The 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, counterclockwise from Corvara:
- Gardena (2,121m)
- Sella (2,243m)
- Pordoi (2,239m)
- Campolongo (1,875m)
Twice a year it is all but free of motorized traffic during the Sellaronda Bike Day. You can start anywhere around the track, but course direction is always counterclockwise.
The villages at the foot of each of the four climbs are “designated” common starting areas.
These are: Canazei, Arraba, Corvara and Selva di Val Gardena. Only the latter is “off track” a bit, see below.
As this is a course that’s open much of the year, you can ride in either direction any day, just not car-free.
Sellaronda Course Details
Variations
Going either clock- or counterclockwise doesn’t change the distance or the altimeter gain. However, it does change which of the climbs are longer.
For example, starting in Canazei, you would 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). And the Gardena is only the short final part from Plan de Gralba in this loop.
Starting in Canazei and going counterclockwise, you’ll cycle the Pordoi 1 and Gardena (Corvara) in full.
The Sella (Plan de Gralba) and Campolongo (Arabba) are the short ends in this version.
1 The Sella and Pordoi have the first ~5.5 kilometers in common
Length(s) and D+
Where you start your Sellaronda does make a difference in total length and elevation gain.
If you start in Corvara, the Sellaronda is 51.6 kms clock- and counterclockwise, with a D+ of around 1,670 meters. Starting in Arabba does not change those numbers.
But if you start and end in Selva di Val Gardena, the course is 61.5 kms long, with a D+ of 1,965 m in either direction. This is because of the extra distance from Selva to the Gardena / Sella split in Plan de Gralba: ~5 kms with 295 m of D+.
And if you start and end in Canazei, your Sellaronda is 62.6 kms with a D+ of 2,030 m both clock- and counterclockwise. Here, the difference is the shared distance from Canazei to the Sella / Pordoi split: ~5.5 kms with 350 m of D+ extra.
Bike Rebel’s Sellaronda
I cycled the Sellaronda Bike Day on an official occasion in 2011 from Selva di Val Gardena and the Maratona clockwise version in 2020 (Stage 6).
Maratona dles Dolomites
This Sellaronda is also part of the even more popular Maratona dles Dolomites.
That starts just north of Corvara, in La Villa and includes two ascents of the Campolongo, and the course direction of the Sellaronda part for the Maratona is always clockwise.
It is free to enter the Sellaronda Bike Day and it does not require you to register, the Maratona is not free and near impossible to register for.
Or at least it’s difficult and expensive if you’re only option is a – multi-day – package deal.
Dolomites Bike Day
This event is, like the Sellaronda Bike Day, a day where the roads are closed to motorized traffic. The Dolomites Bike Day loop start in La Villa and gets up the Campolongo from Corvara first.
Next is the Falzarego from Andraz, finishing off with the final of the Valparola from the summit of the Falzarego.
This course is 51 kms long, with a D+ of around 1,350 meters and I accidentally, as I didn’t know about it at the time, rode this loop back in 2015.
If you cycle the Sellaronda first and then this loop, you cycled the Maratona’s Percorso Medio.
Offical pages here.
Background picture from the 2023 Sellaronda gallery