The Big Picture
The Maratona dles Dolomites is the most iconic granfondo in the Alps. 138km, 4,230m of official elevation gain (my data says 4,532m), seven Dolomite passes. You don't wing it. Here's what was behind those 5h21'.
Four months, March through July. An FTP of 280W at 72kg = 3.9 W/kg. Not a pure climber's number, but enough to manage 4,500+ meters of elevation without blowing up. The key? Effort distribution, not raw power.
Monthly Breakdown
| Month | Phase | Sessions | Km | Hours | TSS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March | Base | 33 | 1,011 | 45h | 3,266 |
| April | Build | 24 | 758 | 38h | 2,004 |
| May | Volume | 36 | 1,621 | 72h | 4,232 |
| June | Peak | 29 | 1,923 | 81h | 6,657 |
| July | Taper + Race | 6 | 391 | 18h | 1,497 |
| Total | 128 | 5,705 | 254h | 17,656 |
The pattern is classic but brutal: aerobic base in March, build phase in April (volume dipped due to Easter and rain), volume explosion in May, peak in June with 6,657 TSS across 29 sessions (229 TSS/session average — long and intense rides only), then a surgical taper in July.
Key Rides
Volume Phase (May)
May was the month of pure volume. The benchmark ride: 155km with 3,205m of elevation gain. Goal: get the body used to 5+ hours in the saddle with significant climbing, without worrying about pace. Nutrition: 80g/h of carbs, tested and validated.
Peak Phase (June)
Intensity goes up. The longest ride of the build: 170km with 3,319m D+. A true race simulation: long climbs (15-20km), technical descents, refueling at the base of each climb. The target was holding 220-240W on the climbs without ever exceeding 260W — the same strategy I'd use on race day.
Taper (July)
Only 6 sessions in the 7 days before the race. Volume cut by 80%, intensity maintained through short intervals. CTL in a controlled decline, TSB rising. The point of the taper isn't to train more — it's to arrive at the start line with fresh legs and a clear head.
Race Day: July 7, 2024
Maratona dles Dolomites, long course. Start from La Villa at 6:30 AM. Temperature 12°C at the start, 28°C at Passo Giau.
The Pass-by-Pass Strategy
Seven passes, seven different approaches. You don't win the Maratona on the climbs — you lose it by going too hard on the first passes.
Campolongo & Gardena
The first two passes are the trap. Fresh legs, high adrenaline, temptation to push. I stayed at 220-230W, well below threshold. Campolongo is short but steep; Gardena is the real warmup. This is not where you make the difference.
Passo Giau
10km at 9.3% average gradient. This is where the selection begins. Constant pace at 235-240W, no surges. Eat before the climb, drink every 15 minutes. The Giau is long enough to punish you if you overdo the first 5km.
Falzarego
After the Giau, Falzarego almost feels like relief — gentler gradients, scenery that distracts. Hold 240W without accelerating. This is the pass where many riders recover and then blow up on Valparola.
Valparola + Descent
The last real pass. This is where I opened up: 250-260W, the legs were still there thanks to the pacing on the earlier passes. Then a full-gas descent to Corvara, picking off riders who had gone too hard earlier.
What Worked
- Classic periodization — Base → Build → Volume → Peak → Taper. Nothing revolutionary, but executed with discipline.
- Long rides with real elevation — Every weekend in May and June had at least one 4+ hour ride with 2,500+ m D+. You prepare for the Dolomites in the mountains, not on the flats.
- Conservative race strategy — Control the first passes, push only on the last one. 90% of riders do the opposite.
- Tested nutrition — 80g/h of carbs, rehearsed on every long ride from April onward. Zero surprises on race day.
What I'd Do Differently
- A more consistent April — 24 sessions and 2,004 TSS are too few for the second month of a build. Rain and commitments cut the volume, but I should have compensated with indoor sessions.
- More threshold-specific work — Long rides build the base, but intervals at 280-300W would have raised the ceiling. 3.9 W/kg is sufficient, but 4.1 would have changed the race.
- An altitude test — The Giau tops out at 2,236m. Even a single weekend of altitude training would have helped with acclimatization.
Watts/kg Analysis by Pass
The segment-by-segment analysis reveals how power distribution determined the final result. On Campolongo (km 0-12) average power was 225W (3.1 W/kg), on Gardena (km 25-35) it rose to 232W, but the most interesting data comes from the Giau: 238W held constant for 48 minutes, with a Variability Index (VI) of just 1.03.
Falzarego shows a slight dip to 235W, while Valparola was tackled at 255W average for 22 minutes. The final descent to Corvara added 15W to the average thanks to active pedaling downhill.
Key Workouts of the Build
5,705km for 5h21'
The Maratona dles Dolomites isn't a race you win with talent. It's a race you win with preparation, patience, and the ability to resist the temptation to go hard when your legs are begging for it. 128 sessions, 254 hours, 17,656 TSS — all for 5 hours and 21 minutes across the most beautiful passes in the world.
Worth every single pedal stroke.