Bradley Wiggins made his Maratona dles Dolomites debut this year on July 2 and it was great to see him enjoying a more relaxed ride in tough mountains than in previous years. It felt something of an honour for us to have the first ever British Tour de France winner in our midst for this Maratona, which only added to the buzz in the days leading up to the event.
The weather suited those of us who’d travelled from the British Isles as there was a distinct chill in the air and the consensus was that the lower temperatures made the climbs much more tolerable.
The important thing was it remained dry, which was a big relief as there had been thunder storm after thunder storm up until the Friday. Last minute preparations had been very soggy affairs indeed.
The Maratona never fails to impress. Excitement builds in the days leading up the event, but it’s at breakfast time on the Sunday when emotions really start to work overtime. By the time we’re in our start pens the anticipation is electrifying with helicopters above and TV cameras focused on us.
The release of tension at the gun is palpable as we file over the start line to live music, hot air balloons taking off and the cheering of the crowd. We know we’re on our way in the biggest and best sportive Italy has to offer.
Wiggins really made the MC work hard with short answers to a number of very light and chirpy questions as he was introduced to the 9,000 strong field, and went on to make the day for some as he had chats with some of our riders on the way around.
“I really enjoyed it although it was very tough” were his words as he crossed the line after completing the middle course. He was being generous to the person holding the mic as it had just been a gentle spin for our Brad.
Winner was Tommaso Elettrico in 4 hours and 37 minutes.
Fastest man from our party was Martin Shaw from Basingstoke with 5h16m and fastest woman, Lucy Richie from Aberdeenshire with 7h01m. Well done to Martin and Lucy and, indeed, to everyone.
Every year there are special stories and a couple from this year are worthy of mention.
Katie Hill had a nasty crash before the 2016 edition and was so disappointed to miss out after training hard. This year she came back fit and had the bonus of meeting Brad who had a chat with her.
Ben Raincock crashed on the descent of Gardena, classically knackering his derailleur and thought his race was over until a mechanic stopped and managed to give him a single gear of 54/17. Ben decided to continue and take on the long course gaining so much respect as he struggled on to finish in a respectable 7h45m including the long stop.
Thanks go to Davide Cassani, manager of the Italian national cycling team who’s always on hand with help and advice. Davide works with Enervit who supply much of our fuel on the day. Thanks also to Matilde Pozzi from Enervit.
If you’re interested in riding the Maratona in 2018 pop an email to Ian Parr: wdcyclesport@gmail.com
Nigel Wynn worked as associate editor on CyclingWeekly.com, he worked almost single-handedly on the Cycling Weekly website in its early days. His passion for cycling, his writing and his creativity, as well as his hard work and dedication, were the original driving force behind the website’s success. Without him, CyclingWeekly.com would certainly not exist on the size and scale that it enjoys today. Nigel sadly passed away, following a brave battle with a cancer-related illness, in 2018. He was a highly valued colleague, and more importantly, n exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed.
-
-
Training through the pain
It’s a universal truth in cycling: when the hard effort hurts too much, we back off and slow down. But can we train our ability to tolerate pain? Steve Shrubsall finds out
-
11 alternative kits with more flair than (most of) the WorldTour would know what to do with
Gravel, crit, and amateur teams have some of the best kits (fact)
-
Bradley Wiggins expresses regret for past behaviour: 'I was never good at handling public fame and adulation'
The 2012 Tour de France winner isn't proud of the public persona he had
-
Sir Bradley Wiggins: I don’t like being defined as a cyclist
In an unconventional interview with The Times, the Tour de France winner says he would like a change of career
-
Custom shoe designer gets an unexpected boost after Tour de France winner Sir Bradley Wiggins dons his kit
The Shoe Dr has done customised shoes for pros like Harry Tanfield but was still starstruck by the first British Tour winner
-
Wiggins family winds up third company with debts of £141,000
Tour de France winner Sir Bradley Wiggins has seen a third company in his stable of businesses enter liquidation with debts of £141,000.
-
Bradley Wiggins liquidates businesses with debts of over £1m
Creditors expected to be left out of pocket as Team Wiggins company folds
-
Here are the top 10 hissy fits thrown by professional cyclists
When cyclists lose their temper, it can have comical outcomes
-
Sir Bradley Wiggins says he convinced Team Sky not to drop Chris Froome in 2011
Sir Bradley Wiggins convinced Team Sky not to drop Chris Froome in 2011, the retired pro has revealed.
-
Chris Froome says he struggled to trust Sir Bradley Wiggins in 2012 Tour de France
Chris Froome said he struggled to trust Sir Bradley Wiggins as leader in the 2012 Tour de France.
