Stage 3: Falcade – San Martino di Castrozza

After yesterday's queen stage, today's stage is a little shorter, and the distance alone is enough to elicit a weary smile from road cyclists. But the ratio of elevation gain to distance is higher than on any other stage, which means it's never flat! In less than 50 kilometres, there is a total of almost 1,800 metres of climb, so you should avoid simply ticking this stage off your list – even if the time in the saddle will be significantly shorter than yesterday. Even on a short distance, this stage has a lot to offer. It begins with a varied loop through the villages via Falcade, past old farmhouses, sheds made of sun-baked, dark brown wood, and through a carpet of lush green mountain meadows, through which quiet roads meander. Only when Falcade is reached again at the bottom of the valley does the actual climb begin. The two passes from Falcade to San Martino di Castrozza – Passo Valles and Passo Rolle – are among the absolute Transalp classics. The steady and moderate gradient and the layout of the roads are ideal for road cycling. Concentration is required on the thoroughly racy descent from Valles to Val Travignolo, because fast straights and tight bends make for a somewhat unpredictable mix. The surrounding landscape also leaves no doubt that this combination of passes has rightly become a repeat favourite. Soon, the Pale di San Martino take centre stage. They form the southernmost massif of the Dolomites and once again present themselves in all their grandeur and pride. The Dolomites do not have a small southern foothill. These towers once again scrape the sky so ruggedly, pointedly and majestically that the final chord after two days in these extravagant mountains is struck. San Martino lies at the foot of these mountains and after this ‘sprint stage’ there will certainly be a little more time to enjoy the first-class mountain panorama in peace and to the full.