Lienz

Lienz

Classics and Top Events – burning calves between Großglockner and Dolomites

Nestled in a ring of three-thousand-meter peaks, East Tyrol is located on the southern side of the main Alpine ridge. The region is particularly suitable as a road bike destination and training area. On the one hand it has a very good road bike terrain with an excellent infrastructure and modern accommodation facilities, and on the other hand it has a very pleasant climate thanks to the mediterranean influence from Italy. The price level is affordable, therefore also families will find the best conditions for their cycling and active vacations. Despite these factors, East Tyrol remains the home of tranquility. Only during the big road racing events like the stages of the "Giro d'Italia", the "Tour of the Alps" or the "Dolomitenradrundfahrt" it puts itself in the showcase of international cycling events. Whether hustle and bustle or quiet: road cycling is becoming increasingly popular in East Tyrol. Nevertheless, you never have the feeling that the routes are overcrowded, the offer of different tours is way too large. And so you roll undisturbed past lush green meadows, wooded mountain slopes and rushing mountain streams. Since East Tyrol has established itself as a true El Dorado for cyclists and is considered a popular destination for many cycling events, a vacation for road bike enthusiasts is formally offered here. From pleasure time to training camp, almost every vacation wish can be realized in East Tyrol. Enclosed you will find four of our highlight tours: Pack your bags for an extended trial weekend!

Myth of the Dolomites Cycle Tour and Super Giro Dolomiti

With over 65 years of history, the classic “Dolomitenradrundfahrt” around the wildly romantic Lienz Dolomites is probably the oldest cycling marathon in Austria. In 1950 there were about 50 cyclists who started in the tubular and beaded class. In 1988 the tour around the Lienzer Dolomiten was redefined and aligned by the initiator Franz Theurl as a touristic ride. Since then, over 2,000 cyclists from all over Europe take part in this popular and extremely well-organized cycling marathon every year. Thousands of enthusiastic spectators and several music bands line the roads of the “Dolomitenrunde”. While the extreme cyclists manage to complete the classic Dolomite Circuit in just under three hours, pushing themselves to the limits of their performance, many amateur athletes enjoy the unique atmosphere and the special flair of the Dolomite Cycling Tour.

At the finish line, everyone is celebrated according to the motto "Everyone’s a winner above themselves". For the participants of the “Dolomitenradrundfahrt” there is every year an attractive starting gift and in addition a certificate as a memory of the achieved performance. 232 km/ 5,234 Hm: "SuperGiroDolomiti" - the big challenge for 2023. Probably the most demanding ultra marathon in the Alps at the moment is entering its seventh edition: the "SuperGiroDolomiti", not only stands out with unique mountain roads following in the footsteps of the "Giro d'Italia" in the Italian section of the route, but also has a lot to offer in terms of fantastic natural scenery and flair.

Tour highlights for road bike fans - Dolomite Cycle Tour (121 km/ 4,139 hm)

The route of the Dolomites Cycle Tour leads along a little used alpine road over the Gailbergsattel to Kötschach-Mauthen and then through the most environmentally friendly region in Europe: the Lesachtal. There, the road winds its way up in steady serpentines to the Kartitscher Sattel. It marks the highest point of this route. The tour continues in a relaxed manner to the village of Tassenbach and then along the Drau River to Lienz.

Staller Sattel-Round (150 km/ 1.847 hm)

Along the Iseltalradweg you cycle from Lienz to Huben. There, after a short climb, you reach the community of Hopfgarten. From here you cycle through the picturesque Defereggen valley to St. Jakob and Maria Hilf, where the ascent continues to the border crossing of Staller Sattel.  There you pass the border to Italy and descend via a narrow, winding route to the Antholz Valley in South Tyrol. From here it leads to Niederasen and Olang, before it goes via Toblach and Innichen along the Drava back to Lienz.

Glockner circuit (168 km/ 4,784 hm)

This loop is suitable for trained cyclists. From Lienz, you ride to the Tauern community of Matrei, from where you master the climb to the south portal of the Felbertauern Tunnel. There, a shuttle service is ready to transport the bikers and their bikes through the tunnel. On the north side of the Hohe Tauern, the route descends to Mittersill and from there to Zell am See before reaching the village of Bruck. Here begins the climb to the Hochtor, which demands all the strength of even the most trained. Then you roll over numerous serpentines to the Glockner community of Heiligenblut. On the leisurely stretch through the Mölltal you can recover once again before the short climb up to the Iselsberg. From there, the route descends back to Lienz.

Mölltal-Drautal-Round (122 km/ 1.465 hm)

On this tour, you start by cycling for a few minutes on a long straight stretch to Nußdorf-Debant before tackling the climb up to the Iselsberg. Once there, you have already reached the highest point of the loop and find a bit of relaxation on the winding descent to Winklern. The rest of the route leads through the Mölltal to Möllbrücke. There begins the way back via the Drau valley to Lienz. If you want to avoid the traffic on the B 100 here, you can also use the excellently developed Drau cycle path.

https://www.osttirol.com/entdecken-und-erleben/sommer/radsport/rennradtouren/