Dominating the scenery in the area is the steep sided mountain valleys and the exposed rock of the peaks. The name Dolomites comes from the name of the predominate rock in the area, dolomite, a carbonate rock that gives the distinct colours and shapes in the area. The Dolomites has more than 40 glaciers and the valleys around the JWOC areas have the distinctive U-shaped profile of glacial valleys.
Another major sporting event is visiting Primiero in 2009, stage 4 of the Giro d' Italia passes through the valley on the way to a finish at San Martino di Castrozza (http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2009//giro09/?id=stages/giro094). The finish of this stage is within the embargoed area for the long race (http://www.jwoc2009.it/img2/embargoed_area.gif), would be a stage to watch on TV to get an inside preview of the area. Will also be a key early stage of the Giro.
