Note to self: when finally giving in to the gravel revolution, it’s perhaps best not to go straight in at the deep end. Barely has the sun nudged above the horizon and I find my back wheel spinning wildly on the loose surface as I struggle up the steepening gradient.
I’m on the rocky road to Monte Sante Marie, a key section of sterrato – dirt road – that features in the spring Classic many believe has become cycling’s sixth Monument: Strade Bianche. It’s here where Tadej Pogačar struck out 50km from the finish to win last year’s edition, and it’s here where I’m already starting to think I’ve bitten off more than I can chew.
It has only been a matter of minutes since I rolled out of nearby Asciano, accompanied by my ride partner, Jacek Berruti – son of the late face of the L’Eroica gran fondo, Luciano Berruti. A short spin barely warmed up the legs before the road forked at a cemetery and tarmac gave way to gravel. We passed the milestone bearing the name of Fabian Cancellara, the record three time winner of Strade Bianche, and now we’re following the ridge line through trees and above the low-hanging mist shrouding the valley.
At this early point in the day, with just the distant rumble of an unseen tractor following in our wake, it’s breathtakingly beautiful. Visibly so, for it’s still crisp enough to see every exhalation against the cobalt blue sky. My eye is drawn to the luminous glow of the first new growth of grass upon the corduroy indentations of the freshly ploughed fields.
This is the Crete Senese, the region of Tuscany known as ‘the clays of Siena’ where the harsh soil is renowned for its distinct grey colour.
