Conor: The Italian roads of the Strade Bianche have given us some exciting racing over the
years at the Giro d'Italia, but also at the modern one-day classic, self-named after these
roads, the Strade Bianche. In this video, we're going to examine why these roads are
so synonymous with Italian cycling and also some of the history behind them. Strade Bianche
means white roads in Italian. In Tuscany, this expression refers to the network of back
roads connecting the vineyards and olive groves in the region.
The name comes from the fact that these roads are made up of this dry earth limestone gravel
and small stones, and in the Tuscan summer, these materials all combine to create this
brilliant white coloring, which is synonymous for the Strade Bianche. The Strade Bianche
or steratto are found in many different sectors across the region, but perhaps the most difficult
being that of Lucignano d’Asso, a nine and a half kilometre sector and also Asciano,
an 11 kilometre-long center. These aren't two or three kilometer-long sectors, they're
pretty long and taxing. They are found on many flat routes, but at
the same time, there's also quite a lot of climbing Strade Bianche sectors, with quite
technical winding descents. They don't only test a rider's climbing ability, but they
also really put their bike handling ability to the sword. Positioning and route knowledge
here often prove vital, with punctures and crashes absolutely decimating the peloton.
Aside from the racing though, this really is one of the most beautiful and spectacular
regions of Italy. I myself have raced on a Strade Bianche, not in Tuscany, but in the
northwest region of Italy, near Venice, in the Adriatica Ionica race. We did a few sectors
in this race on one stage and I've got to say it was an experience. I've never felt
anything like it in cycling, actually. I just can't convey how dusty these sectors actually
are. I could barely see where I was going. I really struggled with my breathing at the
time. You're just inhaling this thick, clogging dust, it was like nothing I've ever experienced
in cycling before. The Tuscan area of Italy has long been synonymous
with bike racing, giving rise to one of the greats of cycling, Gino Bartali. In 1897,
we're going a bit back here, the Italian winemaking brothers, Giulio and Ernesto Gallo put together
a bike race in order to promote their products, but also to bring together towns and villages
in the region on non-asphalted roads, or Strade Bianche, as we know it today.
Riders were supposed to pedal until exhaustion, with the last survivor in the race being declared
the winner. Sounds like cycling hasn't changed too much then. Strade Bianche, the men's race,
which began in 2007 and Strade Bianche Donne, the women's version, which began in 2015,
began a sort of renaissance of the Strade Bianche sectors, leading to their inclusion
in the Giro d'Italia in 2010 on stage 7. Organizers were looking to recreate those
heroic battles of pre-war races where racers slugged it out on these dirt roads which were
widespread in Italy at the time. Whilst the Strade Bianche seems like a fairly modern
addition to the racing calendar, these Strade Bianche sectors, they go all the way back
to the origins of Italian cycling and are really steeped in history.
Gino Bartali was a cycling great, winning the Giro d'Italia in 1936 and '37 and also
winning the Tour de France in 1938, and that's not forgetting his epic and historic rivalry
with Fausto Coppi. However, he will also be remembered for carrying out the heroic duty
for the Italian resistance of helping save persecuted Jewish people during World War
II. Gino carried fake identity documents hidden in his bicycle between Florence and Assisi,
using the mainly Strade Bianche dirt road back roads to remain hidden from authorities.
Gino used his persona and fame as a professional cyclist to deflect the attention of any inquisitive
guards who were inquiring about his rather long training rides. The route was 180k over
the rough Strade Bianche roads and it was tough going. It was a difficult ride for Gino.
However, it saved the lives of many, with Gino picking up more fake identity documents
in Assisi from a priest there at the monastery before riding all the way back to Florence
and distributing the faith documents to hiding Jewish people.
It was a truly, truly heroic act. Gino risked his life on every journey he made over those
rough Strade Bianche roads. However, it was something he never talked about after the
war. Later on when he was asked about his wartime work he simply stated, "The good is
done, but it's not said and some medals hang on the soul but not on the jacket."
Back to modern times now and that stage in the 2010 Giro d'Italia, and what a stage it
was. Stage 7 of the 2010 Giro was a spectacular fare and hailed as perhaps the most exciting,
in modern racing history, over the Strade Bianche roads. The stage was characterized
by apocalyptic rain which coated the riders in the thick mud of the Strade Bianche sectors.
Cadel Evans emerge victorious, hailing his mountain biking past for the bike handling
abilities to simply get over the sectors, and he held a spectacular stage. However,
other riders weren't as keen with green jersey wearer, Matthew Lloyd, saying after the race,
"I can understand they want a spectacular stage, but something like what we've just
done is ridiculous, if you ask me." With 60 kilometres to go on the stage the peloton
was in pieces. Alexander Vinokourov actually described the
last 45 kilometres of the stage as worse than Paris–Roubaix. I can only imagine how difficult
this stage must have been. Vincenzo Nibali actually crashed heavily on Strade Bianche
sector. He got up helped by his teammates and fought on to the end, displaying his never-say-die
attitude. It was an iconic fightback. Nibali actually only conceded two minutes on the
stage. The stage in general will just forever be immortalized as a famous modern-day cycling
stage. Every time we see the Strade Bianche, particularly
at the Giro it's like we've gone back in time to a different generation of cycling. Whilst
the Strade Bianche isn't included in every single Giro, I think that makes it all the
more special because when it does come round, when it is included in those rare stages,
we have to savor the moment, and it really is just a spectacular stage no matter the
weather or the conditions or the outcome of stages. That's just brilliant watching people
race in the Strade Bianche sectors. For that reason, I, for one just cannot wait for Strade
Bianche's next inclusion at the Giro d'Italia. Thanks for watching everyone. Please let me
know in the comment section below if you've been lucky enough to ride your bike in Tuscany,
what is your favorite Strade Bianche sector? If you have any epic photos of the famous
white roads of Strade Bianche, I'd love to see them uploaded in the GCN app. Really looking
forward to seeing all those and I'd love to get inspired myself because I just cannot
wait to get back over to Italy and ride my bike on the Strade Bianche.
Thanks for watching everyone, and see you all soon.
[00:08:22] [END OF AUDIO]