Tuscany will be the center of the cycling world in 2013 with two international events, the World Cycling Race Championship in Florence in September and the Eroica (The Heroic) in October.
Those are totally different types of cycling competitions taking place close to Hotel Villa le Barone, an hotel where you can enjoy cycling yourself, even if you are not a champion!
2013 will be in fact the first time that Tuscany, even though it has produced world famous cycling champions such as Gino Bartali or Fiorenzo Magni, will host the road World Championships. This famous yearly cycling event will take place from 21st to 29th September. The cycling road, 267 kms in total, will start in Lucca, go through Montecatine Terme and Pistoia and will end in Florence, with a testing and twisting 16.6 km finishing circuit. A wonderful tour through the beautiful Tuscany!
The “Eroica”, to be held on October 6 in Chianti, is of a totally different nature: it is an annual contest for cycling fanatics, collectors of old cycles and for those who want to restore the spirit of camaraderie and the authentic tradition of cycling: all bicycles should have been produced before 1989 and there are many other strict rules on the equipment. Participants in the Eroica don’t want to compete only for speed but are also looking at the landscape! The “Eroica” starts in Gaiole in Chianti, 20 kms from Villa le Barone, and goes on Chianti and Tuscan hilly dirt roads ( “strade bianche”) for either 134 or 204 kms for the most addict of participants. The cycling ride is rough and the punctures are numerous along the roads, punctures that participants have to repair themselves! In fact, it might take more than 10 hours for some of them to end the circuit!
You can watch both races staying in the charm hotel Villa le Barone as the “Eroica” passes very close by and as the cities where the World Cycling Road Championship goes through are a few kilometers away only. Florence will be crowded and it will be nice to come back to the quiet countryside hotel Villa le Barone after having watched the championships!
And, in any case, you can practice cycling yourself on a lot of wonderful circuits around Villa le Barone: we can lend you our 2 mountain bikes, or you can hire in Greve beautiful racing, road or touring bicycles. We will provide you the cycling itineraries we have prepared! And if you want to enjoy the Chianti landscape without too much effort, you can use an electric bike as some of our guests do!
We have prepared a special a offer (Cycling in Tuscany and Chianti) for you to enjoy cycling in Tuscany at Villa le Barone.