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VIDEO: 2018 Maratona Dles Dolomites Jersey Unveil

– FIND THE INSPIRATIONAL VIDEO’S BELOW – The 2018 edition of the Maratona dles Dolomites – Enel will kick off on July 1 in the Badia valley of Italy’s far north. More than 9,000 riders will climb out of the darkness, just before dawn breaks over the surrounding limestone peaks of the Dolomites. The race is a must for every serious cyclist. The landscape of the Dolomites is so important and so inspiring that it’s protected by UNESCO, and every year the Maratona has an environment-related theme. The race’s patron, Michil Costa, is what the Italians call a “personaggio,” a character. His goal is to get people to connect with nature, to contemplate their place in it, and to appreciate not only its fragile beauty but also what that beauty can do for our own fragilities. Riding here might be tough on the legs, but it does wonders for a stressed-out mind. Because Castelli’s head office is near the Badia valley, Castelli staff live, ride, run or ski in these mountains all year. Finding the right elements and inspiration for the Maratona jersey was the motivational state that brought the 2018 kit design from idea to reality.  “Getting the call ...

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Maratona dles Dolomites

One day a year in the normally sleepy Ladin valleys of Italy’s far north, a gunshot sends more than 9,000 riders climbing out of the darkness, just before dawn breaks over the surrounding limestone peaks. Throughout the huge peloton, the atmosphere is electric. At the front, the pace is almost frightening. Bands line the roadside. At some turns the fans are five or six deep behind the hoardings. It’s almost impossible to get an entry—more than 30,000 apply for the lottery—and in the excitement of it all during those first few kilometers, it’s all too easy to forget just what the hell you’ve signed yourself up for. This is the Maratona dles Dolomites, the queen of all gran fondos. It’s grueling, beautiful, fun, overwhelming, unforgettable. It’s breathtaking, both figuratively and literally. And for an amateur rider, there’s simply nothing else like it. In fact, the scale of it is probably enough to shock a lot of lower-level pros. There are three courses, none of them exactly easy. The shortest looks benign enough at first glance, just 55 kilometers. It still manages to pack in almost 1,800 meters of climbing. The medium route takes 106 kilometers, with 3,090 meters of elevation. ...

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