It's all about the preparation. Or as they say in Italy, 'È tutta una questione di preparazione'. Whatever holiday destination it will be, in the weeks leading up to a holiday I am always busy making and looking for bike rides near my campsite. I look for gpx files of routes, try to create routes myself and save all my rides in a collection in Komoot. When the ball was in the court that the holiday destination was Tuscany would become, I also went straight to work. Because Tuscany... that means white gravel strips, cypresses, beautiful cities, rolling hills, the Strade Bianche, Chianti Gravel and L'eroica. Gravel-fun guaranteed! I am going to enjoy graveling with locals in Tuscany across the Crete Senesi!
Text and photos: Robbert Flim
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In my quest for routes, I come into contact with the gentlemen of 'Tuscany Gravel'. After some back-and-forth, I receive an invitation to make a tour together when I am in the area. I'm not going to say that twice. Once I arrive at the Orlando in Chianti campsite, I agree with Marco from 'Tuscany Gravel' to meet him on a Sunday morning at 9.00 am in Taverne d'Arbia, a small town just east of Siena. For me, this means another 45-minute car journey from the campsite. You have to be prepared to tussle with locals in Tuscany
Crete Senesi
A little before nine o'clock I turn into a car park in Taverne d'Arbia. Next to the only other car parked here is a man in cycling clothes lifting a gravel bike out of the back of his car. This must be Marco, can't miss. After some formalities, we soon get on our bikes. After all, we still have 70 kilometres to catch up on.
Within five minutes we have left the village and are driving up a hill. Immediately a landscape that for me is typical of Tuscany unfolds: white gravel lanes, hills with agricultural vegetation, cypresses and the occasional farmhouse. And all under a bright sun. I immediately want to grab my phone to capture these images. Marco manages to temper my enthusiasm by telling me that there are much more beautiful views to come.
Every gravel is slightly different
By the way, it is not really gravel that we are driving on either. It is more like a clay-like surface. Marco explains that the area is also called 'Crete Senesi'. This area extends in the south-west of the province of Siena. The hallmark of 'the Crete' is the clay soil. It gives the rolling countryside a grey-acid blue colour. Sometimes it is like being on the moon.
The area is characterised by cereal production, interspersed with olive cultivation. You will also find the widely renowned white truffle here. For many a delicacy. See, that's immediately the beauty of cycling with a local. It's not just about cycling, you also get a personal tour-guide. It definitely gives the bike ride something extra.
Monteroni d'Arbia
We meander along fantastic gravel paths towards the village of Monteroni d'Arbia where we make a short coffee stop at a trattoria. Marco orders a cappuchino and a brioche, I also go for a cappuchino and order a croissant to go with it. During the stop, we catch up on cycling, work and family life. The gentlemen from Tuscany Gravel also organise bikepacking tours from Siena to Rome, also known as the Via Francigena. A multi-day tour that ends in St Peter's Square. Marco talks about it so enthusiastically that I decide this one will go on my bucket list on the spot. We'll keep this one warm!
Here's where it's good(er) fun again
In gratitude for Marco's hospitality and his offer to cycle with me, I pay for the coffee stop. The total turns out to be €4.50 for two coffees with something to go with it. Io amo l'Italia! We thank the lady behind the counter and drive further south. Marco again talks endlessly about the sunflower fields we pass, the (former) function of fortified farms we pass and the changing colours of the landscape throughout the year. The harvest season is coming again, so farmers are busy in the fields. In spring, it is sometimes like cycling in Ireland, as the hills are an intense shade of green. I immediately get the invitation to come back in spring as well. The bucket list gets longer and longer.
After 25 kilometres, the biggest climb of the day presents itself. A steep gravel climb between meadows with peaks around 15%. At the top, I wait for Marco, taking in these beautiful surroundings for the umpteenth time.
There is a path everywhere
After the climb, we descend and Marco signals us to turn left. In my mind, there is no path, but Marco manages to find the beautiful hotspots effortlessly: We cycle along a narrow goat path up a hill through the arid grassland and it is like cycling up the screen of Windows 95. Superb.
The southernmost point of the route is Buonconvento. Just outside the city wall we find a little fountain where we can refill our water bottles. Another advantage of cycling with a local; they know exactly where to find water. As we leave the town, there is a road sign telling us it is still 200 kilometres to Rome. Immediately, my new item on the bucket list flashes through my mind again. If that route is as beautiful as what we have cycled so far, then this trip should definitely be in the top 10.
On a lane near Ponte d'Arbia, we are accosted by a farmer on a tractor. As my Italian is of such a level I don't interfere, but from the arm movements of both the farmer and Marco I conclude that we should take another road. After a mutual 'Ciao', we cycle on. Marco tells me that the strip where we cycle is just accessible, but that the farmer prefers us to take another road. His argument is that there is hunting in that area and so it could be dangerous. Marco brushes it off by saying that he has had this conversation with a farmer before and that it is not hunting season at all at the moment. Quindi nessun problema.
Split paths
On one of the many hills, the path is bisected by a gully where quite a bit of water made its way not so long ago. Marco points out that these clay roads are perfectly passable when it is dry. When it rains you can't cycle here, it's sometimes like driving through wet cement. I can imagine everything.The final highlight of the route is a hill of really white gravel between the yellow-brown meadows, with cypress trees on one side. The skyline of Siena can even be seen in the distance. How much holiday feeling do you want at a glance?
Back at the car, I can only draw the conclusion that the route I have just ridden is by far the most beautiful holiday bike ride I have made in ages. It is the combination of the scenery, the views, the route and cycling with a local.
The Crete Senesi... I will definitely return there! Grazie mille
