Raid Dolomites Cycling Tour

Day 1

Arrival in Belluno

Customized pick up at your arrival location (Venice Airport) can be arranged. Introduction to the Échappée Cycling Tours staff, go over the schedule, route, safety as you complete the Échappée Cycling Tours, and respond to any questions left unanswered. Gift bags that include an Échappée Cycling Tours cycling jersey, water bottles and energy food will be distributed to each guest, and for those who have chosen to rent a bike from Échappée Cycling Tours, we will assist in setting it up to your specs.

Hotel: Hotel Villa Carpenada****

Day 2

Belluno – Arabba – 84 km – 2210 m D+

Starting off our first day of riding with a taste of what will be waiting for us during the week. We will enter the the Parco Nazionale delle Dolomiti Bellunesi along the enchanting rocky cliff walls of the Gorges of the Valle del Mis and its crystal clear lake. After a sweeping descent to the town of Agordo we will gradually gain elevation to reach our next home and base in the heart of the Dolomites to explore the mythical climbs for the next couple of days.

– Valle del Mis Gorge (17.2 km at 4.1%)

– Alleghe (16.3 km at 2.8%)

– Arabba (26.7 km at 3.4%)

Hotel: Evaldo****

Day 3

Sellaronda Loop – 51 km – 1720 m D+

Today we enter immediately into action with the famous Sellaronda loop, a ride that takes you around the Sella mountain massif which features four of the most iconic climbs of the Dolomites: Passo Pordoi, Passo Sella, Passo Gardena and Passo Campolongo.
Today is going to be pretty simple: uphill or downhill. You might want to pinch yourself once in a while to make sure the landscape that surrounds you is actually real.

-Passo Pordoi (9.2 km at 6.9%)

-Passo Sella (5.5 km at 7.9%)

-Passo Gardena (5.8 km at 4.3%)

-Passo Campolongo (5.8 km at 6.1%)

Hotel:Evaldo****

Day 4

Marmolada Loop – 65 km – 1960 m D+

We ease into the ride today by starting off with a pleasant descent to reach the starting point for our big challenge of the day: Passo Fedaia. One of the Grand Classics, often featured in the Giro, this beast will require some consistent effort to be conquered (18% max: very short, don’t panic), but the views at the top will repay the effort. The Marmolada, one of the most important still resisting glaciers will be towering above the Fedaia Lake. To get back to base we still have one climb to go: we get to ride the Passo Pordoi in the opposite direction from yesterday.

-Passo Fedaia (14 km at 7%)

-Passo Pordoi (12 km at 6.4%)

Hotel: Evaldo****

Day 5

Arabba – Merano – 107 km – 1960 m D+

Once again we climb the Passo Pordoi, this time to leave the heart of the classic Dolomites and move on to new adventurous roads. Our main climb for the rest of today will be Passo Costalunga, a gradual ascent that ends with a smooth scenic plateau. A steep descent brings us down to Bolzano where we will pedal along the well paved cycleway of the Adige river along the valley floor to reach our hotel for the night. Today the total descent is more that the total ascent.

-Passo Pordoi (9.2 km at 6.9%)

-Passo Costalunga (9.3 km at 4.7%)

Hotel: Botango***

Day 6

Stelvio Classic (Merano – Bormio) – 106 km – 2640 m D+

One word: EPIC. After a long warmup cycling along the beautiful cycleway of the Adige river for nearly 60 km we will reach Prato, the start of the most iconic climb of Italy’s Giro d’Italia: Lo Stelvio.
This is a monument to cycling and the challenge that every road cyclist should experience at least once in their life. Pace yourself along the 48 hairpin turns and raise your bike to the sky once you have reached the famous Cima Coppi at 2758 m of elevation, the highest paved road pass in the Eastern Alps.
Enjoy every turn on the long descent; tonight we rest in Bormio, a lovely mountain town with thermal springs, gateway to many beautiful rides.

-Passo Stelvio (24.7 km at 7.5%)

Hotel: Baita Dei Pini****

Day 7

Bormio – Pisogne – 124 km – 1640 m D+

Our final day ! Straight from Bormio we’re going to climb the only difficulty of the day, the legendary and hard Passo Gavia, but don’t fear: we’re getting close to the end and the Gods of cycling will be there to assist you!
This is certainly one of the most beautiful passes of all the Dolomites and one to remember, once you reach the top, it is (pretty much) all the way down. We’ll ride all along the egregiously paved cycleway of the Valtellina downhill and flat until we reach the lake. Here we will cruise along the winding coastal roads where the views will open up to the spectacular scenery of the towering green mountains above crystal blue waters.
Enjoy the final dinner and night in Pisogne before we say farewell till the next time.

-Passo Gavia (17.4 km at 7.8%)

Hotel: La Pieve****