Think of cycling in Tuscany and you immediately envision beautiful white gravel - the iconic Strade Bianche, but this is Grinduro and the event series sets out to flip the script on all norms. The latest edition held at the end of September was no different, as Paul Errington reports.
From day one the Grinduro vision was simple - how far can you push the limits of gravel bikes and at what point would a mountain bike be faster? Every round of the Grinduro Global series has this in mind and if a rider gets to the finish line still not knowing what the perfect bike would have been, then Grinduro consider that a win!
For 2024, Grinduro Italia had taken up residence at the Hotel Massa Vecchia in Massa Marittima, in the south-west of Tuscany. An area well known for its mountain biking, holding Grinduro Italia here was always going to offer riding on the more technical side of the gravel spectrum.
As always, the Grinduro event started with riders arriving on the Friday to set up their camp, ride the Schwalbe sponsored prologue and enjoy the weekend’s first few beers. With an onsite MTB skills loop and pump track this was definitely not going to be your stock gravel event.
The event village was populated by the series supporters, with Shimano also taking care of the coffees for the weekend with a top-notch barista. Also in attendance was the round’s host brand Scott who showcased a performance flat bar gravel bike (I think the course may have inspired such a set up…). Leatt, Odlo, Wahoo, Gravel Union and Crank Brothers were also in attendance.
Saturday was the main event - a 100km loop roughly halved by a lunch break back at the event village. Included within the overall distance were four times stages – a flat-out gravel road, a singletrack descent, a road climb and XC MTB style undulating downhill, which included a few efforts (as all the best undulating trails do). The perfect bike? I was still undecided.
The roll out was steady and the climbing was initially delivered quite civilly. Even at this early stage there were hints of the interesting singletrack to come. The first feed station came up prior to riding a timed stage. It was hosted by a beautiful agriturismo and riders were offered espresso and cake, along with stunning views out to the Mediterranean. Not long after the feed station came a stiff climb, signed appropriately in true Grinduro spirit. It was not oversold and the dance on the bike of trying to maintain forward motion, keeping the front wheel on the ground while maintaining traction started for a while, before giving way to some sublime forest singletrack.
“Stage 1 - the flat-out gravel road. Let a few other riders go to have something to aim for. A seated 40 km/h as the back wheel shifts violently side to side through deeper looser gravel. Pass three riders, but then one comes back round. Someone to work with at least. Make a left-hand turn and pass again the rider, but they throttle back so now alone, the road points slightly uphill, so dig a bit deeper. Left turn and now flat out again. Sat on the rivet of the saddle. Can see a few riders up ahead so measure the effort to catch them and then finish. Ouch! The effort is felt.”
Directly after the stage was a feed station and a chance to regroup with my riding partner for the day Dave. He had endured the epic drive from the UK to get to the event and was being rewarded by chasing me around all day.
When transitioning between stages at a Grinduro you can get lost in the mix a little. The transition sections are not timed so you can relax, chat to other riders, take in the views, spot another Fiat Panda 4x4 for the 100th time that day, wonder if you could drive one back to the UK and then the next stage is upon you.
“Stage 2, the ‘Canyon’, a singletrack descent. This is where any time I have made on the previous stage can be comfortably lost for me. I haven’t pre-ridden the course, so I have no idea what is about to come next between the start and the finish line. There is a group of riders at the start line each affording the one in front a comfortable gap. I watch ex World Cup XC MTB rider Marco Fontana sprint into the stage on his flat bar Scott gravel bike. Maybe this stage is less techie than I thought? The stage is initially a little wider than singletrack and is rocky. On a 40mm tyre and drop bars speed is your friend as you try and stay on top of everything. Then the canyon part starts. A high banked singletrack trails snakes downhill in a quick succession of turns. My time loss through this stage is palpable and towards the end I have to give up my line for a faster rider. Not the fastest ride through this section but one I hugely enjoyed.”
An easy pedal down the road back to the event village and lunch. It’s an extended stop as we wait for the afternoon’s stages to be open, so there’s no harm in enjoying another coffee while waiting.
Out on the afternoon’s loop the riding is just sublime. So much fun singletrack to ride coupled with just amazing views. At one point we ride a loop inside the town of Massa Marittima’s walls.
“Stage 3, the road climb. Though not the ‘funnest’, this was likely to be my best stage. A road climb of just short of 4km at a gradient that afforded a decent gear. Out the saddle from the start then settle into a pace just on the uncomfortable side but maintainable. Plenty of riders on the climb to work through and one that seemed to be a much slower catch, so they were the focus. Final out the saddle effort as the finish comes in to sight and then it was time to zone out again and look for more Fiat Pandas.”
As eluded to earlier, this was not your usual tour of Tuscany. I was blown away by how much great singletrack had been packed in to the route. Everything had such a great flow to it and with a little rain in the preceding days, the dirt was just perfect.
“Stage 4, the XC vibe stage. Let’s get this wrapped up. As I rolled up on the start line, riders were prepping - emptying their bottles and lowering tyre pressures. I opted for a more casual approach and just dived straight in. After a few metres I was already hanging a foot out to make an off-camber turn, then sprinting when the track straightened. Without the descending prowess of many, my approach was more brute force. As flat out as possible when the terrain allowed to average out the slower more considered approach to the technical elements or slower turns. I was deeply confused when confronted by a hard right turn into a river crossing which likely dashed any hope of a higher standing in the results. But hey this is Grinduro, so you take what you are given and enjoy the riding.”
With the race element done, it was then time to enjoy the equally matched party element.
Good music, fun people and a lively bar. With an early exit planned on Sunday morning to drive back to the UK, my approach was more reserved than other Grinduro Saturday parties I have attended, but it was no less enjoyable.
Even though the years have passed since the creation of Grinduro, the vibe still remains the same. Arrive, have a coffee, have a beer, meet old friends, make new friends, enjoy another beer, listen to some cool music, get matching tattoos, ride some bikes. It’s the Grinduro way. Performance with party. Competitively social!
Fantastic images courtesy of supersnapper Erwin Sikkens