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ITALY · SPORTIVE

MARATONA DLES DOLOMITES TRAINING PLAN.

The Maratona dles Dolomites is the classic Italian sportive — 138km over 7 Dolomite passes with 4,230m of climbing. Ballotted entry, 9,000 riders, closed roads from dawn. Arguably the most beautiful sportive on the calendar.

138 km·4,230 m climbing·6-10 hours·July

THE OVERVIEW

WHAT THE MARATONA DOLOMITES ACTUALLY IS

TERRAIN

Seven Dolomite passes stitched together by short valley descents — Campolongo, Pordoi, Sella, Gardena, Giau, Falzarego, Valparola. The pacing problem is the route shape: the first three passes feel like a rolling warm-up, then Giau ambushes you four hours in.

WEATHER

Early July in Alta Badia starts cold (4-8°C) at the 06:30 mass start, climbs into the mid-20s in the valleys by mid-morning, and rarely gets above 18°C on the upper passes. Afternoon thunderstorms are a real risk above 2,000m — the Giau in particular has a reputation for hailing on a sunny day.

FITNESS DEMANDS

WHAT YOU NEED TO ARRIVE WITH.

MINIMUM FTP

3.0 W/kg

to finish, well-fuelled

COMPETITIVE FTP

3.8 W/kg

to ride the day on your terms

ENDURANCE

10-12 hours/week peaking, with a long ride that has built up to 5 hours and includes at least three sustained climbs of 30+ minutes. Most of your training should be climbing-specific — 138km flat is a different event entirely.

WHY THESE NUMBERS MATTER HERE

The Maratona is climb-density limited. 3.0 W/kg with the right gearing finishes inside the cut-offs; 3.8+ W/kg lets you hold sub-threshold up Giau when the rest of the field is grinding into Z4. Above 4.2 W/kg, you're racing for the sub-7-hour group.

CLIMBING DEMANDS

THE CLIMBS, IN ORDER.

4,230m of climbing in 138km — that's 30m per kilometre, the densest climbing per km of any event in this cluster. The first three passes (Campolongo, Pordoi, Sella) come in 90 minutes and trick fresh legs into thinking it's a quick day. Then Gardena leads into the Giau — 9.9km at 9.3% on tired legs above 2,000m — and the day's real shape reveals itself.

PASSO CAMPOLONGO

KM 5
5.5 km·7% avg·384 m gain

First climb out of the start. Steady opener — keep it deep Z2 even if the pack is launching. The day is long.

PASSO PORDOI

KM 25
9.4 km·6.8% avg·639 m gain

Switchback classic. 50-60 minutes of climbing — sit in a group at sub-threshold and let the kilometres pass.

PASSO SELLA

KM 50
5.5 km·7.9% avg·434 m gain

Steeper than Pordoi but shorter. The third climb is where most riders quietly start eating the time bonuses they thought they had.

PASSO GIAU

KM 80
9.8 km·9.3% avg·14% max·911 m gain

The crux of the day. 9% sustained on legs that have already done 2,500m of climbing. Pace it on watts, not feel — overcook the bottom and you grind the top in pieces.

PASSO FALZAREGO

KM 110
13.8 km·5.9% avg·814 m gain

Gentler gradient than Giau but it's the day's last long climb. The tunnel section near the top is cold and exposed — eat before, not on it.

EXPECTED FINISH TIMES

WHERE YOU'LL LAND.

Use these bands to set a realistic goal. Pick the band closest to your current fitness — not the one above it. Pacing a band you haven't earned is the fastest way to a back-half blow-up.

FIRST-TIME FINISHER

9-12 hours

FTP 2.8-3.2 W/kg, 8-10 hours/week, longest ride 5 hours including a 30+ minute climb.

AVERAGE ENTHUSIAST

7-9 hours

FTP 3.2-3.7 W/kg, 10-12 hours/week, regular climbing rides, one event-specific 5-hour day per fortnight.

STRONG AMATEUR

5-7 hours

FTP 3.7-4.3 W/kg, 12-15 hours/week, structured threshold work, comfortable above 2,000m.

ELITE AMATEUR

4-5 hours

FTP 4.3+ W/kg, 14-18 hours/week, racing background, sub-threshold for 60+ minutes at altitude.

Ask Roadman about your Maratona Dolomites target →

THE TRAINING PLAN

HOW LONG TILL YOUR MARATONA DOLOMITES?

Six weeks-out windows, each built around the demands of this course. Pick the one that matches your window today. The framework is free; coaching makes it personal.

16 WEEKS OUT

BASE PHASE

Aerobic foundation. High volume, low intensity. Don't skip this.

12 WEEKS OUT

LATE BASE

Bridge phase. Volume still rules, but structure begins.

8 WEEKS OUT

BUILD PHASE

Structured intensity enters. Threshold + VO2 max work.

4 WEEKS OUT

PEAK PHASE

Event-specific sharpening. Volume drops, quality rises.

2 WEEKS OUT

TAPER

Sharpness is banked. Now shed fatigue.

1 WEEK OUT

RACE WEEK

Don't do anything clever. Eat, sleep, show up.

FUELLING STRATEGY

EAT LIKE THE DAY DEMANDS.

138km on the Maratona is six to nine hours for most riders — closer to a 200km day in calorie terms because of the climbing density. Target 90-110g carbs/hour: gels every 30 minutes plus a bar at the bottom of every climb. The Italian feed zones are exceptional — fresh bread, ham, fruit, espresso — but they're crowded; rely on your own bottles and gels for in-effort fuelling and treat the feed zones as top-up stops, not meal breaks. The Giau has no useful feed — come to its base with a full bottle, two gels in pockets, and a caffeine gel saved for the 2km mark. Dolomite UV at 2,000m burns faster than sea-level July; sunscreen at every aid station, full fingers + arm warmers stashed for the descents that fly straight back into shade.

PACING STRATEGY

RIDE IT IN THE RIGHT ORDER.

Pace the Maratona backwards from Giau. Every watt you save in the first three passes is a watt you have on the climb that matters. Target 70-75% of FTP on Campolongo, Pordoi, and Sella — that's a heart-rate ceiling, not a feel. The descents off Pordoi and Gardena are technical and crowded; brake early, sit upright, and treat them as 20-minute fuelling windows. Hit the base of Giau with a full stomach and a clear head; settle into 75-80% of FTP for the bottom 4km, then ride the gradient — not the riders around you — for the steep middle. Once you're over Giau the day is yours, but Falzarego still has 800m of vertical, so eat on the descent and ride the last climb steady, not slow.

COMMON MISTAKES

DON'T DO THIS.

Patterns we see at the Maratona Dolomites every year. Each one has a fix that costs nothing — except the discipline to actually use it on the day.

MISTAKE

Racing the first three passes because they feel easy

FIX

Campolongo, Pordoi, and Sella are the warm-up. Stay 5-8 bpm below your sportive threshold on every one of them. Riders who burn matches in the first 90 minutes are the ones grinding 6km/h up the Giau two hours later.

MISTAKE

Treating the Giau like another climb

FIX

The Giau is the race. Plan it like a 60-minute threshold test: full bottle at the base, two gels in your pockets, caffeine gel at the 2km marker, and a wattage ceiling you do not break regardless of who passes you. The summit is the win — pace to get there, not to outdrag your neighbour.

MISTAKE

Underdressing for the descents

FIX

The Pordoi and Falzarego descents drop 800-1,000m at speed. Even in mid-July, you'll be at 6-8°C in the wind. A gilet stashed in the jersey is non-negotiable; a rain cape on a thunderstormy year has saved more days than aero socks ever will.

ASK ROADMAN

GOT A QUESTION ABOUT THE MARATONA DOLOMITES?

The Maratona Dolomites doesn't have a predictor course yet. Ask Roadman directly — Anthony reads every question and replies with event-specific advice.

Ask Roadman

FAQ

MARATONA DOLOMITES TRAINING, ANSWERED.

What FTP do I need for the Maratona dles Dolomites?

The Maratona is climb-density limited. 3.0 W/kg with the right gearing finishes inside the cut-offs; 3.8+ W/kg lets you hold sub-threshold up Giau when the rest of the field is grinding into Z4. Above 4.2 W/kg, you're racing for the sub-7-hour group. A practical floor is 3.0 W/kg to finish; 3.8 W/kg to ride competitively.

How long should I train for the Maratona dles Dolomites?

Most riders benefit from 12-16 weeks of structured preparation. 10-12 hours/week peaking, with a long ride that has built up to 5 hours and includes at least three sustained climbs of 30+ minutes. Most of your training should be climbing-specific — 138km flat is a different event entirely. If you have less time, the 8-week and 4-week plans still produce a meaningful result on the right starting fitness.

What's the typical finish time for the Maratona dles Dolomites?

Amateur finishers cover the full range. First-time finisher: 9-12 hours; Average enthusiast: 7-9 hours; Strong amateur: 5-7 hours; Elite amateur: 4-5 hours. The difference between bands is climbing fitness and fuelling discipline more than flat speed.

What's the biggest mistake riders make at the Maratona dles Dolomites?

Racing the first three passes because they feel easy. Fix: Campolongo, Pordoi, and Sella are the warm-up. Stay 5-8 bpm below your sportive threshold on every one of them. Riders who burn matches in the first 90 minutes are the ones grinding 6km/h up the Giau two hours later.

How should I pace the Maratona dles Dolomites?

Pace the Maratona backwards from Giau. Every watt you save in the first three passes is a watt you have on the climb that matters. Target 70-75% of FTP on Campolongo, Pordoi, and Sella — that's a heart-rate ceiling, not a feel. The descents off Pordoi and Gardena are technical and crowded; brake early, sit upright, and treat them as 20-minute fuelling windows. Hit the base of Giau with a full stomach and a clear head; settle into 75-80% of FTP for the bottom 4km, then ride the gradient — not the riders around you — for the steep middle. Once you're over Giau the day is yours, but Falzarego still has 800m of vertical, so eat on the descent and ride the last climb steady, not slow.

When does the Maratona dles Dolomites take place?

The Maratona dles Dolomites typically runs in July. Count back from your event date and pick the weeks-out plan that matches your window.

WANT THIS BUILT AROUND YOUR FTP?

PLAN MADE FOR YOU, NOT FOR THE AVERAGE.

The framework here gets you in the right territory. Roadman coaching builds it around your FTP, your week, your weeks remaining, and your delivery via TrainingPeaks.

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