Gran Fondo Strade Bianche 2023

Friday 3 March, 2023 > Travel to Siena

Please make your own arrangements to arrive at our hotel in Siena today. Our team will be available to meet you at the hotel.

Airport transfers at £60 single, £100 return

If you plan to fly then we offer airport transfers for you, your luggage and your bike from Pisa and Florence airport at set times. The journey to Siena takes approximately 1hr30 - 2 hours.

Transfer 1 at 12.00

We will depart Pisa Airport at 12.00, so please book a flight that lands in Pisa before 11.00. We will then collect riders from Florence Airport at 13.00, so please book a flight that lands in Florence before 12.00. We will arrive at our hotel in Siena around 14.15.

Transfer 2 at 17.30

We will depart Pisa Airport at 17.30, so please book a flight that lands in Pisa before 16.30. We will then collect riders from Florence Airport at 18.30, so please book a flight that lands in Florence before 17.30. We will arrive at our hotel in Siena around 19.45.

Our hotel

We are staying at the 4* hotel Executive in Siena. Your stay will be for 2 or 3 nights and will be on a half board basis so with breakfasts and evening meals included. You will have an early breakfast on Gran Fondo day.

What about my bike?

You can bring your own bike as we have made arrangements to transport bike boxes on our airport transfers. Alternatively, you can rent a bike with us for the weekend. You are allowed to store it in your room

We offer you a choice of Giant bikes from Aluminium frame with Shimano 105 to Carbon frame with Ultegra Di2.

> Giant TCR Advanced carbon Shimano Ultegra Di2 - £240

> Giant TCR Advanced carbon Shimano Ultegra - £190

> Giant Contend SL 1 aluminium frame Shimano - £140

Our mechanic will be available this afternoon at the hotel to assist you with fitting your rental bike or building your own bike after travel.

Saturday 4 March, 2023 > Pro Race day

After breakfast and preparing the bikes, we will take you on a supported, guided ride that takes in the route of the Strade Bianche. En-route we will watch the riders of the pro peloton as they take on the white roads.

We’ll be back at the hotel in the afternoon after watching the finish for you to rest and get prepared for tomorrow.

Hospitality at the start and/or at the finish or a day on the course in an official race car are available to book today at an additional cost.

Dinner at hotel

Sunday 5 March, 2023 > The 2023 Gran Fondo Strade Bianche

*If you are departing Siena today, note that you will need to make your own way from Siena - airport transfers are not available today)* 

You were able to see how the riders of the Men’s and Women’s cycling elite handled the white roads yesterday. Today it’s your turn. Ride either the 139 km route with 31 kilometres of gravel roads or 86 kilometres with 21 kilometres of gravel.

The race largely shares the course with the Women elite event. The route is twisty and undulating, with no lengthy climbs, but with punchy hills, especially on the unpaved parts. Newly added to the route is the most popular and most challenging sector of Monte Sante Marie, named after Fabian Cancellara, with gradients exceeding 15% on both climbs and descents. There are roughly 55 km of gravel roads (38.4% of the total race route) appearing in 10 sectors (some of which are “new” to both the women’s and men’s Pro race), with a roadbed in good conditions, well-packed ground with no grass invasion, and a little gravel on the surface.

The final kilometres initially follow the outskirts of the city of Siena, along wide, long and straight roads connected by sweeping curves, first descending, and then climbing slightly, up to 2 km from the finish, where the route takes the Via Esterna di Fontebranda, and the gradient reaches 9%. The road surface becomes paving slabs 900 m before the finish line, just past the Fontebranda Gate. The gradient is over 10%, peaking out at 16% in Via Santa Caterina, around 500 m from the finish. A sharp right hand turn leads to Via Delle Terme and then to Via Banchi di Sotto. Starting 300 m to the finish onwards, the road is a slight, continuous descent. With 150 m to go, a right curve leads into Via Rinaldini. The route enters Piazza del Campo 70 m before the finish; the last 30 metres are on a 7% gradient descent, while the finish line is on level road.

This afternoon and early evening we’ll assist you with re-packing your bikes ahead of travel and you’ll also be able to return your rental bikes with us.

Dinner at hotel

Monday 6 March, 2023 > Departure

After breakfast we offer our optional transfer back to Florence and Pisa airport. We will depart Siena at 08.00. Our airport transfer arrives in Florence at 09.00 in line with flights that depart after 11.00. We will arrive at Pisa for 10.30, in line with flights that depart after 12.30.

How to book

Please make your booking by clicking on the orange button at the top of the page. Please ensure that you select the correct room type for all members in your party plus all the required extras. When you book, we will require a deposit to confirm your place.

Travel advice

Before you travel, check the ‘Entry requirements’ section for Italy’s current entry restrictions and requirements. 

Medical certificate

Please note you need a medical certificate to take part in the Strade Bianche Gran Fondo. More information

Registration

The Expo Village will be located in the historical Fortezza Medicea (also known as Forte di Santa Barbara), in Siena. The Fortezza Medicea, built between 1561 and 1563 at the request of Florence’s duke Cosimo I de’ Medici, is going to be the centre of the activities of Strade Bianche’s weekend, the real Borgo Bike. The Fortezza is close to the Siena district of San Prospero, near Stadio Artemio Franchi, it’s easily accessible and is about 1 km from Piazza del Campo, where there will be the finish line of the races.

The Expo Village will open on Friday at 9.00 a.m. and will be open up to 7.00 p.m. Then, it will continue on Saturday morning starting from 9:00 a.m.

Travel Insurance

For details of specialist sports travel insurance for our travel packages, please visit our insurance page. You must ensure that your travel insurance policy covers you to participate in cycling events in Italy. Please remember to insure your bike for foreign travel.

The best events in cycling are the 5 monuments and they are famous for having their own appeal and characteristics. The Tour of Flanders and Paris – Roubaix have the cobbles. Liege Bastogne Liege has the tradition and editions with terrible weather. Milan Sanremo is the race to the sea and is the longest on the pro race calendar. Lombardia is the season closer and the race of the falling leaves.

Not technically a Monument but a worthy addition to this illustrious list is Strade Bianche. The name literally means “white roads” and comes from the white gravel roads of the Tuscana region in Italy. The popularity of the race has come at the same time as the advent of gravel bikes. We all have one and this is the ideal location to actually go and use it where it’s useful.

Both the start and the finish of the race and the Gran Fondo are in Siena. This historic town has beautiful historic architecture. Here, it feels as if time has stopped in the 13th century, when the city’s artistic and architectural heritage started to develop, earning Siena its endless renown. It has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1995, owing to its well-preserved mediaeval structure.

The main square, Piazza del Campo, is the epicentre of the city. The square has a unique shell shape, and gently slopes towards the centre. This is where the famous Palio takes place: every year, in summer, the different Contrade (city quarters) challenge each other in a compelling horse race.

Surrounding the square is a number of monumental buildings, such as Palazzo Sansedoni and Palazzo Pubblico. Towering over the square is the majestic Torre del Mangia, built in the 1340s. Soaring an impressive 102 metres, it is just as tall as the Duomo belfry, to symbolize the balance between worldly and divine power. But there is more to Siena than just Piazza del Campo, including little streets and alleys teeming with little shops and craft stores where you can buy local handmade products or taste the famous cantucci cookies with a glass of Vin Santo. Throughout the narrow alleys, all the way to the wide Piazza del Campo, you can actually feel the real atmosphere of this city – contemporary yet ancient, monumental yet lively.