L’Eroica

L’Eroica is a non-competitive ride on vintage or historically inspired bikes, starting and finishing in Gaiole in Chianti in the Tuscan province of Siena, and it is built around the region’s white gravel roads, the strade bianche. The date of the next edition has not been announced yet: the organiser’s events page lists only the 2026 edition, held on 3–4 October 2026, and says the 2027 regulations will be published soon. TOUR magazine reports that a 30th edition is planned for 2027, but the organiser has not given a date. The organiser describes it as a non-competitive historical cycling event, affiliated with the Italian Cycling Federation (FCI) and ACSI, and riders are expected to turn out on vintage or historically inspired bikes and in vintage or historically inspired clothing.

Routes and distances

The 2026 edition offered five routes of different lengths, all starting from Gaiole in Chianti, plus a permanent route that can be ridden all year.

The Leisure Ride, Valle del Chianti, covers 45.1 km with 755 m of climbing and one refreshment stop. The Short Route, Gallo Nero, covers 80.7 km with 1,612 m of climbing and two refreshment stops. Both had departures from 08:00 to 09:30.

The Hundred Route, Val d’Arbia, covers 106.3 km with 1,795 m of climbing, 40.5 km of it on white road (about 38%). It passes through the Crete Senesi and had departures from 07:00 to 07:30, with three refreshment stops.

The Medium Route, Crete Senesi, covers 132.5 km with 2,327 m of climbing, 51.7 km of it on white road (about 39%). The organiser names Buonconvento, food stops at Radi and Castelnuovo Berardenga, and the Monte Sante Marie climb. Departures were from 06:00 to 07:00, with four refreshment stops.

The Long Route, L’Eroico, covers 210.9 km with 3,873 m of climbing, 104.3 km of it on white road (about 49%). It has six refreshment stops and passes Brolio Castle, Siena and Buonconvento, with departures from 04:30 to 06:00 so that riders set off in the dark. The organiser estimates about 15 hours on average, and many riders finish after 10 pm.

The Medium Route is the more approachable way to see the same landscape, and in 2026 it was the most popular choice, taken by 2,046 of the 8,245 riders who started according to the post-event report in TOUR magazine. It still asks for a long day, with times that can run beyond 10–12 hours. The route page advises tackling Monte Sante Marie seated, staying on the pedals rather than standing out of the saddle on the loose surface.

Explore the route on Cycling Friendly: L’Eroica – Long Route (L’Eroico)

Explore the route on Cycling Friendly: L’Eroica – Medium Route Crete Senesi

Explore the route on Cycling Friendly: L’Eroica – Hundred Route Val d’Arbia

Practical notes: in 2026 the departure windows were staggered by route, and the 2027 schedule is not yet known. Official GPX files are published on the organiser’s route pages for the Long, Medium and Hundred routes. We could not find published time limits or cut-offs on the pages we consulted, so check the 2027 regulations when they appear.

Registration

Registration for 2027 has not opened: the organiser’s page says it will be available soon. For the 2026 edition, entries opened on 10 December 2025 through a series of ticket tiers, each closing when its allocation sold out: Privilege and Friend Sport Team at €90 (first 1,000 tickets), Standard at €100 (2,500 tickets) and Standard Late at €125 (last 2,000 tickets, from 2 April 2026).

Members of the Ciclo Club Eroica paid €80, with a bib guaranteed for registrations made until 30 June 2026, and there were combined tickets with Eroica Montalcino and with a NOVA Eroica event. The entry included the race package and technical bag (bib, bicycle number, road book and heroic map), refreshments, showers and the pasta party. Treat all of this as the 2026 pattern, not a promise for 2027.

Full details are on the official website.

Why ride it

L’Eroica began in Gaiole in Chianti in 1997, and TOUR magazine counts the 2026 edition as the 29th. It draws a genuinely international field: the 2026 report counts 8,245 starters from 58 countries, 41.8% of them from abroad. The surface is central to the identity, with about half of the Long Route on white road. The entry includes a pasta party and showers, and the organiser lists a bike rental service on its website for riders who do not own a suitable machine.

Where to stay

Gaiole in Chianti is a small village, and with thousands of riders arriving for the weekend it pays to stay close, arrive the day before and sort out your bib and bike ahead of early departures (in 2026 the Long Route left between 04:30 and 06:00). The organiser publishes travel information, a free shuttle bus service and a camping area on its website, which are worth checking before you book. None of our certified hotels are currently within 40 km of the start, so browse cycling-friendly accommodation for options elsewhere in Tuscany, and book early once the 2027 date is announced.