I fell in love with Italy a long time ago and like a good Barolo, it keeps calling me back.
The last time I left Italy, Tuscany, to be precise, I knew I would be back. The friends among you will know that it was actually a near certainty, due to planned matrimony with my now wife, Lucy.
Unfortunately, someone ate a bat and the whole world came to a halt, robbing the world of two years, never to be returned. But we won't linger on that. You needn't fret, my wife and I very much enjoyed our wedding, somewhere closer to home than originally planned, and with less Barolo and antipasti than I had hoped but with decidedly more healthy people and of course, the two of us together.
I've been to Italy a fair few times. Not least because at least a third of the cycling industry is still based somewhere in Italy, but also wandering the canals of Venice, exploring the old town of Bergamo or visiting the wind tunnel in Milan. My last trip - pre-COVID - was pretty special. I joined the team at Isadore on a late summer content retreat (A wanky way to describe a photo shoot) and managed to explore much of Italy's heartland, Tuscany. Paid in pizza and kit and fueled by red wine, we spent a week riding and capturing photos, staying in a quaint, quintessentially Italian villa outside of Montepulciano (The home of quality wine, I might add) . We ticked off Florence and Sienna and enjoyed the magical countryside between them and weak as it sounds...that countryside left a mark on me.
It won't come as a surprise then - considering I've waxed lyrically for 500 words about Italy - that when it came to goal-setting for 2024, Italy was pretty high on my list. Chase the Sun appeals, as the lands you traverse in the 200-odd-mile epic are meant to be remarkable, but my aforementioned body weaknesses mean I'm filled with dread at such a distance. Perhaps the more obvious choice but no less iconic, is the Gran Fondo Strade Bianche, a gravel-esque one-day event that follows the route of the professional race of the same name the day before. Not only is Strade Bianche - without a doubt - the most beautiful race on the cycling calendar (come at me, bro) , but it comes with all the charm that Italy delivers without even trying. Food, wine, scenery, culture and riding in no particular order. Starting and finishing in Sienna is a highlight, with the rolling hills and white roads providing an unforgettable and challenging experience for those who hope to tame them. For all these reasons, it appeals, a lot.
Naturally, it took me all of 14 seconds to commit to it once my mind had broached the matter, I hadn't even given proper thought to how I would pitch it to the wife, which is obviously a rookie error. 'Lou, the first time I'm going back to Italy since our cancelled wedding will be for a cycling sportive, that ok yeah?' Difficult, to say the least. Arguably the more difficult part, though, will be securing in place in what is one of the most oversubscribed gran fondos on the amateur calendar. But I suppose that's a problem for another day.
A presto Italia
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