The Italian Top Managers in the saddle for the Maratona dles Dolomites
A day of sport for Italian business leaders, who this time, on Sunday, July 6th, will face not a takeover of a company, but of the Dolomites . In Alta Badia, united by their passion for cycling, will be Corrado Sciolla (President BT), Mario Greco (Generali), Alessandro Garrone (ERG), Rodolfo De Benedetti (CIR), Matteo Marzotto, Francesco Starace (CEO Enel), Fausto Pinarello, Matteo Arcese (Arcese Trasporti), Alberto Sorbini (Enervit), Laura Colnaghi (Carvico), and many others. All in the saddle to participate in the 28th edition of the Maratona dles Dolomites-Enel 2014, the queen of international Granfondos. A demanding and demanding sporting and personal challenge, not only for them but also for all participants, it is the most anticipated of the year, reserved for over 9,000 cyclists from 58 nations, selected from 32,000 applications. The stage is the Dolomite passes: Pordoi, Sella, Campolongo, Falzarego, Gardena, Valparola, and Giau, all strictly closed to traffic. The race, which starts at 6:30 a.m. from La Villa and finishes in Corvara, winds through one of the most beautiful natural areas in the world, a UNESCO World Heritage Site a few years ago.
Big news for all cyclists on the medium (101km) and long (133km) routes. During the second passage through La Villa, one last intense effort will be required: 200m after the turnoff for Corvara, they will have to move right and take the climb up the "mür dl giat" (cat wall). This detour, with a maximum gradient of 19%, passes through La Villa Alta before rejoining the main route that leads to the finish line in Corvara. They will have to show off their claws and climb this steep wall, known as the "mür dl giat" (cat wall), because that's what the inhabitants of La Villa are called: the "cats." The Medium and Long routes will therefore undergo a slight change, with 4230 m of altitude difference for the Long route (138 km), and 3130 m of altitude difference for the Medium (106 km), respectively, while the Sella Ronda route (55 km) remains unchanged with 1780 m of altitude difference.
Italians are the majority, with 5,518 registered, followed by Germany, the Netherlands, Great Britain, and Belgium. Participants also include cyclists from China, Japan, Russia, Brazil, and New Zealand. A large turnout also includes well-known names from the world of sport and beyond. In the saddle will be: Alex Zanardi, Linus, Fabrizio Ravanelli, Giovanni Bruno (Sky), Paolo Belli, Manfred Mölgg, Davide Cassani, Clemente Russo, Juri Chechi, Christian Zorzi, Pietro Piller Cottrer, Massimo Scarpa, Nicola Pomponi, Pier Bergonzi, Maurizio Cheli (astronaut), multiple home-grown champion Maria Canins, and many others.
TIME will be the theme of the 2014 Maratona dles Dolomites – Enel. Michil Costa, the event's patron, said: "Time, like colors and love, is subjective. What's important is that we share beauty and spend some quality time together; since no one will give us back time that's irretrievably lost, let's hope we live it joyfully." The live broadcast on Raitre from 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. has also been confirmed.
