Strade Bianche Gran Fondo 2026 — Race Report

Just completed the Strade Bianche Gran Fondo and it was one of the best cycling experiences of my life.

The Course:

• 139km with 1,800m elevation
• 8 sectors of white gravel roads (strade bianche)
• Finish in Piazza del Campo, Siena

Conditions: 12°C, dry (we got lucky — last year was a mudfest)

My race:

Started in the second wave. The first 30km on tarmac was fast — sat in a group of ~20 riders averaging 38km/h. Way too fast for a 139km race but the adrenaline was real.

Sector 1 hit at km 32 and reality set in. The gravel is much rougher than it looks on TV — it's basically packed limestone with large stones. My 30mm tires at 50psi were the right call. Guys on 25mm tires were getting bounced around badly.

Key moments:

• Sector 4 (San Martino in Grania) — This is where the race broke apart. 11.5km of continuous gravel with a nasty climb at the end. I went too hard here and paid for it later.
• Km 90-110 — Complete survival mode. Legs were cramping on every rise. Should have eaten more in the first half.
• The final climb into Siena — Somehow found the energy for a final push. The crowd lining the streets was incredible.

Results:

• Time: 4:52:18
• Average power: 198W (NP: 224W)
• TSS: 312
• Carbs consumed: ~280g (should have been 350+)

What I'd do differently:

1. More conservative first 50km
2. More aggressive nutrition — start eating at km 5, not km 30
3. Train more on gravel. My bike handling in the sectors was sketchy

Already registered for next year. If you ever get the chance to do this event — DO IT. Riding through Tuscany on those white roads is pure magic.

Incredible race report! The Strade Bianche is on my bucket list. That NP/AP ratio tells me it was a proper punchy race — 224/198 = 1.13 variability index.

What tire setup did you run? I'm thinking of doing it next year and trying to decide between dedicated gravel tires (like Schwalbe G-One) or wide road tires (Continental GP5000 TL in 32mm).

@Wouter — I ran Continental GP5000 S TR in 30mm tubeless at 50psi. They were... adequate. The grip on the gravel was fine when dry but I wouldn't have felt comfortable in wet conditions. For next year I'm getting a second wheelset with Pirelli Cinturato Gravel H 35mm — purpose-built gravel tires make a big difference.

@Bjorn — Yeah, the nutrition was my biggest mistake. I was so focused on positioning in the group that I forgot to eat. Classic rookie error. Next year: gel every 20 minutes from km 5, no excuses.

312 TSS in under 5 hours is brutal. That's like doing a 5-hour race at threshold equivalent intensity. No wonder you were cramping!

The nutrition thing is such a common mistake in these events. You're burning 800+ cal/hour at that intensity and only consumed ~280g carbs (~1120 cal) over nearly 5 hours. That's a massive deficit.

Still — incredible performance. 4:52 at your first Strade Bianche is very solid.

This sounds absolutely epic. Adding it to my 2027 goals.

Question: what bike did you use? Your Canyon Aeroad from the earlier post, or something more gravel-oriented? I'm wondering if I could do it on my Tarmac SL8 with wide tires or if I'd need a dedicated gravel bike.

@Emma — I used my Canyon Aeroad with 30mm tires. It was fine. Plenty of people ride pure road bikes with 28-32mm tires. You do NOT need a gravel bike — in fact, a gravel bike would be slower on the 70% of the course that's tarmac.

The ideal setup is your fastest road bike that can clear 30-32mm tires. The Tarmac SL8 can fit 32mm, so you'd be perfect. Just make sure you run tubeless and drop the pressure to 45-55psi for the gravel sectors.