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Duchenne Heroes ends… a success!


Here is the report of the last 3 days from our trusted reporters riding Focus E-bikes

DUCHENNE HEROS - 25 JUNE 2014 - DAY 4

The days pass and the nights pass, our adventure becomes more and more exciting and at the same time tiring, the alarm clock is almost automatic at 6,15 but it is difficult to predict the time to go to recharge the batteries, of course I do not mean only to those of our bikes. Today to face the fourth stage, which follows a good part of the prestigious Dolomiti Superbike, I had to rape myself to erase all the accumulated fatigue and the various pains that haunt me after the night.

Our lap was in the opposite direction to the direction of the race next July and began with the ascent to San Silvestro just for a good warm-up, the subsequent descent with very fast sections on beaten surfaces and beautiful single trails that brought us back to San Silvestro. White.

The road is excellent, as well as the panorama that we were able to admire from up there, who knows why every time I pass through these places I fill my soul with beautiful memories and landscapes that I cannot describe with words. The strong sensations even make me forget how hard it is to cross these majestic mountains and then we return uphill towards the Baranci with the passage to the famous Bagni di San Candido, which despite their typical ghostly appearance, remain a destination for all guests of the Val Pusteria who take home a bottle of water famous for its beneficial properties. The bikes today are very comfortable and our powerful vehicles allow us to overcome very steep and difficult climbs with a disarming ease towards our travel companions who pedal with their strength alone.

Fast descent towards the valley that takes us after a few minutes to Dobbiaco and without seeing anything of the beautiful town we begin the slow and long climb towards Prato Piazza and its 2000 meters of altitude. Of course we pass by the lake of the same name and a photo on the shore is a must, as well as meeting some bikers with electric vehicles and making the necessary considerations on the type of bike, the engine, the characteristics and the usual consideration that is now almost taken for granted: but how many will sell e-bikes in the next few years?

In any case, bike or no bike, the journey continues with a small prayer stop at the First World War Cemetery just before Lake Landro, continuing we arrive in the company of 4 other very strong bikers to the dreaded last climb that leads from Carbonin to Prato Piazza. and at that point we say goodbye because we want to put the motors and especially the supplied batteries on the line. Maximum energy of the engine and legs, which in any case are always needed, and away for about 9 Kilometers never faced under 15 hours, in fact we find ourselves above in less than half an hour tired but very happy to have overcome all the adversities of the long day. Now it is a long descent through the valley retracing all the signs of the Superbike in reverse, a wonderful initial single track, a smooth asphalt cut and finally the last part in the woods following the stream, which in any case never fails, along the forest road that leads to it. leads to Ferrara di Braies and quickly on the cycle path to our campsite.

I always find myself immersed in the description of the route and what it leaves us in mind, in fact, before the sensations related to the technical aspect of the bikes, the memory of having lived a very beautiful and intense, shared with the travel companion and with all the participants in this wonderful solidarity initiative. So the bikes are doing all their duty and apart from some minor setbacks also of the navigator, they allow us to fully experience an experience that will always remain in the heart.

Yesterday I wrote: "Now I can say that I am really at the limit of my energy left and I go to bed very willingly, good night and sweet dreams", today I can say even more.


DUCHENNE HEROS - 26 JUNE 2014 - DAY 5

Today the program includes the transfer from the city of Dobbiaco to that of Cortina for the Olimpia campsite just outside the city, passing through a route full of climbs and breathtaking views. We start immediately with the ascent towards Prato Piazza to reach 2000 meters of altitude following the signs in the right direction of the Dolomiti Superbike that we decide to keep despite our track taking us along the asphalted road. The route becomes more and more beautiful and varied, in fact we pass from the first kilometers on the forest road, to the intermediate stretch mixed with asphalt and cart, and then definitively leave both the track and the signs to follow the signs towards Prato Piazza but on the forest road sign.

During the ascent we chat with a team of bikers with whom we chat and some photos, but we leave them immediately thanks to our powerful motors (electric of course). The trail we take uphill immediately proves to be very tough and allows us to see how much power we express with these two electric bikes, the track is made up of steep climbs on a sandy bottom and passages over stones and roots, always followed by our inevitable stream and the usual waterfall that forces us to take the usual photo. We meet a wonderful hut surrounded by greenery under the view of the Croda Rossa and immediately after we come out on the green meadows of Prato Piazza happy to have reached the top of the first ascent meeting in the opposite direction a second team of bikers who take the path towards Cima Banche, of course, the time is right to capture everything with a nice photo.

The descent to Cima Banche immediately presents itself to our eyes as another specter faced two days earlier towards the Limo Pass uphill, but this time downhill and with a jump into the void alongside several tens of meters. We think it's good to face it by getting off the bike for some really difficult and dangerous passage, sharing our impressions and why not our fears with other bikers.

After the first impact we are ready to continue downhill towards our check point that awaits us right on the asphalt of Cima Banche, in fact we reach it quickly along a single track that repays us for all the efforts made previously by bringing a ' expression of joy and happiness. Speaking of happiness, this experience of ours is becoming more and more a particular moment of detachment from everyday reality, it allows us to reflect by going to the bottom of our mind and our sensations by searching deeply for the true values ​​that surround us.

Apart from these very spiritual discourses, we arrive at the most material but equally important moment of our mid-way refreshment, which we attack as usual to satiate our stomach as well as our spirit, croissants, sandwiches, bananas, supplements and why not a nice piece of birthday cake from the night before they fill our mouth and everything else, a goodness.

Departure on asphalt towards the second ascent of the day that takes us in the direction of the Ra Stua refuge and in view of the final goal of Camping Olimpia. Immediately a small stretch of asphalt and immediately afterwards you enter a beautiful forest that in a few kilometers takes us back to the usual 1800 meters to reach through wonderful woods of pine and fir trees, lush waterfalls of fresh water and scents of uncontaminated nature. The next descent is very fast and technical, we face it with safety and with due respect as we find some more unfortunate bikers who leave us some patches of skin on the stones, we only have to deal with a puncture that allows us to rest a few more minutes before the Refuge. In these steps we have a way to test our bikes that prove to be up to the situation in a strong and decisive way, the brakes are very reliable without ever a moment of weakness, the wheels mounted with the road Scwhalbe are very precise and performing. , resistant to all surfaces and any obstacle, they also allow a chassis that is not very suitable for the occasion to make up for any distractions of the biker.

We go down towards Cortina not before making a detour on the path to go and see the wonderful low waterfall of Fanes, which in addition to its spectacular water jump allows us to make some on the bike on the single track that separates us from the campsite, icing on the cake of another stage to remember.

I traveled about sixty kilometers and a considerable difference in height of at least 2000 meters which, as anticipated last night, leads me to end the day without even the energy to end dinner at the campsite, I hope not to fall asleep on the plate.


DUCHENNE HEROS - 27 JUNE 2014 - DAY 6

Sixth stage, tour of the five refuges and we can safely call it the best of the week. In sequence we pass through Ra Stua, Senes, Lavarella, Fanes and Pederù with a tour all inside the Sene, Fanes, Braies Natural Park and departure / arrival from Cortina.

Even today our man reassures us about the day for the reduced mileage to 45 km with only 1800 meters of altitude and we immediately understand that there will be nothing to laugh about for our legs and luckily for our engines too.

We warm up immediately because we find the first refuge after a few kilometers of asphalt but with slopes worthy of the hardest stage of the Giro d'Italia and we understand it immediately because all our fellow adventurers who had left some time before us, we go to take them back one after the other and unleash a strong dose of envy on them.

The climb after the first refuge necessarily becomes a dirt road, but the slopes do not change and lead us to the Sennes Refuge after having made an intermediate stage with a team from Pordenone. We take advantage of the occasion and the explicit requests of some bikers to have some tests of our vehicles done and even on this occasion the rule is never denied, the start is normal but the arrival is always with a 32-tooth smile that indicates an astonishment and a pleasure to drive never experienced, in fact all the companies that want to promote their vehicles, through targeted bike test occasions, obtain many more results than any other promotional action with the canonical marketing systems

We are parked at the Sennes Refuge and we are just fine with some snacks and a coffee, the usual download of photographs to record all the strong emotions that this trip to the Dolomites is giving us and off we go downhill on a beautiful and challenging path that tests the brakes of the bikes and all the muscles of the bikers for a dip in the valley below in the direction of Rifugio Pederù. The slope is impressive, to say the least, we see the arrival point downstream and the jump into the void is dizzying, a winding road that descends in 2 kilometers of almost 500 meters, interspersed with mechanical vehicles that are digging in the center of the road a channel where to pass the pipes of the current, I wonder how they manage to work in those conditions, defying the law of gravity.

Pederù Refuge, already encountered in the San Vigilio di Marebbe stage, from here begins the second ascent towards the Fanes and Lavarella Refuges, another very open and passable road, but certainly by well-equipped vehicles to overcome challenging slopes on uneven ground.

Before arriving at the shelters we have the opportunity to take some photos with other bikers and to chat with a team of Sicilian bikers who tell us how they planned their fundraising program to participate in the Duchenne Heroes, a very active group that through great teamwork, characterized by sharing and solidarity, manages to finish second in the ranking dedicated by Parent Project.

The climb is long and difficult, we pass by the missing shelters, but given the bad weather conditions at high altitude (light rain and cold), we decide to continue at a good pace and we enter a gorge that descends towards Cortina following the Rio Fanes and passing for the homonymous waterfalls. The track is naturally very demanding, like all those encountered since now, the view sweeps over beautiful and enchanted landscapes made up of high mountains everywhere, rushing water and strong vegetation that colors everything with a very intense green. We cross numerous snow trails that invade the path and we descend several hundred meters towards the valley, it seems that the effort has now come to an end and we trust the words during the briefing the night before at the campsite that they said about a part of the stage made up of some small differences in height and a few very light ups and downs.

We understand immediately after the bridge with a spectacular view over the stream, at least a hundred meters high, that the undertaking of that stage still called simple is by no means over. The route climbs in the direction of the Tofane to arrive at a panoramic point around 1800 meters and I say climbs because it proves the best ibex in circulation. We try to exploit all the power of our electric and human motor (about 500 Watts), but even in this case we are not able to overcome some points of the route with slopes that border on the vertical. However, we are forced to thank Marco (the gps man) because he allowed us to pass through places that we would hardly have had the opportunity to see, with an incomparable view of the city of Cortina and Lake Ghedina.

The descent ends directly in front of the campsite entrance and for us even today it was an unforgettable day, like and more than all the others, our spirit of pure bikers blends more and more with the beauty of the nature that surrounds us, but we are also very satisfied to be part of this great initiative in which we are participating.

I want to quote directly from the Roadbook provided on the fifth stage: "Use your muscles until you feel them burn, aware that those admiring-eyed children who are waiting for us at the finish line, will never be able to do it ...."


DUCHENNE HEROS - 28 JUNE 2014 - DAY 7

We are at the end of our exciting week in the Dolomites, more than 500 kilometers with almost 15000 meters of elevation gain, a long and demanding tour that put us to the test despite the fact that the use of electric vehicles was very helpful to our legs.

Today, however, I would like to conclude the report of this great event, without highlighting the still rather challenging route, the beauty of the places touched by the bikes, the Tre Croci Pass, the Misurina Lake, the Tre Cime, the Landro Lake, the Lake of Dobbiaco, the weather a bit dull and cold, the passage on foot in a very exposed and dangerous vaio.

The most important thing today concerns me personally, because on the last day I understood what it means to be part of this great event, when we all gathered at Lake Dobbiaco, all with the same shirt we walked all the way to the Town Hall of Dobbiaco, we were welcomed by all the family members and volunteers with all the children in front of them.

All the people were very impressed by this rich and intense moment of sensations, those who could not hold back the tears, those who mingled with the group, those who clapped their hands, those who cheered the bikers and with them all their families, on stage the song of the Queen "We are the champion" and the speacker spelled out the names of the participating teams. The organizers were all moved by this participation and the closing program was the right crowning of a week that I will always remember, one team at a time we took the stage to receive a commemorative medal that reminded everyone of having participated and concluded the Duchenne Heroes, but the real victory was the fundraising that everyone had brought with them to the end, for all those children who followed us to defeat their terrible disease.

The final act wants to remain inside me only for what it left us in the heart and not in the legs, as a message of hope and solidarity, looking for the possibility of preparing our Duchenne 2015 right now.



Written by

[email protected] I am a fan of everything that has 2 wheels: at a young age I practiced road and track cycling (Italian Allievi champion). At the age of 18 I passed into the cross country competing at national/international level as an Under23. Past Elite, I made the choice to take things more lightly from a training point of view, and my love for gravity disciplines was born, training me as an FCI MTB instructor and guide. Now I have made passion my profession by managing 2 MTB centers on the island of Elba (Bike Center Elba and Elba MTB), creating the FANTAmtb and telling in an ironic but professional way everything that revolves around MTB thanks to 365mountainbike and 365TV (YouTube'PULITI dentro BIKER fuori').

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