L'Eroica in Gaiole in Chianti

The event combining history and cycling returns on Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 October

There is dust, fatigue, bicycles cared for with maniacal passion. There are nature, dirt roads, glasses with round and dark lenses to make accountant Filini envious and unforgettable names and symbols for those who love cycling or simply know who Coppi and Bartali were.

It is the Eroica, the cycling event born more than twenty years ago from an intuition of Giancarlo Brocci to recall the stages raced on dirt roads by the greats of cycling that returns on time with its colorful and varied platoon of fans in Gaiole in Chianti, where it was born and where it branched out to bring the experience around the world.

But wheels and pedals are above all tools to enhance the environment, to exalt a sustainable lifestyle, to keep clean the image of a sport that, in other contexts and situations, has lost some of the light that animates it for more than a century.

So here are the vintage bicycles, the wool or acrylic uniforms embroidered with the names of the sponsors, the water bottle holders on the handlebars, the lunch in the jute bag on the shoulder and everything that reminds us of cycling in the past.

5,000 cyclists, from the 92 who began the adventure, will meet behind the starting line to ride along the white roads of Chianti, the preservation of which is one of the priorities of the Eroica Foundation: five routes, from the 46 kilometers of the walk to the 209 of the long route, through valleys, woods, vineyards, along daring descents and exhausting climbs.

Brolio, Castelnuovo Berardenga, Montalcino, Murlo, Siena, Castellina and Radda are among the towns crossed where cyclists can find hospitality, refreshments and accommodation that remain so every day of the year, in order to experience the Eroica also with the permanent route. Kid Road Book to the hand is in fact possible to be affixed the stamps: to the sixth one comes "rewarded" with the diploma of "Eroico" to feel a little bit Coppi. Or Bartali. An eternal dilemma.

There are five Eroica routes, each with different distances, elevation gains and difficulty levels, offering options for cyclists of varying experience and fitness levels. The most challenging is the Long Route, while shorter and more accessible options are available, including the Passeggiata Valle del Chianti.

Here is a closer look at each route:

The Long Route covers 210.9 kilometres, including 104.3 km on unpaved roads and 106.6 km on paved roads, with a total elevation gain of 3,873 metres. It is a permanent route, open year-round, starting and finishing in Gaiole in Chianti. Rated as highly challenging, it can take around 15 hours to complete. There are six refreshment stops along the way.
The Medium Crete Senesi Route covers 132.5 kilometres, including 51.7 km on unpaved roads and 80.8 km on paved roads, with an elevation gain of 2,327 metres. The average completion time is around 12 hours. While it requires a good level of fitness, it is suitable for a wide range of cyclists. There are four refreshment stops along the route.
At 106.3 kilometres, the Cento Val d’Arbia Route features 40.5 km of unpaved roads and 65.8 km of paved roads, with a total elevation gain of 1,796 metres. It is a moderately challenging route, with three refreshment stops along the way.
The Corto Gallo Nero is shorter, covering 80.7 kilometres with an elevation gain of 1,612 metres. The route includes 29 km of unpaved roads and 51.7 km of paved roads and is considered intermediate in difficulty. The average completion time is around four hours, with two refreshment stops available along the route.
Finally, the Passeggiata Valle del Chianti is the shortest and most accessible of the five routes. It covers 45.1 kilometres, including 17.5 km on unpaved roads and 27.6 km on paved roads, with an elevation gain of 755 metres. The route is moderately challenging and includes one refreshment stop.