Monte Paschi Eroica
Encyclopedia
The Montepaschi Strade Bianche, formerly known as Monte Paschi Eroica, is a road bicycle race held annually near Siena
, in the region of Tuscany
, Italy
. The race was first organised in 2007 as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour and was held in October. From 2008 on the event has found a space in early March as part of the European classics season
. It is held the week before Tirreno–Adriatico as a warm weather precursor to the cobbled classics of the north. The field is usually made up of riders taking part in Tirreno–Adriatico.
The race starts in Gaiole in Chianti
and finishes in the famous public space Piazza del Campo
in Siena
. The route consists of 190 kilometres around the city of Siena, including 70 kilometres of gravel road
s, called sterrati in Italy. Parts of the route were originally used in a recreational race, or gran fondo
. The organizers of the race, RCS sports, were inspired by the Ronde van Vlaanderen with its bergs, and Paris–Roubaix with its cobblestone sections.
Before the 2009-edition, the race changed its name to Montepaschi Strade Bianche. The race was also lengthened 9 km (5.6 mi) and one more gravel sector was added, taking the total unsealed sections to 57.2 km (35.5 mi). The riders now left Gaiole in Chianti and headed south towards the first of the eight sectors of le strade bianche (white gravel roads).
Siena
Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008...
, in the region of Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. The race was first organised in 2007 as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour and was held in October. From 2008 on the event has found a space in early March as part of the European classics season
Classic cycle races
The classic cycle races are one-day professional cycling road races in the international calendar. Most of the events, all run in western Europe, have been fixtures on the professional calendar for decades and the oldest ones date back to the 19th Century. They are normally held at roughly the same...
. It is held the week before Tirreno–Adriatico as a warm weather precursor to the cobbled classics of the north. The field is usually made up of riders taking part in Tirreno–Adriatico.
The race starts in Gaiole in Chianti
Gaiole in Chianti
Gaiole in Chianti is a comune in the Province of Siena in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 40 km southeast of Florence and about 15 km northeast of Siena. The American magazine Forbes named it number one in its list of "Europe's Most Idyllic Places To Live."Each year, generally...
and finishes in the famous public space Piazza del Campo
Piazza del Campo
Piazza del Campo is the principal public space of the historic center of Siena, Tuscany, Italy and is one of Europe's greatest medieval squares. It is renowned worldwide for its beauty and architectural integrity. The Palazzo Pubblico and its Torre del Mangia, as well as various palazzi signorili...
in Siena
Siena
Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008...
. The route consists of 190 kilometres around the city of Siena, including 70 kilometres of gravel road
Gravel road
A gravel road is a type of unpaved road surfaced with gravel that has been brought to the site from a quarry or stream bed. They are common in less-developed nations, and also in the rural areas of developed nations such as Canada and the United States. In New Zealand, they are known as 'metal roads'...
s, called sterrati in Italy. Parts of the route were originally used in a recreational race, or gran fondo
Cyclosportive
A cyclosportive, or often simply sportive, is a short to long distance, organised, mass-participation cycling event, typically held annually....
. The organizers of the race, RCS sports, were inspired by the Ronde van Vlaanderen with its bergs, and Paris–Roubaix with its cobblestone sections.
Before the 2009-edition, the race changed its name to Montepaschi Strade Bianche. The race was also lengthened 9 km (5.6 mi) and one more gravel sector was added, taking the total unsealed sections to 57.2 km (35.5 mi). The riders now left Gaiole in Chianti and headed south towards the first of the eight sectors of le strade bianche (white gravel roads).