Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa (Image credit: Tour of Japan)
The first Gunn-Rita Marathon race in Italy turned out to be a very memorable occasion. The organization Pedali di Marca and all the volunteer workers combined forces to make a super happening. Elite cyclists from all over the world, along with enthusiastic amateurs, sponsors, the media, and the public contributed to a fantastic cycling festival in the beautiful town of Montebelluna.
Close to 2,200 cyclists participated in the race last Sunday at Montebelluna in the Treviso region. A good 1,500 cyclists completed the 75 kilometres that comprise the Gunn-Rita Marathon, while the rest of the cyclists contented themselves with a route of 45 kilometres. With both the start and the finish situated in the friendly town of Montebelluna, everything was set for an exciting bike festival for all ages.
The first two kilometres are ridden on asphalt. It's quite flat from the start, but then suddenly the track skyrockets. It's a good way to start, because it stretches the riders out a bit so that queuing is avoided when entering the first of the singletrack. If one is moderately used to riding off road, the whole track is a real blast to ride.
Much of the course is ridden on hard-packed trails which wind their way through the terrain, with a thicket of bushes and trees on either side of the trail. Parts of the track are like cycling through green tunnels. There are a lot of ups and downs, but without any very long and steep climbs or rocky descents. You have to concentrate all the time and focus on the track way ahead of you when cycling at high speed on the most demanding descents.
