The vintage cycling Event Eroica in Gaiole in Chianti in Toscane that takes place every 1st Sunday of the year, is the Valhalla for every cycling enthusiast with a preference for vintage racing bicycles.
The festival runs from Thursday to Sunday, with all rides of the festival itself on Sunday. The days before and also on Sunday there is a vintage bicycle market, music, theater and everywhere food trucks are lined up with typical Italian dishes.
On Sunday, the day of cycling, you can choose from 5 tours of which the most difficult, called the Eroica, is the ultimate challenge.
- 46 km: Mini Chianti Tour (Passeggiata Valle del Chianti)
- 81 km: short route Gallo Nero (Percorso corto Gallo Nero)
- 106 km: route Val d’Arbia (Percorso Cento Val d’Arbia)
- 135 km: route Medium (Percorso Medio – Crete)
- 209 km: long route Eroica (Percorso Lungo)
Below we describe the route Gallo Nero
Route info
- Place of departure and arrival: Gaiole in Chianti
- Distance: 81km of which 35km strade bianche
- Dislevel: 1560 meter
plan route indication Gallo Nero Eroica
Altitude profile tour Gallo Nero
During the Eroica Gaiole event you have to start between 08.00 and 09.30 and there are 2 supplies along the route.
During this route you will also cycle a large part on the Eroica route. The first part overlaps the Mini Chianti to the village Vagliagli where you keep driving straight instead of to the right towards Carpineto. So you simply keep following the signs of the Eroica up to Radda in Chianti.
After the descent in Radda in Chianti, do not drive straight on at the roundabout, but take a 180 ° turn and drive towards Panzano in Chianti and Greve in Chianti, passing under a bridge practically immediately. In the picturesque village Panzano in Chianti turn to the right and after a few kilometers you will get another strip of strade bianche pushed in front of you. The road continues to climb practically all the time to the small hamlet Volpaia.
The small hamlet Volpaia
The start of the climb is the most beautiful, you drive between the typical Chianti landscape with vineyards, olive trees, cypresses and rustic farmhouses. Then the landscape changes into forest. The strade bianche are wide and easy to drive on, although they are gravel roads.
From Volpaia you descend on asphalt roads to the main road where you turn left towards Radda in Chianti, from there you are back on the Eroica trail and follow the signs to the finish line.
If you want to do the ride yourself during your stay in Tuscany, you can do this by clicking on the image below, which will take you to the page with a link to the download for your cycling computer with GPS.
If you want to ride the cycle route like the participants of the Eroica, you will of course do this on a vintage racing bicycle. If you like comfort but still want to keep a bit of speed in it, it's best to do this on a gravel bike or an electric mountain bike.
