Dolomites Raid 2014 advance planning.

[Pete Mas]

I have reserved a place on a great looking Dolomites challenge ride for July 2014, and wanted to make other forumites aware.

 See

http://www.marmot-tours.co.uk/Road-Cycling-Holidays/raid-dolomites.html

 
 I have heard good things re Marmot tours. 

Has anyone else ever ridden a Dolomites Raid, including the mighty Stelvio Pass, and others?

[Hillbilly]

I am pondering it, having had good experiences with MT in the past (Alpine, Pyrenees and Corsica).  Need to figure out if it will be 2014 or 2015 that I do the Dolomite, which will also in part depend on how quickly MT sell out of places on the Raid.

Their Pico mountains trip also interests me.  Something a little out of the ordinary, being away from the showcase climbs of the TdF.

[frankly frankie]

Has anyone else ever ridden a Dolomites Raid, including the mighty Stelvio Pass, and others?

I rode a Raid Dolomite with Sporting Tours many years ago, this was a 2-week haul from Thonon (Lake Geneva) to Trieste.
Some of the major passes included were
Morgins - Simplon - San Bernardino - Splugen - Maloja - Bernina - Livigno - Stelvio - (Gardena) - Sella - Pordoi - Campolongo - Valparola - Giau - Tre Croce - Tre Cime - Razzo
a few less well-known ones in between these.
You can follow this route in pictures starting at Virtual Alps - Morgins and follow the purple 'Raid Alpine' links eastward - the photos just illustrate the locations and not necessarily from this trip (though some are).  (Sometimes you'll have to click through 'More pix & info' to see the next purple link.)

Stelvio (the pass itself is top left) in early September

[Euan Uzami]

Just seen this thread, I've signed up for it in 2014 but on 1st September (thought it might be a bit cooler). You'll have to let me know what it's like Pete!  You can't go wrong with marmot tours - really good, done two raids with them over the past few years and thoroughly enjoyed both.

[Bendy Bianchi]

I am booked on marmits september dolomites raid, and also a marmot corsica raid in may. I have not done the dolomites before, but have just finished the raid alpine also with marmot - theynare indeed really really good.

I have reserved a place on a great looking Dolomites challenge ride for July 2014, and wanted to make other forumites aware.

 See

http://www.marmot-tours.co.uk/Road-Cycling-Holidays/raid-dolomites.html

 If interested, please pm me, as we could get a useful group discount if enough book.

 I have heard good things re Marmot tours. 

Has anyone else ever ridden a Dolomites Raid, including the mighty Stelvio Pass, and others?

[Bendy Bianchi]

see you there! Well actually i will see you at breakfast, then watch you disappear up the road before seeing you again at dinner.... I too chose September hoping it would be a bit cooler, just finished the raid alpine where it was over 40 degrees every day...

Just seen this thread, I've signed up for it in 2014 but on 1st September (thought it might be a bit cooler). You'll have to let me know what it's like Pete!  You can't go wrong with marmot tours - really good, done two raids with them over the past few years and thoroughly enjoyed both.

[Collonach]

I did the Raid Pyreneen Reverse in early June 2013, as part of my training for LEL.
We had a small 8 person group - apparently folk were put off by the 4 day plan, instead of 5.
The organisation and support were absolutely first class: unltd bananas & cake en route, allsorts breakfast cereals [albeit not porridge in Fr ], pasta at hotel, good company, excellent gpx routes, support wagon [handy for those with Di2 ]
I could not recommend Marmot too highly.
Have a good ride.

[Pete Mas]

Finally its nearly time to go on this ride..

I've definitely done enough preparation, with hilly audax series (200, 300, 400 x 2, 600k, and Irish Mile Failte 1200k) completed this year.
After all those, this will seem like a real holiday, albeit a challenging one.

[Pete Mas]

 
Some weekend slideshow scenery viewing for you!

Here are the Dolomites Raid pics. I have put them on Flickr as three albums!.. but no time for commentary as yet. Hope to add that later. But you can see the pass names on the signs.
Reminder:- It was a cycling holiday/challenge from Thonons Les Bains to Trieste (1180km and 20,900m of ascent, over 9 days). it covered the Alps and the Dolomites, and mainly Italy, but with France and Switzerland also featuring early on.
It was a well organised tour from Marmot, and we were very fortunate with the weather:- only one day with rain and  'Thunder on the Mountain'' (Bob Dylan title), and that was on the shortest day's cycling. Sometimes there were too many motorbikes, and other traffic, but the eastern part of the ride was generally quieter. Some of the numerous tunnels were a little scary on a bike, but overall it was a great cycling experience, particularly climbing the Stelvio Pass (2725m and 36 hairpins, 48 hairpins down).
Album 1:-
 
 
https://www.flickr.com/photos/125694528@N06/sets/72157645961701624/
 
Here's the 2nd album from the Dolomites Raid:-

https://www.flickr.com/photos/125694528@N06/sets/72157645952919181/

And finally...Dolomites Raid 3:-

https://www.flickr.com/photos/125694528@N06/sets/72157645960662681/

Hope you enjoy the scenery....Grab a glass of chianti or merlot right now!

[Bendy Bianchi]

Good stuff Pete - did you go up the Zoncolon? It's there as option as I suggested it to James & Cathy, so I guess that means I need to have a crack at it.

Ben, see you there, it's been a few years since we briefly met, I think it was on the Tregaron weekend?

[Euan Uzami]

Good stuff Pete - did you go up the Zoncolon? It's there as option as I suggested it to James & Cathy, so I guess that means I need to have a crack at it.

Ben, see you there, it's been a few years since we briefly met, I think it was on the Tregaron weekend?

yes, see you there - looking forward to it!