Life In The Saddle

The idea of riding the five historic Maratona dles Dolomites routes, over five consecutive days, evolved from a desire to discover and celebrate what this unique mountain range has to offer. Printed on a set of route cards, provided by cyclingdolomites.com , the five routes of this classic Grand Fondo would take me on new roads, and to new heights. It would also provide a challenge that would push bike, body and mind beyond previous limits. This is my #5MaratonasChallenge Sommario - a résumé of the challenge. The greatest memories; the hardest moments; my favourite kit; and the lessons learned. The Final Statistics #5MaratonasChallenge 5 rides 42 hours riding time 873 kilometres ridden 28,300 metres elevation climbed 7 Days in the Dolomites (including the warm-up and #WildCardDolomitiRide) 7 rides 55 hours riding time 1,073 kilometres ridden 36,500 metres elevation climbed The Lasting Memory It is hard to think of one defining moment or memory, from th...

" Race through life, and you'll miss it. Ride fast, and you will see many amazing sights from the saddle of a bicycle " Today, I don't think I can claim to have been fast. Still, I enjoyed the opportunity to see some more incredible mountain landscapes, from the seat of a bicycle. The 1992-97 route of the Maratona dles Dolomites was composed of two loops: these took in some of the hardest and longest mountain passes; including the Sella Pass, Fedaia, Valparola, Giau and 2x Campolongo. Tiredness is beginning to kick in now, so for better or worse, this will be a blog post of fewer words. I will let the photos do the talking. Close to 9 hours in the saddle, with over 6,000 metres of climbing. This was the last really big one of the #5MaratonasChallenge . A special meeting There was a special guest waiting for me, on the return to the hotel. This fantastic gentleman started the very first Maratona in 1987, and after hearing of my challenge, he wante...