Over 8,000 riders from more than 70 nations took on the iconic Maratona dles Dolomites on Sunday 05 July, the 39th edition of Italy’s showcase gran fondo through the stunning Dolomites.
Three routes ran out of La Villa into Corvara: the 55km Sellaronda, the 106km Medio, and the full 138km Maratona, which adds the Passo Giau, a leg-breaking climb averaging 9.3% over nearly 10km.
Luca Cavallo, 26 (OM.CC), soloed to victory on the full course in 04:21:23, defending the title he won here last year. A former Under-23/Elite professional with the Technipes squad, Cavallo walked away from the professional ranks and rebuilt himself as one of Europe’s most feared amateurs, completing a “triple crown” in 2025 with victories at the Sportful Dolomiti Race, the Marmotte Granfondo Alpes and this race. He has since turned down at least one approach from a well-resourced Italian pro development team to stay put.
Belgians Koen Hendrickx, 29, and Vince Mattens, 33, completed the podium, finishing 12 minutes 3 seconds and 12 minutes 6 seconds behind respectively.
Germany’s Janine Meyer, 48 (LeXi Racing), won the women’s Maratona in 04:59:16. Meyer is no stranger to suffering in the high mountains: a three-time champion of the brutal Ötztaler Radmarathon—227km and 5,500m of climbing through the Tyrolean Alps—she now adds a Maratona dles Dolomites title to her résumé.
Italy’s Martina Cavallo, 36, was runner-up for the second straight year, 3 minutes 23 seconds back. She trains and races alongside Luca Cavallo at OM.CC, though the two are not related. Michela Santini, 46, took bronze, 29 minutes 43 seconds down, stepping up in distance after finishing runner-up on last year’s Medio course.
On the Medio, Marco Ceriani, 24 (Team BCP Bike), won in 03:24:50, holding off Matteo Fontanelli, 31, by 1 minute 10 seconds, with Simone Impellizzeri, 25, third.
The women’s Medio produced the day’s most compelling storyline. Roberta Bussone, 43, the outright winner of last year’s full 138km Maratona, chose the shorter route this time and won again in 03:56:47, Bussone has been the form rider of the Italian amateur circuit all season, adding victories at the Marcialonga Cycling Craft, the Colnago Lake Garda Cycling Festival and Gran Fondo Laigueglia, all while working a day job at Italian broadcaster RAI.
Federica Cancellieri finished second in 3:57:14, with former UCI Gran Fondo World Champion Laura Simenc Kramar, 36, third another 3 minutes back.
Maratona dles Dolomites results HERE
Photo Credit: Giovanni Monge Roffarello
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