Steve Turns Back Time in Tuscany

A short note on our trip to L'Eroica, this October in Gaiole in Chianti, Tuscany.

L'Eroica ('The Heroic') is a vintage ride across the strade bianche, or white roads, of Tuscany.

Dressed in woollen jerseys, and, for some, woollen shorts, and on bikes with down tube shifters, and toe-clips and leather straps, the object is to conquer distances of 38, 75, 135 or 205 km over the Tuscan hills. 

We chose the 135 km, which offers a sensible challenge but still allows a little time to enjoy it. The hardy souls undertaking the longer route face 4 am starts and early evening finishes.....

The whole affair is preceded with a vintage Cycle Market on the Saturday before. All of the town of Gaiole is given over to this festival of all things cycling, and in particular old bikes and bike parts. Ancient 'ordinaries' vie for attention amongst masterpiece Hetchins' and glimmering steel framed Colnagos, De Rosas and Pinarellos. 

Above all, there was a brisk trade in woollen jerseys to be worn the next day, many 'originals' of famous teams such as Faema, Molteni, and StRaphael. Everyone could be Merckx, Coppi, Geminiani, Bartali or Anquetil for the day.

And then it was Sunday.  Alarms at 4:30am for breakfast, followed by a drive into town for a 6:00 am start. Everywhere was a buzz of steel, wool, Italian voices and hot, bracing expresso. Having stamped our brevet cards we were off into the dark, quickly climbing up the side of a candle lit castle amongst the best vines Chianti has to offer. Silence, all but the crunching of chalk and flints under rubber. 

The first feed station came at about 9, with an eclectic mix of traditional Tuscan fare served by ladies and gents in traditional rural dress.  No energy gels or isotonic drinks here - all red wine and blackcurrant tart, and tasty Tuscan things drizzled in honey. A glass of Chianti with breakfast - yes, really.  I said it was heroic.....

In all there were five of these stops. In spite of the punishing road surface and 2800m of climbing, I still think I gained weight on this one rather than lost it.  Nevertheless, it’s all very quaint but it ain't easy! For those of you with happy experiences of riding bikes with friction shifters - remember how the gears used to change on their own, just as you were out of the saddle pulling the bars with all your might up a 1:4 - fun huh?

For much of it, I was merrily lost in a bygone era; whilst climbing the lower slopes of the punishing Monte Sainte Marie I was joined by another Eddy Merckx.  'Hello Eddy' my mimic whispered.  'Hello, er, Eddy', I replied. We debated which Eddy would crest the hill first. He brought me up sharp with the news that Roger De Vlaeminck was close behind us.  We both put on a bit of a spurt.

By 5:30, and many Chiantis and bowls of bean stew later, we rolled back into Gaiole, proud of the bumpy, slidy white rural routes we had conquered, but cheery, dusty and perhaps a little rosy cheeked.  We could be heroes, just for one day.....