Dolomiti Superbike - Competition Winners’ Ride of a Lifetime

Sometimes we guess you wonder, are these competition prizes we give away really as great as they sound? Well, yes they are! Here’s living proof that real Pinkbike readers win real prizes that provided them with experiences they’ll remember for their whole lives. Two Belgian brothers, Vincent and Frederic Bodeux got for their first taste of the Dolomites. The two incredibly lucky winners went out on their very special trip to the North East Italy on 11 July. They had a superb ride on the legendary MTB race and embraced the culture of the region – they had such a great time that we, and they, just had to share it with you. Like a lot of riders they’d always wanted to hit the Alps but not quite managed to make the trip. Now they have! Here’s how it went.



"At first I couldn't believe it..."

“So a couple of months ago I saw this competition from Pinkbike and fi’zi:k,” says 25-year-old Vincent. “And I entered it because I thought it was an amazing prize to win. When I received the mail from fi’zi:k, saying that I’d won, at first I couldn’t believe it. I immediately sent a text to my brother…”

“He chose me because we always ride together and we are very happy to be here,” says 30-year-old Frederic. "Being here in the Dolomites is really special. It’s the first time we’ve ridden in such mountains. The views are really special. And I hope we will come back next year! There are people here from everywhere – Italian, French, German. There’s a really good vibe. Thanks to Pinkbike and fi’zi:k we got the flights, the taxi, the hotel, right to the village of Villabassa, where we ride from. We got shoes, bike gear and saddle – what an incredible prize.”

“I couldn’t believe the prize - it was all-in in a great hotel, in the Dolomites!” echoes Vincent."They arranged bikes for us to use to participate in the Dolomiti Superbike. When I arrived at the hotel we found the fi’zi:k shoes waiting in our rooms. I like the stiffness and they fitted my feet really well. It’s been really great.”



The Dolomiti Superbike is an amazing event, with 5,500 riders taking on a blistering day’s trail riding. Around half take on the full 113km route, with 3357m ascending and descending, while the others are content with the 60km short route, featuring 1785m of climbing and descending. Each starts and finishes in Villabassa/ Niederdorf, and they’re both true all-terrain routes mixing singletrack, forest, tarmac, some epic climbs and challenging descents, and of course they’re fully supported.

Much more than a race

But the Dolomiti Superbike is more than a race - it’s about the whole event, and the Bodeux brothers got the full experience. The host village effectively ‘shuts down’ for a few days and gives itself up to the race and a festival of cycling. Many people take a while week off work and travel out to the Dolomites and include the race with more cycling and tourist activities; our two competition winners were no exception, they were treated to a day’s sight-seeing with an expert tourist guide to soak in the sights and the flavour of the Dolomites.

“The atmosphere here is unbelievable. I couldn’t believe that two days before the race there are already hundreds of people,” says Vincent. “We went visiting the mountains, the area and the lakes. It’s an amazing place; it’s really beautiful.”



It’s open to all – you can get a day race licence to cover your insurance and so on. There are numerous men’s women’s, juniors and even an MTB tandem class.


Enjoy the course

“So we rode the 60km route,” says older brother Frederic, who works as a bike mechanic. “We want to enjoy the course, ride and the route, and take some pictures, and enjoy our time.”
Plenty of other riders take the race more seriously. It’s raceface on and elbows out for them. The prize giving ceremony is an eagerly-awaited part of the proceedings and full of smiles. The event has been running every year since 1995, when 650 riders took on the challenge – and it has grown every year. Then and now, great importance was placed on nature conservation as competitors and organisers show respect for their beautiful riding environment. For this 21st year the weather was excellent, keeping the trails dry and the times quick.


As well as the Alpine riding and the breathtaking scenery, the prizewinners loved the camaraderie with the other riders and support from the event organisers and their hosts. No significant crashes to report, no mechanicals… all in, a success. “It’s really good region – you should all come to this part of Italy!” says Frederic. Both brothers were in good shape and extremely high spirits at the end of the event. They figured they made the right choice now with the 60km course but could step up to the 113km with some training. Vincent and Frederic can’t wait to go back, and we hope we've whetted your appetite both for Pinkbike competitions and the Dolomiti Superbike. Which route would you choose?

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