Before our trip, as I scanned Strava’s heatmap, a very logical route surfaced to tackle during our time in Ortisei. It just so happened it was a classic bike (and ski) route called the Sellaronda, which also has an annual bike day by the same name for which the passes are all closed to cars.
I began my ride from our place in Ortisei, adding a decent bit of climbing to Selva and then up to where the loop begins. Passo Sella was my first objective and I tried not to over-cook it, given having three more passes on the menu. 244 watts for just shy of 46 minutes got me to the top from just outside Selva.
The descent from here was a dream and pretty quiet in the morning. I found myself quickly turning left onto Strada del Pordoi and climbing again. This approach cuts off a decent chunk of the Pordoi and the gradient is a pretty forgiving 6.6% on average. 228 watts for 28 minutes was enough to do the job.
I was still feeling pretty strong at this point and decided to press on after a brief stop for an obligatory selfie and shot of the sign at the pass. The East side of the Pordoi was an especially fun descent—a moderate angle with lots of sweeping switchback turns and good visibility. I took a left at the roundabout in Arabba to begin the third pass of the day—the Campolongo. My legs were feeling a bit used by this point and a touch crampy when I pushed hard, but they held together pretty well at 246 watts for just under 18 minutes. I zoomed down to the quiet town of Corvara where I decided to stop at a cafe for a cappuccino, pain au chocolate, and fresh water. Magic.
I didn’t set any speed records going up Passo Gardena from Corvara, but I didn’t fade too badly either, doing 218 watts for 45 minutes. Passo Gardena might have been my favorite views of the ride with lush green alpine pastures framed between Dolomite limestone peaks. It was all downhill from here (except for the false flat not far down the Gardena) and I enjoyed it immensely—all the way to Ortisei.
This was a very worthy ride with four classic passes and a nice variety of terrain and views. I’d highly recommend it!