A parade of honking Fiat 500s, plastered buildings with red roofs and the cypress trees in the distance. I already thought so, but when the waiter wanted to make hand gestures because the table next to me dared to order a cappuccino after lunch, I know for sure: I am in Italy! And for a very beautiful project. We were already allowed to have a taste of the Grand Tour of Italy: Le Vie del Bike. In this article you can find the first part of it. Le Vie del Bike: Tuscany.
Text: Femke Rotteveel, Photos: Francesco Lasca
Special project
The Italian Ministry of Tourism wants to encourage cycling holidays of all kinds, and they have done so in the most epic way you can imagine, namely with the Le Vie del Bike route. It is a challenging route. The start: near Pisa, then you cycle north via the Dolomites, by going to central Italy, with among other things the popular Tuscany and then you head further down to the heel of the boot. All the way in the south of the country, you take the ferry for a short crossing to Sicily and once you’ve crossed that island, Sardinia is waiting for you too.
The figures
In total, the route is 5300 kilometers long, with more than 100,000 elevation meters. The route runs through all 20 regions of the country. That last part is particularly interesting because I quickly noticed among the mostly Italian group that they see themselves as residents of Rome or Siena and not as Italians. All the regions are very self-centered, so it’s particularly interesting that there is now a route that connects them all together.
Focus on a part of La Vie del Bike
Our trip focuses on the regions in central Italy: Tuscany, Umbria and Le Marche Because the latter is the leading region for this project & because the routemaster, former professional cyclist and one of our tour leaders, Andrea Tonti, was born and raised in Le Marche this weekend. In this article you will find the first part of the journey, which begins in Tuscany.
Are you going on a cycling holiday too? First, check that you have everything with you and how to best travel!
- Basic packing list for your cycling holiday
- The cycling holiday travel guide – how do I get to my favorite cycling destination?
Tuscany
Our start is in the cycling city of Siena. It is the annual finish of the Strade Bianche, but also a haven for wine and food lovers. The evening before we leave, we have a tour of the city and the Palazzo Publico; the building on Piazza del Campo where we are allowed to view a fresco that has just been restored and is only available to visitors from the beginning of December. Even the mayor of Siena stops by to tell what was on the frescoes. We have a five-course dinner at restaurant Bagoga & the mood is set. This will be a long weekend of enjoying Italian wines, kilograms of pasta, and that in the company of passionate cyclists.
Tuscan roads
The route from Siena to Buonconvento that we cycle takes us through three sections of the Strade Bianche. Grotti; an unpaved climb over the white roads of 3 kilometers with an incline of about 5%, Radi: more than 4 kilometers of the best gravel and another 5 kilometers at Buonconvento. This one is special; because instead of the typical white gravel, the Crete Sensei is covered in reddish gravel due to certain minerals in the soil. It is therefore Tuscany, but just a little different.
Typical Italy
For lunch we stop briefly in Murlo, a medieval town (that looks more like a castle) with lovely inhabitants who are used to tourists. That’s why we lost our tour guide for more than 20 minutes to an older gentleman hanging out his window with shutters to chat with her. This kind of villages and sights are characteristic of the Le Vie del Bike route. It’s not a race to cycle through Italy as quickly as possible, but instead it showcases the small villages that you would otherwise have missed.
Special place
The lunch is special: at Podere San Guiseppe, perched on a hill and completely shrouded in mist. No view of Tuscany, of course, but a comprehensive lunch with homemade pasta and fresh white truffles. Crushed on your plate right in front of you. Delicious! The cycling feel is further enhanced by the shirts with autographs of Anna van der Breggen and Chantal van der Broek-Blaak on the wall. The SD Workx team stays here every year around the Strade Bianche and the rest of the year Gian Paolo (the owner) sends his fresh rice bars to them. If it’s good enough for those ladies, then that’s certainly enough for us amateurs. We just have to have a bottle of excellent Brunello with it!
Le Vie del Bike Route: Tuscany
Le Vie del Bike is a total of 5300 km. Too long to upload in Komoot. Here you find the part between Siena and Buonconvento, which we rode. A beautiful piece of Italy and definitely worth traveling to. A link to the complete route can be found here: Total route. La Vie del Bike: Tuscany is a beautiful glimpse into the entire route.
Inspired by this article and want to learn more about Tuscany? Then check out these articles as well.
Questions & tips
Do you have any questions about this route, or have you been there yourself? Share them here. We read everything and usually respond within a few days.