EROICA AROUND THE WORLD
1
Sandwiched in between San Francisco and Los Angeles, Paso Robles is archetypal L’Eroica country, with its abundance of singletrack roads, rolling hills, gravel, vineyards and olive groves. The 127-mile long route would make even riders of the Tuscan event weep, with almost 10,000ft of climbing and almost a quarter of the distance on unpaved road. www.eroicacalifornia.com
Montagu, South Africa 2
(April)
Last issue we took you on a tour of the tarmac of South Africa’s Western Cape and this event is based out of the very same town. Road traffic can make riding on these roads a stressful experience, so the abundance of gravel is a godsend, alongside some choice paved sections. Again, wine is at the forefront – this is exceptional vino country. www.eroicasouthafrica.com
Tuscany, Italy (April) 3
This is L’Eroica’s corresponding ‘Primavera,’ or spring, event. Its home is the town of Buonconvento, situated south of Siena and some way from L’Eroica’s Gaiole base, and the long 90-mile route barely touches any of its sister event’s route. With gravel roads and vineyards, however, it’ll feel very familiar. www.eroicaprimavera.com
Mt. Fuji, Japan (May) 4
The Japanese are a stylish bunch so you can imagine they’re in their element donning the vintage clobber for Eiyu, their translation for L’Eroica. Riding in the foothills of the magnificent Mount Fuji, it’s a particularly scenic ride in a calendar of scenic rides, with journeys around five volcanic lakes another highlight of a 60-mile route. www.eroicajapan.cc
Rioja, Spain (June) 5
Where better than this famous wine region for the Spanish edition, though it doesn’t stop with the red stuff; L’Eroica Hispania includes castles, fortresses, watchtowers and various gastronomic delights, as well as a 125-mile route that’s as tough as anything on this calendar. www.eroicahispania.com
Bakewell, UK (June) 6
Trust us Brits to turn L’Eroica up to 11; Eroica Britannia is less a cycling festival, more an extravaganza. Once you have eaten the food, drunk the drink, enjoyed the live music and entertainment, danced at swing night on the Friday evening and popped into the bazaar, you might just about find some time for cycling. www.eroicabritannia.co.uk
Valkenburg, Holland 7
(July)
Famous for hosting the road cycling world championships more times than anywhere else, there are few more appropriate places to stage a L’Eroica event. It’ll be doing just that for the first time on Sunday 3 July, with a route that extends into two other countries, Germany and Belgium, as well a rest stop in the famous Brand brewery! www.eroicalimburg.com
Punta del Este, Uruguay 8
(December)
A new event based out of the Punta del Este peninsula east of capital Montevideo, it ticks all the boxes for a L’Eroica event with some fantastic ocean road stretches thrown in for good measure. www.eroicapuntadeleste.com