Whether you choose to participate in an event ride or select a bicycle trip somewhere in the world, vehicle traffic is a reality you’ll be confronted with. It’s an unavoidable truth if you want to participate in road cycling. Even if you end up riding on mostly closed roads, many small-town police departments don’t have the staff to close every road an event may cross.
But for two days out of the year in the Dolomites region of northern Italy, you can cycle the most beautiful roads in the world traffic free! Roads frequently used in one of the most important pro bicycle races on earth: the Giro d’Italia. That’s what the organizers hope will give you impetus to ride the Sellaronda Bike Day in June and December.
About Sellaronda Bike Day
Sellaronda Bike Day is a one-day event held twice a year at the beginning of June and December on the roads around the Dolomites in northern Italy. Begun in June 2008 by the Dolomite tourist boards to heighten awareness about its beautiful passes, Sellaronda Bike Day gives cyclists the opportunity to ride these roads without the presence of vehicle traffic.
Each year, over 15,000 cyclists ride the 53 kilometer (32 miles) course that takes them over four mountain passes: Sella, Pordoi, Campolongo, and Gardena. Sellaronda Bike Day is open to cyclists of all levels of ability. That’s why it is considered a fun ride. There are no registration fees, no timekeeping, and, most importantly, it is not a competition.
The Course and About The Dolomites
Sellaronda Bike Day is a 32 to 36 mile bike ride, which might make it seem it would be a fairly low-key and easy day out on your bike. But keep in mind you do ride over four mountain passes at an elevation gain of 1,650 meters (5,400 feet). The four Ladin valleys the ride passes through are so named from the ancient cultures that inhabited (and still do) the Dolomites region.
The Dolomites became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2009. It is a mountain range in the northern Italian Alps, distinct for its 18 peaks that rise to 3,000 meters (almost 10,000 feet) and cover 141,903 hectares (nearly 550 square miles).
The Dolomites region is recognized for its “…geomorphology marked by steeples, pinnacles and rock walls, the site also contains glacial landforms and karst systems. It is characterized by dynamic processes with frequent landslides, floods and avalanches…“
Last Thoughts
Sellaronda Bike Day sounds like an epic event to participate in. How often do you get to ride on a fully closed course for free! That explains why this event is so popular and also probably why it’s held twice a year. Plus, it’s a ride that caters to all kinds of cyclists and doesn’t seem like an overly brutal course.
If you get the chance to get yourself over to Italy to ride in the Dolomites for this event or some other one, prepare to be wowed! I rode here and I can testify to the scenic beauty of the place, and the roads are in pristine condition.
Before or after the event, get in some more miles if you have the time. Regardless of your travel plans, a trip to ride the Dolomites region won’t disappoint your need for a good ride.
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