thanks to a major investment, 16,000 glass-ceramic plates and reusable crockery were purchased, thus reducing the use of plastic by 70 percent. Stefano Stagni[3] and Marta Maltha were the winners of the long race. Stefano Stagni was accused of cheating in the race and using a motorized bike, however, it was not proven.[11]

The race

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The race is divided into three courses of varying difficulty: the Sellaronda course, the Middle course and the Maratona course. All riders start at 6:30 am in the village of La Ila and complete the four pass Sellaronda course first. After completing the Sellaronda course riders can either choose to finish the race or proceed directly onwards with the Middle course. As the Maratona course is an extension of the preceding shorter Middle course, riders doing the full Maratona dles Dolomites have to proceed with the Middle course.[12] All three courses go through the Dolomite mountains around the Sella Group and over roads on which the Giro d'Italia has taken place. The roads are lined with thousands of spectators and the event is broadcast live on Italian national broadcaster RAI.[2][13] Along the courses seven refreshment stations are manned by volunteers, with foods and drinks, varying from sports drink to coffee to Strudel or Speck sandwiches.

Riders' Week

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The week prior to the Maratona is an event called "Riders' Week". Group rides, training rides, cycling events, and parties are organized and held daily. Many racers therefore spend the entire week preceding the Maratona in the Val Badia.

The courses

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(see also: external map of the courses)

Overview

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Pass name Distance Gradient Courses Notes
km mi Maratona Middle Sellaronda
Campolongo 5.8 3.6 6.1% Yes Yes Yes
Pordoi 9.2 5.7 6.9% Yes Yes Yes
Sella 5.5 3.4 7.9% Yes Yes Yes
Gardena 5.8 3.6 4.3% Yes Yes Yes
Campolongo (2) 5.8 3.6 6.1% Yes Yes No
Giau 9.9 6.2 9.3% Yes No No
Falzarego / Valparola 11.5 7.1 5.8% Yes Yes No

Sellaronda course

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The Sellaronda course starts in the village of La Ila and finishes in the village of Corvara. The course goes clockwise around the Sella mountain group. Four passes must be surmounted to finish the course. After the start the course follows the main road through the Val Badia to the village of Corvara. The ascent to Campolongo Pass begins immediately behind the village. After crossing Campolongo Pass the course descends to the village of Arabba in the Fodom valley; from there it climbs to the Pordoi Pass and then descends into the Fassa valley. There the climb to the Sella Pass begins, from which the riders descend into Gardena valley. The last pass the Sellaronda course traverses is the Gardena Pass. From it the course begins its final descent towards the finish at Corvara.

  • Total distance: 55 km (34 mi)
  • Total altitude difference: 1,780 m (5,840 ft)

Middle course

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The Middle course follows immediately after the Sellaronda course. Riders wishing to tackle it, do not stop after the Sellaronda's finish line, but directly proceed to ascend Campolongo Pass a second time. In Arabba the middle course deviates from the earlier course and follows the road out of the Fodom valley to the village of Cernadoi. Here the course splits: rider choosing to do the entire Maratona proceed to the village of Colle Santa Lucia, while the remaining riders begin the ascend to the Falzarego Pass. At the top of the pass riders climb further 80m to reach the Valparola Pass. From there the road descends to the village of San Ćiascian and passing through La Ila reaches the finishing line in Corvara.

  • Total distance: 106 km (66 mi)
  • Total altitude difference: 3,130 m (10,270 ft)

Maratona course

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Riders who have chosen to do the Maratona course split off from the Middle course in the village of Cernadoi. The Maratona dles Dolomites proceeds from there to the village and uncategorised climb of the Colle Santa Lucia, after which the steepest of all climbs begins: the climb to Giau Pass. From Giau Pass the road goes down to Pocol, from where the course rises to the Falzarego Pass. There it reunites with the Middle course and having crossed Valparola Pass follows the same road through San Ćiascian and La Ila to the finish line in Corvara.

  • Total distance: 138 km (86 mi)
  • Total altitude difference: 4,230 m (13,880 ft)

Recent results

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Year Distance Participants Winners Notes
km mi Male Nationality Time Female Nationality Time
1987 175 109 166 Steinmair Wolfgang   AUT 10:15 Trui Beemsterboern   NLD
1988 184 114 440 without time measurement
1989 184 114 541 race stopped at Passo Giau due to bad weather
1990 184 114 951 Anderlini Giuliano   ITA 7:19
1991 184 114 1,292 Fiscato Pasquale   ITA 7:02
1992 194 121 2,583 Esser Peter   GER 6:14
1993 185 115 3,095 Anderlini Giuliano   ITA 6:51
1994 185 115 5,031 6:25
1995 185 115 6,674 Bertozzi Daniele   ITA 6:10
1996 185 115 6,463 6:22
1997 185 115 5,808 Paganessi Alessandro   ITA 6:02
1998 174 108 6,097 5:43
1999 174 108 6,394 Moretti Roberto   ITA 5:28
2000 147 91 7,058 Bruseghin Marzio   ITA 4:38
2001 147 91 7,000 Puglioli Mirko   ITA 4:38
2002 147 91 7,565 Bachini Maurizio   ITA 4:32
2003 147 91 8,119 Negrini Emanuele   ITA 4:38
2004 147 91 8,338 4:31
2005 147 91 8,820 4:28
2006 138 86 8,864 4:23
2007 138 86 8,993 Jones Timothy   ZIM 4:32
2008 138 86 9,409 Negrini Emanuele   ITA 4:29
2009 138 86 9,171 Burrow Jamie   GBR 4:37
2010 138 86 9,066 Kairelis Dainius   LTU 4:35
2011 138 86 9,121 Sorrenti Mazzocchi Giuseppe   ITA 4:33
2012 138 86 8,705 Burrow Jamie   GBR 4:38
2013 138 86 9,143 Snel Michel   NLD 4:43
2014 138 86 8,969 Cecchini Stefano   ITA 4:44
2015 138 86 9,302 Salimbene Luigi   ITA 4:44
2016 138 86 9,302 Nardecchia Cristian   ITA 4:40 Lancioni Barbara   ITA 5:14
2017 138 86 9,305 Elettrico Tommaso   ITA 4:37 Magnaldi Erica   ITA 5:16
2018 138 86 9,382 4:38 Rausch Christina   GER 5:19
2019 138 86 9,192 4:36 5:22
2020 Event cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic [14]
2021 138 86 5,818 Fabio Cini   ITA 4:31 Martha Maltha   NED 5:17 [15]
2022 138 86 8,036 Stagni Stefano 4:27 Maltha Martha   NED 5:12

References

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  1. ^ a b Tremblay, Philippe (18 October 2018). "Father and son's 'beautiful experience' traveling to the Dolomites together to ride the Maratona". Canadian Cycling Magazine. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  2. ^ a b http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/rides/CycloSportive_Maratona_dles_Dolomites_2008_article_262725.html Cycling Weekly; July 3, 2008
  3. ^ a b Long, Jonny (11 August 2022). "The motor-doping accusations at the heart of Italy's biggest bike race". Velo. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
  4. ^ National Geographic, Italy's Cycle of Life Archived 2009-02-24 at the Wayback Machine.
  5. ^ a b Love, Martin (21 August 2022). "'It's all up, up, up': sweat, tears and very low gears while cycling Italy's stunning Maratona dles Dolomites". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
  6. ^ a b Pioro, Matthew (19 May 2016). "Riding the Maratona dles Dolomites". Canadian Cycling Magazine. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
  7. ^ Magazine, Canadian Cycling (8 July 2015). "Taking on one of the world's toughest gran fondos, the Maratona dles Dolomites". Canadian Cycling Magazine. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
  8. ^ Wynn, Nigel; published, Cycling Weekly (20 July 2015). "Riding the Maratona dles Dolomites: 9000 riders in Italy's stunning mountains". cyclingweekly.com. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
  9. ^ by (28 September 2018). "Maratona dles Dolomites: Ecuiliber – Balance". GRAN FONDO Cycling Magazine. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
  10. ^ Dolenc, Sabina (21 June 2021). "How I ended up searching for 3D satellite images covering Maratona dles Dolomites". Sentinel Hub Blog. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  11. ^ "Italian amateur accused of motor doping after winning iconic gran fondo". road.cc. 14 August 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  12. ^ "Courses". Archived from the original on 10 February 2009. Retrieved 9 February 2009.
  13. ^ "Italy's Cycle of Life - National Geographic Adventure Magazine". National Geographic Society. Archived from the original on 24 February 2009. Retrieved 9 February 2009. Italy's Cycle of Life
  14. ^ "*CANCELLED* MARATONA DLES DOLOMITES SPORTIVE 2020". Sportive.com. n.d. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  15. ^ Woodson, John (5 July 2021). "Record win for Fabo Cini at Maratona dles Dolomites - Former doper Zen finishes 5th". Gran Fondo Daily News. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
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