Tafi-STRADE BIANCHE 2012-StepH Route

Shortened version (118km) of the official route of the Strade Bianche 2012 (196km) for professional cyclists, an increasingly popular race held every year in March. Fabian Cancellara won for the second time in 2012 in Piazza del Campo in Siena.

This route is intended for cyclists who want to taste half a dozen strips of "dirt roads" or "dirt roads", but without having to travel all 190 km. However, they get the full final (the last 85 km) and 1900 altimeters under the wheels! After all, it goes uphill-downhill all the time!

From Borghetto Andrea Tafi it is an hour's drive to the starting point in Via Aldo Moro, just outside Siena. We deliberately maintain departure and arrival outside the city to find better parking options. So we actually start with the last 5 kilometers of the race... we enter the historic center through the Porta dit Fontebranda (here begins the last km!), we try to sneak into the super steep but closed Via Santa Caterina and we realize how difficult this must be at the end of a race ...

Together with Marc, Lukas, Matthias (Belgium) and Marco, Massimo and Gianni (Italy) I did this tour in August 2012. To avoid the heat of that period (35 to 40 degrees), we started at 8. At this first hour you can simply go for a bike ride through the beautiful city, a little later tourists flock. Therefore, take advantage of this opportunity to ride in and around Piazza del Campo, because it gives a special emotion to be able to ride in the place where thousands and thousands of people come to walk, sit, lie down ... and where 2 times a year the Palio takes place, a sort of horse race around the shell-shaped square.

The ride itself crosses almost entirely the Crete Senesi (Sienese gray clay - sometimes reminiscent of the lunar landscape), a unique nature reserve with countless hills and fantastic, photogenic views.

Those who find the journey too long can easily shorten it to 90km by driving from Radi to Monteroni d'Arbia ....