A bike race around the white roads of Tuscany was tough going for DOUGLAS DALBYin 35-degree heat but the food, villages and gorgeous countryside were worth the effort
EVERYONE LIKES a challenge. And the prospect of cycling around Tuscany for a day in early autumn didn’t sound too daunting. I would be joining thousands of vintage bike enthusiasts to ride L’Eroica, an annual event billed as a celebration of a golden era of cycling.
How difficult could it be to soak up the bonhomie, squeeze into a woollen jersey a few sizes too small, show off my beautiful 1973 Flying Scot bicycle and quaff copious amounts of local vino along the way?
Extremely difficult.
Yes, leaves were sun-dappled, hills rolled and fragrant rosemary filled the air. But by mid-morning someone had opened an oven door, it was 35 degrees and my fast-tiring legs were grinding up and down unforgiving dirt trails and cursing every bum-numbing judder.
I should have paid more attention to the finer details of the organisers’ description. Loosely translated, it reads: “L’Eroica (the heroic) is a period cyclo-touristic rally held mainly on gravel roads. It is a special ‘race’ from every point of view. It emulates the ‘heroic’ era of cycling: dust or mud, no organised back-up if you get into trouble, traditional refreshments, wonderful and demanding roads, great ability to adapt and to suffer.”
With 60km done and 75km still to do, I was suffering and questioning my ability to adapt. It was little consolation when wiry little Italians a lot older than my 47 years were passing me with nonchalant ease. Lithe, tanned and muscled, they were making a mockery of age – and of me.
L’Eroica runs every year on the first Sunday of October in the heart of the Chianti region of Tuscany, about 40km south of Florence. Entrants must use road bikes built before 1987. The word unique has been overused to the point of near redundancy but this little bite of enchanting escapism lives up to the billing.
Its origins are relatively recent. A few locals started the madcap spectacle in 1997 to help preserve the strade bianche– the famous white gravel roads criss-crossing the Chianti countryside – from the tarmac shroud of modernity.
These roads constitute a large portion of the four distances available – 38km, 75km, 135km and 205km. It has grown rapidly, particularly in recent years, and attracted more than 4,000 entries in 2011.
For the entire weekend, the small, medieval town of Gaiole in Chianti provides the perfect setting for the pure nostalgia the event conjures up. Its cobbled squares, winding streets, Gothic churches, cafes, bars and restaurants lead Forbesmagazine in 2008 to name it among Europe's "most idyllic places to live". There is a touch of the classic car rally feel to it all: men peruse stalls filled with obsolete components and clothing like children transfixed. Although there is a sprinkling of women participants and a "mini-eroica" for children, this is very much a bloke-fest.
Think Stephen Roche and Sean Kelly; faded, moth-eaten jerseys dragged from attics, steel-frame bikes that languished in sheds for decades, rutted roads; punctures galore; handlebar moustaches and a distinct absence of Lycra.
Think thousands of (mainly) middle-aged men scouring eBay and DoneDeal for obsolete bicycle frames and parts, tinkering for long winter hours to make them roadworthy, then gathering once a year to celebrate this eccentricity.
That all of this makes little sense only adds to the charm. Carbon has long overtaken steel as the main material of choice; gear levers are now mounted on handlebars for ease of reach and clipless pedals are the norm. A modern racing bike is lighter and technologically so far ahead of its predecessor of 25 years ago, when it comes to speed and comfort, it has rendered older machines redundant.
But modern bikes lack soul; mass-produced in factories in Taiwan and China. Unlike their European steel forebears, many of them hand-built, they tend to be all function and no style. The signature flourishes of yesteryear are now regarded as needless impediments to speed.
L’Eroica celebrates a time when sandwiches and stews fuelled muscles, water was the only energy drink and wine the painkiller of choice. It is an appreciation of the pride that went into the building of these bikes and the ownership of them.
The event begins in the pre-dawn chill and any hope I had of a gentle traipse was dispelled by my first encounter with the gravel surface, which took the form of a dizzying climb towards one of the ancient castles dotted around the Chianti countryside. Candles lined the pockmarked approach to the summit from the stately gates, adding to the atmosphere.
But I hadn’t bargained for my back wheel spinning uncontrollably every time I stood out of the saddle to gain leverage: this was going to be a very long day.
I had chosen to do the third longest distance – 135km. I based my expectations on previous endurance day trips, such as the 180km Ring of Kerry charity cycle in July and the Wicklow 200km in June, both of which I had completed comfortably in around six hours cycling.
But nothing could have prepared me for the bone-shaking, washerboard ruts of the strade bianche. The only comparable surface I had encountered previously was in outback Australia and then I had a 4x4 to sit in.
As we reached the outskirts of Siena after a couple of hours, the sun was a welcome addition but with my woollen jersey and skip cap, I quickly yearned for some of the ubiquitous rain I was more used to riding in. Still, olive groves, vineyards and white-washed farmhouses on largely car-free roads helped keep me moving.
I made the first couple of pit-stops and had my official time-card stamped. I was upbeat to pass the halfway mark in good form – even indulging a fleeting macho fantasy that I should have tackled the 205km longest route.
In hindsight, I view this delusion as evidence of sunstroke – 135km dished out more than enough pain. After the most delicious feed of boar pasta, stew, cold cuts and cheeses on Italian bread (unlike many others, I declined the generous amounts of wine on offer) I set out for the second half, confident of being back in time for a late lunch.
Almost immediately I hit the equivalent of a dirty white wall. Cyclists don’t like being forced to walk – tackling tough climbs is almost a badge of honour – but lack of traction on the steep gravel roads made it impossible to do anything other than admit temporary defeat. And what goes up must come down, meaning near uncontrollable skids on the treacherous descents.
The rutted tracks shredded tyres and were littered with components shorn from bikes. Despite my rudimentary grasp of Italian, I quickly understood the shout of: “Get out of the way, my brakes have failed.”
I limped into the third and final official stop in the beautiful hilltop town of Castelnuovo Berardenga. Eyeing a fountain in the main square, I jumped in headlong to cool off. With only 40km to go, I knew I would finish but I was hurting.
A couple of punctures and a last, tortuous gravel climb later, I rolled into Gaiole on near autopilot. It had taken me nine hours. My grateful, dust-caked form accepted the gift of a bottle of local wine for my efforts but I didn’t feel heroic, just knackered.
The wine wasn’t vintage but this event certainly was. I plan to return next year: a year older but very much the wiser.
Get there
Aer Lingus (aerlingus.com) and Ryanair (ryanair.com) fly from Dublin to Milan and Rome. Tuscany is about three hours drive from both. Ryanair also has limited flights from Dublin to Pisa, which is only an hour’s drive away. Both airlines charge €40 to transport a bike, placed in a padded box or special bike bag. Bike hire is also available in Gaiole.
L'Eroica where to . . .
Register
Registration opens online ( eroica-ciclismo.it) in early February but get in quick as participation is limited to 500 non-Italians.
Stay
Book early as accommodation near Gaiole is snapped up. Groups should consider renting a villa or an apartment. Or you could pitch a tent on the local sports ground.
Le Centinelle( lecetinelle.it) near Greve is a lovely retreat which organises trips to local wineries and can book cookery courses if you want to learn about local cuisine. B&B from €75 a night. Its apartments cost from €700 a week.
Badia a Coltibuono ( coltibuono.com) near Gaiole. Basic doubles at this stunning agriturismo cost €150 a night for B&B, and two-bedroom apartments sleeping six cost €1,800 a week. For those who want to combine exercise and culinary skills, cookery courses are also available.
Cost
Entry for this year was €30, plus €5 event insurance.
Buy
A woollen jersey and skip cap, spare inner-tubes and a tyre. There are spare parts galore in Gaiole, even wooden wheels!