#ItsNotARace – Riding the 2023 Veneto Trail

Words by Cyril Chermin, photos by Veneto Trail

“It might not be a race, but it still feels bad when someone passes me,” Luis confesses when we’re just 40 kilometers away from Citadella, the beautiful fortified city in Veneto, known for being the finish of the first UCI Gravel World Championships.

Local nonnas

We’re sitting on the curb outside a local supermarket while the local nonnas try to swerve their carts around us. We just raided the place for ice cream, fruit, soft drinks, and even some lightweight fake Crocs. At this point in the event, it’s a case of heading back to the medieval town where we started. Our bikes and clothes were still clean back then, but the route, challenging weather, and four days of bikepacking lifestyle (stealth camping, fountain showers, and riding multiple days in the same bib shorts) took its toll. The riders of our little gruppetto heading for the finish were complete strangers at the start, but during events like these, special bonds are created by sharing the pleasure and the pain along the trail.

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And this is what the Veneto Trail is known for. It combines ridiculously steep off-road mountain trails with million-dollar views. This is already the eighth edition, and the event dates back to 2015 when “gravel” wasn’t as mainstream. The Veneto Trail started out as a mountain bike event, and even some people on fat bikes joined in the early days. Nowadays, you see an eclectic mix of different setups at the start, ranging from full-suspension mountain bikes to cyclocross bikes and almost anything in between. But most riders opt for either a gravel bike with 650B wheels and wider tyres or a hardtail MTB with some suspension in the front, like we did.

School of rock

Organizers Andrea and Beatrice don’t just know the area from a cyclist’s point of view. They also study its rock formations and geology. This gives the route even more depth as they really try to cram as many natural and local highlights into one amazing loop. And those highlights are abundant in this region, especially with all their experience building routes. Straight out of the gates of the walled city of Citadella, the off-road trails pop up. The first ones are flat and flowy, but before long, a few steep jabs hit us. In the first 30 kilometers, we already have to hike our bikes, even if it’s just for a few meters.

Many more will follow, from challenging singletrack climbs in the burning sun to golden-hour plains where we roll between farms and happy cows. In between, we climb up to the karst Altopiano dei Sette Comuni. This stretch takes me back to the Balkans with its white rocks that loom everywhere below the grass, making the riding intense. We bomb down the last descent of the first day to find a sheltered—although not completely flat—place to sleep in a field. We roll out our bivvies next to one antoher and sink into a deep sleep.

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The flow of food

It’s quite common at events with a fixed route like the Veneto Trail that you keep on bumping into riders with a similar pace. Not just while riding, but also while eating. In our case, two riders from the Netherlands seem to have more or less the same idea about how to tackle this not-race. We end up enjoying our morning coffee at the Bici-Grill where the locals are already sampling grappa at 7 a.m. together. We make our way north, fueled by gelato, tramezzini, espresso, and pasta. The route heads into the Dolomiti Bellunesi and keeps going up relentlessly. In the distance, we spot the ragged peaks the area is known for that fill us with awe and some fear. The Veneto Trail perfectly mixes smooth tarmac roads with almost hidden trails. That is what makes the route interesting. You will always get some time to recover before you’re heading up or down the next challenging bit.

Supermarket sidewalk

One of the highlights is definitely the northernmost stretch of the route after the glitzy town of Cortina d’Ampezzo, where we enjoy a not-so-glitzy supermarket sidewalk lunch. The “climb” up to the direction of the Rifugio San Forca means pushing your bike for most of us, even with a 52T cassette. But the more-than-majestic views of Monte Cristallo and the surrounding peaks after almost two hours make up for our struggle… until we find out that the downhill starts with a ridiculously steep section, which means we have to slide-a-bike down first.

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Slowly but surely, we start making our way back south, leaving the Dolomites behind and heading for the Prealps that form the last hurdle. The landscape constantly changes around us, and every section challenges us in its own way. In our small team, I can see that we all experience the same route in very different ways. Some of us struggle going uphill, others are not yet sending it downhill with confidence, and I am always worried about finding enough food. We enjoy our own moments where the beauty gives way to fatigue, and we push on, knowing that around the corner another surprise from Andrea and Beatrice awaits us.

Col de Moi

Resupplies are rare on the stretch back south, and every chance we get to stop at a bakery or roadside café is welcomed with open arms. Belluno is the last bigger city where most riders take some time to enjoy a proper lunch on the main square. The profile shows one more big climb with glowing red and orange edges. We gulp down one more milkshake and start climbing Col de Moi. It’s only 1,358 metres high, but the way up reminds me more of defensive structures than trails that should make your life easier. These are some of the steepest trails I’ve seen in a long time, and to top it off, a huge summer storm finally catches up with us. We’re drenched!

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Together with cyclists from all sorts of countries, we find shelter under a big roofed picnic area. Lightning is in the sky and the rain is relentless, so we decide to wait this one out and stay the night. It turns out to be the smart choice. The next day, we discover the carnage left behind by the storm: on one of the last segments of the route down the valley the way is blocked by fallen trees and snapped branches, and we have to find a way around it.

Sliding tyres

We are treated to one more view that will stay with us forever before we head down to the famous Prosecco town of Valdobbiadene. By this time, I am so much more comfortable on my hardtail that the last descent is a blur of happy screams, a sliding rear tyre, and even some small jumps. At that last supermarket stop, I look around and see the tired but content faces of people I didn’t know four days ago. They look lifted, alive, and hungry. No, it might not have been a race, but we cheer for everyone who rolls up to the modest finish at the local gymnasium, and we share a true sense of achievement when we enjoy our finishers’ pasta and beer. The Veneto Trail lifted our now slightly smelly spirits by sharing the beauty of this amazing region with us.

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Learn more about the Veneto Trail at VenetoTrail.eu.

Further Reading

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