Starting places for the Ötztaler Cycle Marathon 2014 have fetched between 200 and 369 euros on eBay. Organiser Ernst Lorenzi has long been annoyed by the trading of the coveted starting places. Even if the trade cannot be completely stopped: This year alone, seven participants have already been banned for trying to resell their starting place. However, as with coveted football or concert tickets, the sale cannot be completely stopped.
To make it more difficult to pass on tickets, the Ötztaler Cycle Marathon only allows them to be transferred to people who have registered on the website in February. Some participants may therefore be in for a nasty surprise with their expensively purchased ebay starting place.
It is easier to register for the Ötztal Cycle Marathon Rally 2014 from Rome to Sölden. There are still places available for the rally and all participants are guaranteed a starting place in 2015. The start is on Saturday 23 August at the mouth of the Tiber in Rome. The route follows the Tiber to the source of the river, over the Apennines, through the Po Valley and the Dolomites.
