Dolomitenrundfahrt: Course, Elevation & Route Profile

Course & Elevation

The Dolomitenrundfahrt in Lienz is Austria's oldest cycling marathon: first held in 1951, the event celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2026, and East Tyrol's cycling heritage goes back to the founding of Austria's first cycling club in 1876. The course is a 112 km loop with 1,870 meters of climbing around the Lienz Dolomites, crossing two passes.

The main climb starts at kilometer 18: 5.6 km at an average of 5.9 percent, a good 330 meters of gain and ramps up to 17 percent. From there the route stays lumpy until around kilometer 68, repeatedly broken up by short, sometimes steep climbs with pitches up to 24 percent, including a final classified climb of nearly three kilometers from kilometer 65. The last 40-plus kilometers then roll mostly flat or gently downhill back to Lienz; almost half the total distance is flat, which favors fast, tactically ridden groups in the finale.

The field is performance-minded, ranging from ambitious amateurs to top age-groupers, and the event has been a fixture of the East Tyrolean summer for decades.

Pacing Strategy

With 45% of it flat, the Dolomitenrundfahrt is largely a race of drafting. The one sustained climb comes early: at kilometre 18, 5.63 kilometres at just under 6% for 334 metres. This is where the decisive selection forms – drop out of the lead group and you'll ride the rest of the loop alone in the wind.

Between kilometre 34 and 68 a series of short, sometimes double-digit ramps chops up the rhythm without ever being long; they cost the most when you hit them in the wrong gear. As a closed loop with no real height difference between start and finish, the task is to hold the right group on the early climb and then work efficiently through the many flat kilometres in formation. The main trap is underestimating that early climb and losing contact with the fast group.

Training plan for Dolomitenrundfahrt: 12-week build

As an age-group rider, expect roughly three and a half to five hours for the 112 km and 1,870 meters of climbing. The race has two faces: a climb-heavy, lumpy first half with repeated spikes in effort, and a flat, fast finale where groups dictate the pace. Both need preparing.

The first decisive point is the main climb at kilometer 18, 20 to 30 minutes of work at or just below threshold depending on your pace, where the groups for the rest of the day take shape. After that, punch matters: the short climbs between kilometers 34 and 68, with ramps up to 24 percent, force repeated hard accelerations, and burning a match on every single one leaves you empty for the closing phase. Over the final 40 or so flat kilometers, the difference comes down to whether you are sitting in the draft of a fast group or riding alone into the wind.

Train threshold intervals of ten to 25 minutes uphill for the main climb, complemented by sets of short, hard one- to three-minute efforts for the lumpy middle section. Practice changes of rhythm, getting back on the pedals immediately after a climb instead of recovering. Ride in groups regularly to sharpen positioning and drafting for the finale, and finish long rides with flat tempo blocks so you can still push a high pace after the mountains.