As part of its exclusive partnership agreement with the iconic gran fondo, the Maratona dles Dolomites–Enel, Castelli is suppling the official technical clothing for the 2015 edition held on 5 July 2015.
The Maratona dles Dolomites, ‘the queen of all granfondos’, is billed as gruelling, breathtaking, beautiful, fun, overwhelming and unforgettable. The Maratona is a celebration of cycling, the landscape of the Dolomites in Italy and the area’s unique culture.
With over 31,000 entry applications for this year, the July race runs for over 9,000 cyclists, representing 62 nationalities. The legendary Campolongo, Sella, Pordoi, Gardena, Giau, Falzarego and Valparola Passes, completely closed to traffic, will allow riders to tackle the three race routes: Long 138K and a climb of 4230m, Medium, 106K and a climb of 3130m and Sella Ronda, 55K and a climb of 1780m.
Because Castelli’s head office is near Alta Badia, Castelli staff live and ride these mountains every day, and the Italian brand relished being the official technical clothing partner of the 2015 Maratona dles Dolomites – Enel. ‘The sponsorship reflects Castelli’s dedication to performance and perfection, working hard toward a goal and beyond.’
Maratona 2015 Climber’s Jersey
The Climber’s Jersey has been developed via the Cannondale-Garmin and MTN-Qhubeka riders’ requests for a super-lightweight, highly breathable jersey for the mountain stages of the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France.
The jersey is made from 3D mesh fabric on the front and shoulders to keep the jersey aero, light and dry, and the waist band to keep the 3 rear and zippered key pocket in place. The 3D mesh nature of the fabric means that most of it never touches the skin, so it should not cling or absorb water. According to Castelli, ‘Pour a bottle over your head to cool down, and moments later the jersey is back at race weight.’
While the jersey was originally made for big climbs and hot weather, the pro riders showed Castelli that it’s an ideal jersey for most conditions because of its wide temperature range and aero advantage.
It’s cut to hug the torso and eliminate any excess fabric flapping when battling the wind. Castelli’s wind tunnel results indicate that the Climber’s Jersey is a full 17 watts faster when riding at 40 km/h compared to a standard cycling jersey.
The Maratona Climber’s Jersey is supplied with an ‘eco pocket’ to encourage riders to make sure that packaging from energy gels and bars isn’t accidentally jettisoned en route.
Maratona 2015 Volo Bibshort
The new Volo Bibshort provides optimum muscle support with an anatomic fit. The GIRO AIR leg band provides more stretch and distributes compression over a larger area.
The body of the short uses a 200+ gram Affinity Lycra, which increases the short’s affinity for keeping the rider comfortable and warding off fatigue with high stretch on the inner thigh, aerodynamic texturing on the outer thigh, and gentle compression throughout.
The Volo Bibshort is comfortable on a wide range of body shapes and helps prevent overheating by incorporating breathable mesh bib straps. The KISS AIR seat pad uses a seamless construction of brushed microfibre to prevent chafing, and the pad is anatomically shaped to follow movements whilst on the bike.
The KISS AIR also features a variable-density design with more padding where the rider needs it and less where they don’t. According to Castelli, the KISS AIR seat pad ensures excellent comfort no matter which Maratona dles Dolomites course you are riding.
Maratona dles Dolomites–Enel
There are three distances to choose from. All of the routes start at La Villa and finish at Corvara – Alta Badia.
Maratona: 138K with 4,190m of climbing
Middle: 106K with 3,090m of climbing
Sellaronda: 55K with 1,780m of climbing
The full 138K course takes riders over five 2,000m+ passes and the saw tooth profile means riders are either ascending or descending throughout the day.
Date: Sunday 5 July 2015
Cyclists: 9,000+ riders start
First edition: 1987
Start: La Villa – Alta Badia, Italy
Finish: Corvara – Alta Badia, Italy
Nearest Airport: Bolzano, Treviso and Venice airports.
www.maratona.it
www.castelli-cycling.com
