L'Eroica 2009, Video by Brooks of England

The deadline for registration for the 2010 L'Eroica is 6 September, only 3 days from now. Four routes of 38, 75, 135, and 205 km are available. L'Eroica is held on 3 October and a large vintage swap meet is held the day before . The video, above, is from the 2009 L'Eroica.

L'Eroica is an event that relives the heroic age of the "Giants of the Road". Participants ride on vintage racing bicycles and wearing the wool jerseys of bygone eras through some of the most beautiful roads of Chianti, Valdarbia and Valdorcia, with many sections of unpaved surfaces ("strade bianche", gravel & shale roads) which makes it possible to relive the atmosphere of "heroic" times of cycling.

Over the last few years the organizers permitted all types of bicycles and particpation grew to 3,000 cyclists. The organizers decided, in 2009, to re-impose rules permitting only vintage bikes All riders must now start only with historical bikes; this "means road race bikes built before 1987, with switch lever on the oblique loom tube, toe clips and belts, external brake wires."

Official website here.

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