La Storia della Strade Bianche

The white gravel roads. Distinctive, unique and as famous as those who have pedaled two-wheels over it’s topography. BICI ITALIA has quite a love affair with the Strade Bianche. It is our daily ride, our escape, and our challenge. It is our confidant, our friend, and on some days, our adversary that pushes us to be better cyclists.

Our first real appreciation of the Strade Bianche and it’s history was many years ago when we first participated in L’Eroica. L’Eroica, founded by Giancarlo Brocci, is a benefit ride in honor of the ‘heroic’ days of cycling with the goal of saving the white gravel roads from being paved. To ride L’Eroica, to quote Giancarlo, is to spread the values of cycling and to “re-discover the beauty and fatigue and the thrill of the conquest”. 

Today, thanks to Giancarlo and his event team, the Strade Bianche is preserved, marked with L’Eroica signs and available to all who wish to ‘be heroic’. On any given day, you can find cyclists of all kinds enjoying the picturesque landscape of Toscana - mountain bikes, cyclocross bikes, vintage bikes and even modern day road bikes. At BICI ITALIA, we believe these historic roads are the best way to appreciate cycling in Tuscany.

Through saving the Strade Bianche from being paved, we find it ironic that Giancarlo ‘paved the way’ for not only his world-famous festival and ride which as become and annual pilgrimage for vintage bike enthusiasts, but has launched a modern granfondo and a pro tour event.

Early Spring, the Strade Bianche Pro Race, sees the elite pro circuit across 200 km in and around Siena. The day following the event brings the Gran Fondo Strade Bianche on the same roads. A granfondo that echoes the original L’Eroica.

It is this time each year that we take time to honor our beloved White Roads, pause and reflect on the history of cycling’s golden era, pay tribute to Gino Bartoli and his cycling comrades of the heroic generation, thank Giancarlo and the L’Eroica team for their hard work in preserving these roads and encourage people to explore the Strade Bianche by bike.

To ride the Strade Bianche on any bike you like, contact us today!

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