Relive ‘Nova eroica’
NOVA Eroica combines gravel, gran fondo and Eroica-style rest stops that encourage riders to Race, Ride and Relax!
Open to gravel, road and cyclocross bikes, NOVA celebrates the white roads – STRADE BIANCHE of Tuscany by combining time trial segments with amazing transfer sections for the thrill of racing and an epic group ride experience.
Starting and finishing with a spectacular festival in the warm village of Buonconvento, NOVA Eroica is gran fondo reimagined for a new generation of cyclists.
This is what you read on the home page of www.novaeroica.it
As we have all the new Gravel bike Scott Addict 20 – local cyclists are renting our gravel bikes for the race that will take place on April 28.
There will be 3 different routes: the long route 130 km; the short route 88 km – the one we rode today April 19th; and the leisure route 62 km.
Our review: the landscape around is amazing, le crete senesi at his best – everything is in bloom and the green of fields is brilliant. Once you leave Buonconvento you face the gentle uphill to Monte oliveto Maggiore Abbey on paved road, and continue till Asciano. All good so far! The pain starts when you take the first stretch of dirt road, the infamous Monte Sante Marie. At one point our Garmin devise shows 19% grade uphill! 12 km of challenge… up and down…MangiaeBevi! In the next paved section is possible to rest a little- we enjoyed downhill and almost flat part. After Taverne d’Arbia we rode the lauretana and is mostly uphill! Now the great strada bianca section di San Martino in Grania– this is our favorite today for the view and we enjoyed the 10 km till reach Monteroni, at the bottom.
We cycled the paved road to Radi – the wonderful landscape counterbalances the difficulty of steep climbs. After the village of Radi there are 5 km of dirt road – this was the most difficult for us, not because of the steepness but because of the type of road surface – dangerous. Despite our off-road tires, the grip was missing – anyway we did and got in Vescovado di Murlo safe. From here on, only pleasure and enjoyment, a piece of cake, including the last stretch of gravel, called Piana, that ends at the doors of Buonconvento.
Giuliana Mulas Debois & Marco Tornaghi
