The world-famous vintage bike rally L’Eroica is held every year on the first Sunday in October on the dusty ‘white’ roads around Gaiole in Chianti. We interviewed the man who came up with the concept that continues to gather a local and international following—and presence.
TF: How did you come up with the idea of L’Eroica? Was there a particular moment when it sprang to mind?
Gianfranco Brocci: L’Eroica stems from my passion for vintage cycling and great literature. Various extraordinary figures in the world of literature, poets and novelists alike, have written all about cycling. Given my love for both cycling and literature, I’ve read almost all of that has been penned in this genre. I taught myself to read when I was only four years old in the village where I grew up. When I was little, on a Monday morning before I went to school, I would read aloud the stories about cycling—and about Fiorentina, but that’s not as important [laughs]—in the local newspapers La Nazione and Il Mattino di Firenze to the elderly townsfolk at the bar. I linked this idea to the fact that Gaiole in Chianti is a beautiful area for cycling. In 1997, we came up with the idea of L’Eroica, a non-competitive bike ride along the so-called white roads of Gaiole. The aim was twofold: to promote the image of cycling at that time and to safeguard the local environment.
TF: How has the event developed over time?
GB: The first five years were really just a bike ride with a group of friends. Then it began to grow and we welcomed cyclists from other countries. This year we were forced to draw lots for enrolments because we received so many. We met our allowed percentage of applications from overseas within eight hours of opening enrolment. Next year we’ll have to review our registration procedure to come up with the best possible solution. One more thing: by the end of the year we’ll be opening L’Eroica Caffè here in Florence, near piazza Beccaria. We experimented with the idea at the Florence Bike Festival, and it proved a roaring success.
TF: I see that you’ve taken L’Eroica overseas, too.
GB: Yes, we’ve taken L’Eroica to Japan and we’ll be going back there to Fuji Kawaguchiko-machi, in the Yamanashi prefecture, in May 2014. Next year we’ll be taking L’Eroica to England at the end of June, to Sherwood Forest, where there are about 30 kilometres of unpaved trails where the railway once ran, fairly similar to Chianti.
TF: Are you involved in planning and organizing the World Cycling Championships?
GB: While I’m a member on the board organizing the World Cycling Championships, I’ve actually been involved very little with the planning. My name’s there on the list, but I haven’t been very operational. I hope the reason why I haven’t been called upon to help is that they don’t need me.
TF:In your opinion, how important is it for the cycling world that the World Championships are coming here, to Florence and Tuscany?
GB:Without a doubt, it’s important. As a matter of fact, I was able towrite in the dossier that was drawn up when Tuscany applied to hold the Championships that Tuscany needs the Championships as much as the Championships need Tuscany. Tuscany lies at the heart of the world of cycling for many reasons: its history, because the first ever professional races began in Florence, and because here we have a great passion and culture linked to cycling. When one talks about Tuscany, the land of cycling, it’s the absolute truth, historically speaking. Our cyclists have included the likes of Franco Ballerini, Alfredo Martini, Gino Bartali and Gastone Nencini, so from this point of view it only seems proper that Tuscany should hold the Championships.
The world-famous vintage bike rally L’Eroica is held every year on the first Sunday in October on the dusty ‘white’ roads around Gaiole in Chianti. We interviewed the man who came up with the concept that continues to gather a local and international following—and presence.
