How to prepare for the Maratona dles Dolomites 2027: route, training and race-day tips

The Sellaronda may be the shortest option, but 1,780 metres of climbing deserves respect. Compare it with hilly rides you’ve completed comfortably rather than a rolling 55-kilometre loop at home, where you might be back before lunch without giving your gearing much thought.

If you’re thinking about the Medio or full Maratona, how do you feel in the last hour of a long, hilly ride? Being able to keep eating, concentrate on descents and climb steadily after several hours tells you more than distance alone.

You can choose your route during the event, within the rules and cut-offs, so it is worth having a preferred course and a fallback you would happily ride. Changing your plan can be sensible if the weather turns or your legs aren’t feeling as good as you’d hoped, especially if you’re falling behind your planned pace. There is plenty of climbing on all three.

Know the climbs, especially what comes after Giau

All three routes begin with Campolongo, Pordoi, Sella and Gardena, while the longer courses take you over Campolongo again. The full route later includes Giau before continuing through Falzarego to Valparola, a climb the Medio also takes on from Andraz. Keep the later climbs in mind when you’re feeling good on the first few passes and tempted to push a bit harder.

These measurements describe the approaches used by the event. If you compare them with another guide or a route on ROUVY, check which side of the pass it follows.

The organiser measures Falzarego and Valparola as a continuous climbing section in this table.

Above: Long climbs and winding roads give you plenty to prepare for.

From my own cycling and racing experience, I would keep Giau in mind throughout your preparation for the full route. Nearly ten kilometres at an average of 9.3% means finding a steady pace you can hold, especially with the earlier passes already in your legs. Short hill efforts have their place, but you’ll also need to practise riding at a steady pace for much longer.

There is further climbing beyond its summit, and both longer courses include the late Mür dl Giat, a 370-metre ramp reaching 19%. Keep an easy gear available for that final steep effort, even if you’re already thinking about crossing the finish line.

Several of these passes are also regular Giro d’Italia territory. Our look at the Giro d’Italia route and climbs covers the race’s Dolomite week if you want to see how the pros tackle them.

Build towards climbing again on tired legs

I would allow 12–16 weeks of focused Maratona dles Dolomites training if you already ride regularly. Give yourself longer if you’re returning after a break or still building up to rides of several hours, with a few spare weeks for when life gets in the way.

A useful routine includes a long endurance ride, a session with sustained climbing efforts and easier riding between them. You are preparing to climb repeatedly over a long day, so the ability to keep going matters as much as how strongly you ride the first hill.

Begin with manageable efforts, perhaps two 10-minute blocks separated by easy pedalling, then extend them towards 15 or 20 minutes as your fitness develops. Keep the pace purposeful but controlled, with enough left that you could continue rather than counting down every second.

Let your recovery guide the long rides too. Finishing tired is reasonable; struggling through the following few days suggests you may need to ease back before adding more.

A sample 12-week training build

This framework suits a regular rider who can already complete a comfortable two-hour ride. Adjust it to suit your fitness, the time you have and the route you’re planning to ride. If the longer sessions look like too much just yet, give yourself a few extra weeks to work up to them.

You don’t need to reproduce the whole event in training. You’re on the right track if, towards the end of a long ride, you can still eat comfortably, stay focused on the road and climb without slowing down too much.

Once your regular training is going well, an occasional back-to-back weekend can help. Follow a longer hilly ride with a shorter, easy outing the next day, keeping it gentle enough to practise riding with tired legs without digging yourself into a hole. Our guide to training for a 100-mile ride has more advice on extending endurance.

Bring the longer climbs into your indoor riding

Preparing for sustained climbing can be awkward when your local hill is over just as you find a comfortable rhythm. ROUVY gives you a way to spend longer on a gradient and practise the steady effort you will need in the Dolomites. Our interview with hill climb champion Andrew Feather explains how he uses virtual Dolomites routes to prepare for the real climbs.

Above: Choose a Dolomites route and practise your climbing and nutrition indoors.

The Dolomites destination includes Sellaronda routes and a Passo Giau route. Check the map, direction and profile of your selected ride so you understand how it relates to the event, then approach it at a pace you could use during a long gran fondo.

Notice your breathing and cadence, particularly when the road gets steeper and you feel tempted to push harder. These sessions are also a good opportunity to practise eating and drinking while pedalling continuously, with everything conveniently within reach.

Keep outdoor rides in your preparation so you can practise braking and cornering on descents, especially if you’re not used to mountain passes.

Above: Practise holding a steady climbing pace on ROUVY before heading to the Dolomites.

Give your climbing sessions a purpose

Use the four-week ROUVY Climber’s Plan to work on your climbing during the build-up. Fit the sessions around your long rides, with enough easy days to recover, especially as your weekend rides get longer.

Ride the early passes with something in reserve

Fresh legs and riders passing can make it difficult to stick to a sensible opening pace. Try to ride at the effort you practised on long rides, letting faster groups go without feeling you need to follow. The early climbs should leave you able to speak in short sentences without gasping.

Avoid repeatedly accelerating to stay beside someone who is riding just above your comfortable pace. You might feel fine doing this early on, then find yourself wishing you’d taken it easier when you reach Giau.

If you ride with power, use your long training rides to guide the numbers and check them against your breathing and how your legs feel. Another rider’s target will not necessarily suit your fitness or expected riding time.

Above: Find your own climbing pace, even when other riders come past.

Before Giau, check your bottles and food, then find a low gear and ride at your own pace. Focus on manageable sections of the climb and allow your speed to reflect the gradient. There will always be someone coming past; you can wish them well without joining them.

The published cut-offs are 11.30 am at Corvara to continue beyond Sellaronda and 11.50 am at Cernadoi to take the full route towards Giau. The Sellaronda finish closes at 1 pm and the Medio and full-course finish at 4.45 pm, regardless of starting time. Check the official regulations again before travelling.

Practise your fuelling on long rides

For a long climbing event, 60–90 grams of carbohydrate per hour is a useful range to work towards, depending on your riding time, effort and tolerance. Practise your intended intake during training, building up gradually with food and drinks that sit comfortably.

Start eating early rather than waiting until your energy begins to fade. It is easier to keep yourself fuelled than to recover after running low, especially with another climb ahead. Our carbs-per-hour guide can help you turn the numbers into a practical plan.

A drink containing 40 grams of carbohydrate plus two 25-gram gels, for example, supplies 90 grams. Read the labels and count everything, including feed-station food, so you know roughly what you are taking in.

Above: Take time to eat and refill before heading towards the next pass.

Pack food where you can reach it and choose safe sections to eat, keeping both hands available for technical descents. Keep a few gels somewhere easy to reach, unless you fancy unpacking half your pockets every time you need one.

Rehearse breakfast for the early start, with familiar carbohydrate-rich food and enough time to eat comfortably. Adjust drinking to the conditions and your tested needs, refill before long climbing sections and carry a little reserve food for delays.

Take gears and layers your tired legs will appreciate

I would choose gearing for the steepest climb later in the ride. A compact 50/34 chainset with a compatible 34T or 36T largest rear sprocket is worth considering, with advice from a bike shop if you need a lower bottom gear.

Test it on a steep climb towards the end of a long ride, when the answer is likely to be more useful than it was with fresh legs. Having another easier gear lets you keep turning the pedals comfortably as you get tired, rather than spending long sections grinding.

Choose a cadence that feels sustainable instead of forcing a particular number. Your gearing should give you room to adjust as the gradient changes.

The 2027 rules require a long-sleeved waterproof rain jacket to be carried throughout the event; a gilet does not meet the requirement. Choose your other layers around the forecast, including arm warmers and suitable gloves, and keep your jacket accessible for descents.

Check brakes, tyres and shifting before travelling, then carry puncture-repair equipment and your phone. Sorting these things at home leaves fewer jobs for the evening before the start.

Arrive a few days before the event

La Villa is convenient for the start and Corvara for the finish, while Colfosco, San Cassiano and Badia are other bases to consider. If you’re staying in Corvara or Colfosco, bear in mind that the road to La Villa closes to riders at 6.10 am on race morning, so plan to set off early. Ask your accommodation about secure bike storage and an early breakfast.

Arriving several days beforehand gives you time to assemble the bike, collect your number and enjoy a short local ride without rushing. Rider’s Week runs from 28 June to 3 July 2027, with number collection in San Leonardo/Badia between 30 June and 3 July. You must collect it personally, bringing your original identification and digital voucher.

Keep those first rides easy enough that you return feeling better for having gone out. The temptation to add another pass is understandable when you have travelled so far, but the longer exploring can wait until after the event.

During the final 7–14 days, shorten your riding while retaining small amounts of familiar intensity. Reducing training volume by roughly 40–60% is a useful starting point, adjusted to your fatigue and travel arrangements. You’ve done the training by then, so let your legs recover. It’s a good feeling to arrive wanting to ride rather than needing another day off.

Above: A little roadside encouragement is always welcome on a day of climbing.