Gran Fondo Strade Bianche, live.

Tuscan white roads from the Fortezza to the Campo

The Gran Fondo Strade Bianche takes amateur cyclists over the white gravel roads of the Crete Senesi that the professionals race, from the Fortezza Medicea to Piazza del Campo in Siena.

The 2027 edition is on Sunday 7 March. RCS Sports & Events organises the ride, the start is set by the Fortezza Medicea near the stadium in Siena, and every route finishes under the arch in Piazza del Campo. The organiser counts on around 8,500 participants on the same roads as the professionals.

The Gran Fondo covers 137.7 km with 2,200 m of climbing. It has 42.6 km of gravel, 30.2 percent of the distance, split into 10 sectors, the first at Vidritta around km 20 and the last at Le Tolfe at km 124. The organiser describes it as restless terrain with no long climbs but many short, steep ramps, often on the gravel itself.

The Medio Fondo is 87 km with 1,350 m of climbing and about 22 km of gravel in 6 sectors, largely following the course of the women's elite race. It shares the sectors at Vidritta, Bagnaia and Radi with the long route and meets it again at Colle Pinzuto and Le Tolfe near the end. Both routes climb into Siena on Via Esterna di Fontebranda, with gradients up to 9 percent before the last stretch to the Campo.

The gravel sectors have a well kept, compacted surface with little loose grit, although the organiser notes that San Martino in Grania is often muddy and Colle Pinzuto can be muddy in its first part. On the organiser's current timetable the start pens open from 6:30 for the Medio Fondo and from 7:45 for the Gran Fondo. In the final kilometres the route passes the Porta di Fontebranda, climbs on paving to gradients of 16 percent in Via Santa Caterina about 500 m from the line and enters the Campo for a flat finish. After the line, riders head back to the village for the pasta party.

On Livebib you can follow a cyclist who chooses to share their own live position from the phone they carry. This is not the organiser's timing, and the official results come from the organiser.