KronplatzKing

The race course of the KronplatzKing Mountain-Bike Marathon has it all to a really great challenge! The first 1.5 km to Ciamaur are mostly flat out, then the climbing starts, first slight but soon really demanding, direction Rit Pass, a densely forested mountain crest between San Vigilio and the neighboring La Val. 690 positive altitude meters on 6 km which will make some of the participants cringe while they'll ask themselves the same old existential questions. At the end of the forest road towards Rit, the first single-trail awaits the riders. After a pleasant up and down over root and rock sections they get to the small location of Rit. This place is idyllic, calm and lies on 1,900 m above sea level. From here the participants have an amazing view onto Sass dles Nö and Sass dles Diesc, two huge rocks of 3,000 m each. Once arrived in Rit, you'll find the first feed zone there before you'll finally heading into the first downhill section of this race. The descent over a beautiful alpine meadow is fast, but if possible, try to admire the amazing Muntejela massif. From Rit to Piz e Plaies it's an up and down of about 7 km and 300 m. Right after it's getting technical, a playful freeride track awaits the participants: 4 km of parabolic turns, verticals, jumps and lots of adrenaline over more than 400 m down to the valley.

In San Vigilio, where the first tech zone will be located, the race course is flatter again and leads into the heart of the Fanes Sennes Braies Nature Park, which is part of the UNESCO nature heritage. On a 10 km loop along the winter cross-country track, one of the most beautiful ones of the Dolomiti Nordic Ski Circuit, we get to Tamersc. At the turning point another feed-zone will be installed where the race course returns to San Vigilio, on an old cross-country track which turned itself into a fun single-trail getting the adrenalin flowing: the riders will believe they are flying! Of course, in this section you could also choose to recover, but soon-to-be Kings surely won't.

Arrived to Ciamaur the next climb to the Kronplatz starts. 14 km with more than 1,000 altitude meters. Riders should remember these names they will encounter on their Via Dolorosa: Torpei, Miara mountain station, Schnapskurve, Rara, Furcia, Geiselsberger hut and then, finally, the top of the Kronplatz on 2,275m. He or she who reaches this steeped in legend place has conquered the Maier wall, the switchbacks and the infamous 26% steep Pantani turn featuring in the Giro stages of 2008 and 2010. Pros like Alberto Contador & co. were already sweating blood here. 

If you reach the summit unharmed you'll have two choices: either, after 50 km and 2,150 altitude meters, you content yourself with becoming a Prince, or you opt for the long distance because you want to go for the King's title!

The race course of the long distance first follows the first section of the Furcia freeride trail before heading off direction north-west in order to go around the Kronplatz, the well-known skiing resort. A beautiful panoramic sight opens up onto the entire Val Badia/Gader Valley to the Marmolada, the Val Pusteria/Puster Valley, Bruneck with the Aurina Valley which seems to divide the main ridge of the Alps. Arrived on the north side, the riders will throw themselves onto the last freeride descent of the race course, the Herrnsteig trail. The Herrnsteig was the first downhill track of South Tyrol and has been expanded and improved over the years, turning out a fun track rideable for (almost) everyone. After the Herrnsteig a short uphill section follows which heads onto a gravel-road, leading down the mountain to 1,400 m a.s.l.. From here to the finish line there are only 12 km left (but 900 altitude meters). Split into 3 climbs, the first one serves as a warm-up, followed by a small breather, before the two last ones will turn out to be the hardest ones of the day. The second one follows the Alpen slope in the opposite direction - 1,300 m with a maximum incline of 26% and an average gradient of 19%. Then the course passes the Geiselsberger hut for the second time, as well as the Pantani turn with only 1,200 m left to the finish. In the end you'll have ridden 81 km with 3,310 altitude meters - a big round of applause of the spectators will await you and the unmeasurable pride of calling yourself a real KronplatzKing!