Preparation guide · Gran Fondo Strade Bianche
Gran Fondo Strade Bianche 2027: how to prepare it and what to eat and drink
The next edition is on Sunday 7 March 2027 (provisional date: the organisers haven't confirmed it yet; in 2026 it was held on 8 March. Start time is indicative), starting in Siena (Tuscany, Italy) at 9:00. Here you have the route of Gran Fondo Strade Bianche and Medio Fondo Strade Bianche, its climbs, the usual weather and how much to eat and drink for your target time.
Gran Fondo Strade Bianche: route and profile
Official 2026 track: 137.7 km, 42.6 km of gravel in 10 sectors and 2,000 m of climbing (the track measures a bit less). Stops from the 2025 guide: check for changes.
| Climb | Where | Length | Gain | Average grade | Top |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bagnaia | km 30–33 | 3.2 km | +193 m | 6.0 % | 408 m |
| Climb at km 73 | km 73–79 | 6.0 km | +185 m | 3.1 % | 362 m |
The gravel sectors, one by one
| Sector | Length | Surface and how to tackle it |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Vidritta km 20.5 | 2.1 km | Straight and almost flat, good surface. Your first taste of gravel. Enter already in position, without sprinting for places. Seated, loose hands on the tops or the hoods and eyes 10–15 m ahead: look for the clean wheel tracks and leave a gap to the wheel in front for the dust and the stones you can't see. This one is just to settle in. |
| 2. Bagnaia km 27.7 | 5.8 km 3.2 km uphill · max 15 % | Starts downhill and, after the golf course, a very steep ramp with coarse stones and a few short paved bits. The first real one, and you're still fresh: easy to overdo it. Shift to your biggest sprocket before the ramp (shifting under load on stones often fails) and climb seated, weight slightly back so the rear wheel doesn't slip. Stay below your threshold: there are over 100 km to go. |
| 3. Radi km 39.8 | 4.4 km 1.5 km uphill · max 12 % | Rolling, compact earth and good surface, with short rises. Arrive fed: the km 40 feed station is right there. Rolling: shift before each rise, carry the momentum from the dip and relaunch seated. Don't eat or drink inside the sector; do it on the tarmac. |
| 4. La Piana km 50.5 | 6.4 km | Almost all downhill, more or less steep. Compact earth with short stretches of loose gravel. A sector to descend well, not fast. Brake on the straights and release in the bend; more rear than front brake, as the front washes out on loose gravel. Weight back, loose arms and eyes far ahead. More gap to the wheel in front: the dust hides the holes. |
| 5. Serravalle km 58.2 | 9.3 km 2.2 km uphill · max 11 % | The first 2 km uphill with steep ramps and a short, demanding descent; then almost 7 km of flat ground with coarse-stone patches. Long and mostly flat: flat gravel costs a lot more watts than tarmac at the same speed. Find a small group, ride diagonally to the wheel (less dust and you can see the stones) and keep a steady power, no surges. |
| 6. San Martino in Grania km 69.6 | 9.5 km 5.6 km uphill · max 12 % | Very broken: up and down at first, ending in a steep climb with hairpin bends. Often muddy; gravel on the climb. The longest and most selective sector, in the heart of the Crete Senesi. A gel on the tarmac before you enter. Steady on the ups and downs; take the final hairpins wide, where there's less loose gravel, and always seated. If it's muddy: smooth, round cadence, no sudden shifts. |
| 7. Guistrigona km 101.9 | 1.1 km max 15 % | Gravel, gently uphill (new on the route). Short, but it comes just as fatigue sets in: keep a light cadence and don't overdo it. Use the tarmac afterwards to eat and drink. |
| 8. Monteaperti km 113 | 0.8 km 0.8 km uphill · max 13 % | Very short: flat approach and a final wall between high fences. Good surface. The km 112 feed station is just before: refill your bottles. Enter with your biggest sprocket already in and ride it as a 2–3 minute effort, seated. Don't attack it: Colle Pinzuto comes 5 km later. |
| 9. Colle Pinzuto km 117.9 | 2.4 km 2.5 km uphill · max 15 % | Very steep climb from the start; coarse stones and sometimes mud in the first part. The legendary climb near the end and the one that hurts most with 115 km in your legs. Arrive with your easiest gear already engaged and a gel taken on the tarmac before. Seated and without surging: if the wheel slips, lower your cadence, don't stand up. At the top there are 18 km left: you won't win it here, but you can lose it. |
| 10. Le Tolfe km 124 | 1.1 km 0.5 km uphill · max 18 % | A dizzying descent in the first half and a very steep ramp in the second (up to 18 %). Good surface. Brake before the descent, on the straight, and go down standing with level pedals, elbows and knees relaxed. The key: shift to your easiest gear BEFORE the bottom; on an 18 % gravel ramp the gears won't go in. Climb seated on the nose of the saddle so the front wheel doesn't lift. If you stall, walking costs you almost nothing. |
| Finish in Siena km 135.7 | 2 km 2 km uphill · max 16 % | Tarmac and cobbles: Via Esterna di Fontebranda (up to 9 %), Porta Fontebranda at 900 m and Via Santa Caterina with 16 % ramps 500 m out. The last 300 m slightly downhill and into Piazza del Campo (30 m at 7 % downhill). Save something for this: the Santa Caterina wall is climbed seated in an easy gear, and on wet cobbles watch your rear wheel. After the ramp, a tight right-hander and the drop into the Campo: brake before, it's slippery. |
Route keys
- This is the amateur Strade Bianche, not the professional race: 137.7 km with 42.6 km of «strade bianche» (white roads) in 10 sectors, and 2,000 m of climbing on short hills, no big passes. Monte Sante Marie belongs to the pro race; here the key names are Bagnaia, San Martino in Grania, Colle Pinzuto, Le Tolfe and the Santa Caterina wall in Siena.
- There are three feed stations (km 40, 75 and 112 in the 2025 guide) with fruit, drinks, salts, bars, snacks and panforte, Siena's traditional sweet. Carry two bottles and your own gels: there are up to 37 km between stations.
- It's a white-roads event ridden mostly by road cyclists: don't measure it in tarmac km/h. On gravel you spend a lot more watts at the same speed, and on stony ramps you have to stay seated. Plan by power and by time, not by speed.
- Bike: a road bike works if it fits 30–32 mm tyres with clearance for mud. Easy gearing: compact 50/34 with 11-32 or 11-34 (or a gravel 1×). With 15–18 % ramps on gravel you can't climb standing, so you need a sprocket that lets you stay seated.
7 more keys in WinWatts: with the forecast for the days before, the wind and heat section by section, and on which climbs to eat and drink.
Gran Fondo Strade Bianche: what to eat and drink
How much a typical rider (72 kg) needs depending on their time. From 2–3 hours on, what matters most is eating carbs regularly (every 20–30 minutes) and drinking before you're thirsty.
| Total time | Carbs per hour | Total carbs | Drink per hour | Total drink | Sodium per hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 h | 75 g/h | 360 g | 450 ml/h | 2.7 l | 300 mg/h |
| 7 h | 75 g/h | 435 g | 450 ml/h | 3.2 l | 300 mg/h |
| 8 h | 75 g/h | 510 g | 450 ml/h | 3.6 l | 300 mg/h |
| 9 h | 75 g/h | 580 g | 450 ml/h | 4.0 l | 300 mg/h |
More than 60–90 g of carbs per hour only if you've trained it. Don't try on race day what you haven't tolerated in training.
Section by section between feed stations (for about 7 h)
At the feed stations (km 40, 75, 112) you stop, eat something and refill your bottles. But what matters most is what you take on the move until the next one: this table tells you how much. You can pick it up at the station or carry your own gels and bars; what matters is spreading it out, not eating it all at once when you stop.
| Section | Duration | Carbs to take in the section | Drink in the section |
|---|---|---|---|
| km 0 → 40 | 1 h 47 | 135 g | 800 ml |
| km 40 → 75 | 1 h 44 | 130 g | 800 ml |
| km 75 → 112 | 1 h 54 | 145 g | 850 ml |
| km 112 → 138 | 1 h 35 | 120 g | 700 ml |
The key section is the first one: there's no feed station until km 40, so you leave Siena with full bottles and about 135 g of carbs on you (for example, 3 gels and a bar).
Not going to take 7 h? In WinWatts you set your target time and the feed stations, and you see these sections with your real pace on each climb. You can also compare scenarios: what changes if you go faster or slower.
Gran Fondo Strade Bianche: weather in early March
What the weather was like on the first weekend of March in recent editions:
| Year | Low | High | Rain | Max wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 4 ºC | 8 ºC | 0.0 mm | 17 km/h |
| 2023 | 7 ºC | 14 ºC | 0.0 mm | 16 km/h |
| 2024 | 10 ºC | 15 ºC | 4.6 mm | 29 km/h |
| 2025 | 11 ºC | 16 ºC | 0.0 mm | 15 km/h |
| 2026 | 12 ºC | 16 ºC | 0.3 mm | 10 km/h |
Medio Fondo Strade Bianche: route and profile
Amateur route, different from the professional one; official 2026 GPX (87 km, 21.6 km of gravel in 6 sectors, 1,350 m of climbing; 7:30 start); 2025 stops.
| Climb | Where | Length | Gain | Average grade | Top |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bagnaia | km 30–33 | 3.3 km | +211 m | 6.4 % | 424 m |
The gravel sectors, one by one
| Sector | Length | Surface and how to tackle it |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Vidritta km 20.5 | 2.1 km | Straight and almost flat, good surface. Your first taste of gravel. Enter already in position, without sprinting for places. Seated, loose hands on the tops or the hoods and eyes 10–15 m ahead: look for the clean wheel tracks and leave a gap to the wheel in front for the dust and the stones you can't see. This one is just to settle in. |
| 2. Bagnaia km 27.6 | 5.8 km 3.2 km uphill · max 15 % | Starts downhill and, after the golf course, a very steep ramp with coarse stones and a few short paved bits. The first real one, and you're still fresh: easy to overdo it. Shift to your biggest sprocket before the ramp (shifting under load on stones often fails) and climb seated, weight slightly back so the rear wheel doesn't slip. Stay below your threshold: there are over 100 km to go. |
| 3. Radi km 39.7 | 8 km 2 km uphill · max 14 % | Rolling, compact earth, with two climbs of about 1 km in the first part and short paved breaks through the villages. Arrive fed: the km 40 feed station is at the entrance. The two early climbs seated and with your gear changed beforehand; on the paved breaks, drink and relax your hands. |
| 4. Presciano km 62 | 2.2 km 0.7 km uphill · max 12 % | A demanding ramp about halfway. Medium-good surface, with gravel. Be ready for the ramp in the middle: shift early, seated and with your weight back. Colle Pinzuto and Le Tolfe come next, back to back: don't spend it all here. |
| 5. Colle Pinzuto km 66.9 | 2.4 km 2.5 km uphill · max 15 % | Very steep climb from the start; coarse stones and sometimes mud in the first part. The legendary climb near the end and the one that hurts most with 115 km in your legs. Arrive with your easiest gear already engaged and a gel taken on the tarmac before. Seated and without surging: if the wheel slips, lower your cadence, don't stand up. At the top there are 18 km left: you won't win it here, but you can lose it. |
| 6. Le Tolfe km 73.1 | 1.1 km 0.5 km uphill · max 18 % | A dizzying descent in the first half and a very steep ramp in the second (up to 18 %). Good surface. Brake before the descent, on the straight, and go down standing with level pedals, elbows and knees relaxed. The key: shift to your easiest gear BEFORE the bottom; on an 18 % gravel ramp the gears won't go in. Climb seated on the nose of the saddle so the front wheel doesn't lift. If you stall, walking costs you almost nothing. |
| Finish in Siena km 85 | 2 km 2 km uphill · max 16 % | Tarmac and cobbles: Via Esterna di Fontebranda (up to 9 %), Porta Fontebranda at 900 m and Via Santa Caterina with 16 % ramps 500 m out. The last 300 m slightly downhill and into Piazza del Campo (30 m at 7 % downhill). Save something for this: the Santa Caterina wall is climbed seated in an easy gear, and on wet cobbles watch your rear wheel. After the ramp, a tight right-hander and the drop into the Campo: brake before, it's slippery. |
Route keys
- 87 km with 21.6 km of white roads in 6 sectors and 1,350 m of climbing: shorter, but with the same gravel and the same three finales (Colle Pinzuto, Le Tolfe and Santa Caterina). Don't treat it as «the easy one».
- Two stations (km 40 and 55 in 2025): carry two bottles and food for the final stretch of over 30 km.
- It's a white-roads event ridden mostly by road cyclists: don't measure it in tarmac km/h. On gravel you spend a lot more watts at the same speed, and on stony ramps you have to stay seated. Plan by power and by time, not by speed.
- Bike: a road bike works if it fits 30–32 mm tyres with clearance for mud. Easy gearing: compact 50/34 with 11-32 or 11-34 (or a gravel 1×). With 15–18 % ramps on gravel you can't climb standing, so you need a sprocket that lets you stay seated.
6 more keys in WinWatts: with the forecast for the days before, the wind and heat section by section, and on which climbs to eat and drink.
Medio Fondo Strade Bianche: what to eat and drink
How much a typical rider (72 kg) needs depending on their time. From 2–3 hours on, what matters most is eating carbs regularly (every 20–30 minutes) and drinking before you're thirsty.
| Total time | Carbs per hour | Total carbs | Drink per hour | Total drink | Sodium per hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 h | 75 g/h | 220 g | 450 ml/h | 1.8 l | 300 mg/h |
| 5 h | 75 g/h | 290 g | 450 ml/h | 2.2 l | 300 mg/h |
| 6 h | 75 g/h | 360 g | 450 ml/h | 2.7 l | 300 mg/h |
| 7 h | 75 g/h | 435 g | 450 ml/h | 3.2 l | 300 mg/h |
More than 60–90 g of carbs per hour only if you've trained it. Don't try on race day what you haven't tolerated in training.
Section by section between feed stations (for about 5 h)
At the feed stations (km 40, 55) you stop, eat something and refill your bottles. But what matters most is what you take on the move until the next one: this table tells you how much. You can pick it up at the station or carry your own gels and bars; what matters is spreading it out, not eating it all at once when you stop.
| Section | Duration | Carbs to take in the section | Drink in the section |
|---|---|---|---|
| km 0 → 40 | 2 h 04 | 155 g | 950 ml |
| km 40 → 55 | 0 h 45 | 55 g | 350 ml |
| km 55 → 87 | 2 h 11 | 165 g | 1,000 ml |
The key section is the first one: there's no feed station until km 40, so you leave Siena with full bottles and about 155 g of carbs on you (for example, 3 gels and a bar).
Not going to take 5 h? In WinWatts you set your target time and the feed stations, and you see these sections with your real pace on each climb. You can also compare scenarios: what changes if you go faster or slower.
Medio Fondo Strade Bianche: weather in early March
What the weather was like on the first weekend of March in recent editions:
| Year | Low | High | Rain | Max wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 4 ºC | 8 ºC | 0.0 mm | 18 km/h |
| 2023 | 7 ºC | 12 ºC | 0.0 mm | 4 km/h |
| 2024 | 11 ºC | 14 ºC | 1.4 mm | 29 km/h |
| 2025 | 11 ºC | 16 ºC | 0.0 mm | 12 km/h |
| 2026 | 12 ºC | 16 ºC | 0.1 mm | 8 km/h |
Your Gran Fondo Strade Bianche, tailored to you
This guide uses a typical rider. In WinWatts we calculate it with your data:
- Your time, average power and finish time from your FTP and weight.
- The race-day forecast for each section, and what to wear.
- Your food and drink plan kilometre by kilometre, with your gels, bars and bottles.
- Your training plan until Sunday 7 March 2027, adjusted every week to how you're doing.
WinWatts is not affiliated with the organisers of the Gran Fondo Strade Bianche. Dates, routes, schedules and registration: official website. Gran Fondo route measured on the official 2026 GPX (the official climbing is higher than the track's); feed stations from the official 2025 guide; weather from past editions (Open-Meteo). For guidance only: it doesn't replace advice from a health professional.