The Sella Ronda/Sellaronda is a popular track in Italy that has its own event.
While it’s technically not a Granfondo – too short, no timing – I labeled it as one anyway.
It’s a tour around the Sella Group, which has four climbs / passes.
These are, clockwise from Corvara:
Passo Campolongo (1,875m)
Passo Pordoi (2,240m)
Passo Sella (2,244m)
Passo Gardena (2,121m)
Twice a year it is all but free of motorized traffic during the Sella Ronda Bike Day.
It doesn’t really matter where you start and course direction can change, i.e clock- or counterclockwise.
The villages at the foot of each of the four climbs are “designated” starting areas.
There is no (official) rule stating that you cannot go against the “advised” direction.
But I think it would be silly to do so, at least during the event.
As this is a course you can ride much of the year, you can obviously ride in either direction on your own.
Course Details
Variations
The direction of your Sella Ronda doesn’t make any difference to either distance or altimeter gain.
It does change which climbs are longer.
I.e. from Canazei (or Pocol) you’d cycle all the way up the Sella, if the course is clockwise.
You’ll also get the full length of the Campolongo (Corvara) and Pordoi (Arabba).
The Gardena is only the short final part from Plan de Gralba in this variation.
However, if it’s counterclockwise, you’ll cycle the Pordoi in full and also the Gardena from Corvara.
The Campolongo (Arabba) and Sella (Plan de Gralba) are the short ends in this version.
Etcetera…
Putting the next section into the mix, the variations are plenty for your Sella Ronda.
Length(s) and D+
If you start in Corvara, the Sella Ronda is 51,5 kms clock- and counterclockwise, with a D+ of around 1,700 meters.
Starting in Arabba or Pocol does not change those numbers.
But if you start and end in Selva di Val Gardena, the course is 60.5 kms long, with a D+ of almost 2,000 m.
This is because of the extra climbing from Selva to the Gardena / Sella split in Plan de Gralba, 4.5 kms with 290 m of D+.
And if you start and end in Canazei, your Sella Ronda is 61.5 kms with a D+ of 2,050 m…
From Canazei to the Sella / Pordoi split is 5.5 kms with 350 m of D+ extra.
Maratona dles Dolomites
This Sella Ronda is also part of the even more popular, but hard to enter, Maratona dles Dolomites.
That starts just north of Corvara, in La Villa and includes two ascends of the Campolongo.
Because of those, the course direction of the Sella Ronda part for the Maratona is always clockwise.
It is free to enter the Sella Ronda Bike Day and it does not require you to register, the Maratona is not free and impossible to register for 1.
The Rebel’s Sella and Maratona
I have completed the counter-clockwise Sella Ronda Bike Day on an official occasion in 2011 form Val Gardena and the Maratona dles Dolomites “on my own” in 2020 (Stage 6).
As stated above and mandatory for a Maratona, I cycled the Sella Ronda loop clockwise on that occasion.
1 Obviously not impossible, but it’s difficult – and expensive, if in a package deal – to get a ticket anyway…
Background picture of this page: H. Zell – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
