Just completed the Strade Bianche Gran Fondo and it was one of the best cycling experiences of my life.
The Course:
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:
Results:
What I'd do differently:
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.
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