It all starts from a dirt road that someone wanted to pave
In 1997, in Gaiole in Chianti, ninety-two people who defined themselves as "hunters of feelings and emotions" decided that certain roads should not be touched. The white roads of Tuscany, those that cross vineyards, farmhouses, and hills, were at risk of disappearing under asphalt. The response was simple and radical: to organize a race on those roads with vintage bikes to demonstrate that they were worth saving. Thus L'Eroica was born: not just a race, but a manifesto of respect for the territory, for the environment, and for a way of cycling that modern cycling was forgetting.
From Gaiole in Chianti to the whole world
A movement that has never stopped
What started as an act of resistance has become a true global movement over time. In 2007, the first edition of Monte Paschi Eroica was born, now known as Strade Bianche, the northern classic furthest south in Europe. In 2014, Eroica Japan arrived, followed by Eroica Britannia in 2015 and Eroica California in 2016. In 2016, the Ciclo Club Eroica was established. In March 2017, Fabian Cancellara, three-time winner on the white roads, inaugurated the monument dedicated to him on the famous section of Monte Sante Marie, eleven and a half kilometers of white road that can be both cruel and wonderful at the same time. Today, L'Eroica involves tens of thousands of cyclists and enthusiasts of all ages around the world. A gathering that has become something greater than a race.
The routes: each tells a different Tuscany
From the walk to the long route: five routes through dust and rolling hills
There is not just one way to experience L'Eroica. There are five routes, each with its own character.
The Valle del Chianti Walk glides through the vineyards of Chianti Classico with the panorama of Siena in the background, almost a gentle introduction to what this land has to offer. The Short Route Gallo Nero offers about four hours of cycling accompanied by a refreshment of ribollita and Chianti Classico: the most convivial way to do sports. The Cento Val d'Arbia Route crosses the Crete Senesi with an elevation gain manageable for many, while the Medium Crete Senesi Route pushes up to Buonconvento, one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, with travel times that can reach ten hours or more. And then there is the Long Route: at least fifteen hours in the saddle, over 3700 meters of elevation gain, incomparable landscapes, and the night passage at the Castello di Brolio, one of those moments that are unforgettable. The most authentic L'Eroica, the one that is told for years.
How to participate
To take part in the race, registration is required, but the permanent route is always accessible, all year round, for anyone who wants to cycle on those white roads without waiting for October. L'Eroica never really ends: it is there, among the vineyards and the hills of Siena, waiting for those who want to feel it under their wheels.
