Friday 7 March, 2025 > 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 are available as an optional extra
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 18.00
We will depart Pisa Airport at 18.00, so please book a flight that lands in Pisa before 17.00. We will then collect riders from Florence Airport at 19.00, so please book a flight that lands in Florence before 18.00. We will arrive at our hotel in Siena around 20.15.
Our hotels
We are staying at your choice between the 4* hotel Executive, NH Siena Hotel or at the 4* Four Points by Sheraton, in Siena. Your stay will be for 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.
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 8 March, 2025 > 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 including the final 25km of the pro-race route, before heading back to Siena for an afternoon of watching the pro-riders in action.
Hospitality at the start and/or at the finish or a day on the course in an official race car is available to book today at an additional cost.
Dinner at hotel
Sunday 9 March, 2025 > The 2025 Gran Fondo Strade Bianche
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's 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 a 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 10 March, 2025 > Departure
After breakfast either make your onward plans or we offer our optional transfer back to Florence and Pisa airport. We will depart Siena at 09.00. Our airport transfer arrives in Florence at 10.00 in line with flights that depart after 12.00. We will arrive at Pisa at 11.30, in line with flights that depart after 13.30.
