The toughest of them all: get ready for a new challenge on the Dolomites.

The Dolomites are a UNESCO World Heritage Site which saw the start of a great adventure 11 years ago. These majestic mountains have always been the backdrop to what has always been defined as the world’s toughest mountain bike marathon: the HERO Südtirol Dolomites. After the runaway success of its tenth edition, the two traditional routes will kick off this year’s event on Saturday, 20 June. The ‘long’ route, what with its 86 km and 4,500 m elevation gain, and the ‘short’ route boasting 60 km and 3,200 m elevation gain. The starting line for both routes is located in the village of Selva Val Gardena, where the first race took place all those years ago.