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When the roads of the Dolomites become a circuit: a cyclist's (and a hotelier's) fear

Writer: Ca' del Bosco
Ca' del Bosco
Oct 27
3 min read

I often cycle through Staulanza, Giau, and Falzarego. There, I learned that beauty can become dangerous if someone forgets that a mountain road is not a racetrack.


A hotelier and cyclist on the Dolomite passes


My name is Massimiliano and since 2001, with Carola, I have managed the Hotel Ca' del Bosco in Santa Fosca di Selva di Cadore, in Val Fiorentina.


Whenever I can, I hop on my bike and ride the passes closest to my heart: Staulanza, Giau, and Falzarego. These are the same roads many of our guests choose to admire the Dolomites, on foot, by bike, by motorbike, or by car.


Increasingly, however, those roads are no longer just scenic: for some they have become a circuit.


A cyclist climbing a mountain pass in the Belluno Dolomites is overtaken by cars and motorcycles.
Per molti ciclisti, come Massimiliano, i pericoli di pedalare nelle Dolomiti sono concreti. Spesso il piacere di un bel giro in bici viene sopraffatto dalla paura di un traffico veicolare e motociclistico fuori controllo.

Overtaking at the limit and constant noise


More than once I've been grazed or overtaken at speeds that have nothing to do with a mountain road: sports cars and motorcycles coming up suddenly from behind, sometimes in groups, with a roar that can be heard from afar and that seems never to die.


The fear of being run over is real, as is the discomfort of the constant noise. And I'm not the only one who feels it.


What the local news says


In recent months, local newspapers have documented this very phenomenon.


  • Duran and Cereda Passes, October 2026. According to Il Gazzettino , Ferraris, Porsches, and other sports cars "race" on the passes, sometimes in convoys of more than ten vehicles. Residents and local officials report reckless overtaking and near-misses; the case has reached the Belluno Prefecture.

  • Giau Pass, summer 2025. Residents and mayors in the area have raised the alarm regarding high-speed cars and motorcycles and noise, day and night. The pass's speed camera, back in operation with a 70 km/h limit, is among the most notorious in Italy for the number of fines issued.

  • Gardena Pass, 2025. In South Tyrol, the Carabinieri have intensified checks on the passes, with licenses also being withdrawn for skidding on hairpin bends .


It is therefore not just a problem in Belluno: it affects many passes in the Dolomites.


The problem is not the cars or motorcycles, but the behaviors


I don't want to demonize those who love cars or motorcycles. Many drive with respect and enjoy the mountains like I do on my bike.


The problem lies in certain behaviors: unsustainable speeds, overtaking on bends, groups that treat hairpin bends as if they were a closed circuit.


The Dolomites should not be a racetrack


The Dolomites are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a vibrant place for residents and a haven for discovery for vacationers. When someone turns them into a trail, they put cyclists, families, hikers, and even drivers at risk.


As a hotelier and a cyclist, I ask myself: how much freedom to ride is worth the risk of an accident? And above all: can we still enjoy these roads safely, without the constant roar becoming the background noise of our mountain?


Anonymous survey: What's your experience on the Dolomite passes?


I'd love to hear from you too. I've prepared a short, anonymous survey—five questions—to understand how readers and guests are experiencing this situation. Your answers will help me better understand it and, perhaps, raise the issue more forcefully with local governments.


Just one click to answer. Where indicated, you can choose more than one answer.


Question 1 of 5


Nelle ultime due stagioni, quanto spesso ti sei sentito a disagio o in pericolo su un passo dolomitico per auto o moto a velocità elevata?

  • 0%Mai

  • 0%Qualche volta

  • 0%Spesso

  • 0%Quasi sempre


Question 2 of 5

Ti è mai capitato di essere sfiorato, sorpassato in modo pericoloso o costretto a spostarti bruscamente da un veicolo ad alta velocità?

  • 0%Sì, più di una volta

  • 0%Sì, una volta

  • 0%No, mai

  • 0%Non ricordo


Question 3 of 5

Quali misure ti sembrano più utili per migliorare la sicurezza sui passi? (puoi scegliere più risposte)

  • 0%Più controlli ed autovelox fissi

  • 0%Dissuasori di velocità e limiti di velocità ben visibili

  • 0%Divieto di raduni e gruppi organizzati di auto e moto

  • 0%Maggiore sensibilizzazione all'educazione stradale

You can vote for more than one answer.


Question 4 of 5

Come preferiresti vivere (o visitare) i passi dolomitici?

  • 0%Con più tranquillità, anche se con qualche limitazione

  • 0%Con accesso sempre libero, anche con qualche disagio

  • 0%Con regole chiare e controlli equi ma serrati per tutti

  • 0%Non so, non mi pongo il problema

Question 5 of 5

Sei principalmente… (domanda di contesto, utile per leggere i risultati)

  • 0%Escursionista e/o ciclista

  • 0%Automobilista

  • 0%Motociclista

  • 0%Appassionato e proprietario di auto sportive


Thank you, and see you soon on the roads of the Dolomites


Thanks to those who respond. The Dolomites belong to everyone: those who cycle them, those who drive them with respect, and those who live here. Protecting their beauty also means protecting the safety of those who travel them.


If you're coming to Val Fiorentina by bike, Hotel Ca' del Bosco offers secure and monitored bike storage, complete with an e-bike charging socket. For more leisurely rides, check out our guide to e-bike itineraries in Selva di Cadore .





MDC




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