Press Release 1st October 2008

MARCIALONGA: NOT JUST SNOW, CYCLING TOO
THE 2009 EDITION IN THE DOLOMITES, END OF MAY

-The O. C. works 365 days a year on sport events: skiing , cycling and running
-Next Marcialonga Cycling, with its third edition, will take place on 31st May
-Two courses, 135 Km (3.279 m. height difference) e 80 km (1.894 m.)
-The long course, starting from Predazzo, runs across the Passes of Lavazè, San Pellegrino and Valles

After the second edition on 1st June 2008, the Marcialonga Cycling runs forward towards the third event of the last born race in the Marcialonga world. This race is reserved for the cycling lovers and will run through the valleys of Fiemme and Fassa in the region of Trentino and will take place on Sunday 31st May.
In September, it was the turn of the 6th edition of the Marcialonga Running, and next 25th January, the 36th time of Marcialonga, the queen of the popular cross-country ski races will take place. 4 months before the start, the race has already registered 2000 participants  (entries limit number is 6000 skiers).
The Marcialonga O. C., that works 365 days a year, is now concentrated on the winter event, even though it has already taken a look to the next Summer season and to the next Marcialonga Cycling.
The program and race calendar will be ready in a short time with quite a lot of newness.
Above all a new date: the Marcialonga Cycling, in fact, will not take place on the traditional 1st Sunday of June, but on Sunday 31st May, as several other races have been programmed during that week-end.
The two courses will remain the same, as they have been very appreciated by those who already took part in it, and run up to the Passes of Lavazè, San Pellegrino and Valles in the Dolomites, passing through the provinces of Bolzano and Belluno as well.
There will be the long course of 135 km with 3279 m height difference, and a short course of 80 km with 1894 m height difference, which will take the cyclists only up to the Lavazè Pass (no San Pellegrino and no Valles then, which will be in the long course instead). 
The second new thing for the year 2009 is that the short course is also open to all those who do not belong to a cycling team, who are allowed to take part in the race showing a health certificate.
Those people will not be classified though, but their time will be obtained and they will appear on list in alphabetical order.
The changes do not stop here though, after the success obtained in the first two editions with 2.700 entries in the aggregate, the Marcialonga Cycling will appear on the Amateur Cyclists World Cup 2009  calendar. This is an international circuit of nearly 20 races (22 in 2008) all around the world in Countries such as Italy, Spain, France, New Zealand, South Africa, Austria, Hungary, Switzerland, Czech Republic and Poland.
This is of course a touch of prestige for a competition that has the well known Dolomites Passes in it, famous also thanks to the Giro d’Italia (this year the Alpe di Pampeago and San Pellegrino hosted this important race).
The Marcialonga Cycling fee has not been changed and it is € 25,00 up to 15th May, € 30,00 from 16th to 29th May and € 35,00 only Saturday 30th May, the day before the race.
The third edition of Marcialonga Cycling, then, becomes clear as some accommodation packages in cooperation with the Val di Fiemme and Val di Fassa Tourist Boards. These packages include a 2 nights stay Half Board, entry fee and a map of the cycling courses of the area, at the special price of € 115,00.
Meanwhile, those who want to learn something more about the future and the past of the Marcialonga Cycling, can visit the official website www.marcialonga.it and watch the clips of the past races available on the brand new Web TV.