Tuscany Trail 2021
Link to Website
https://www.tuscanytrail.it/en/
Event details:
The Tuscany Trail is the first bikepacking event in the world and the first and original “unsupported bicycle adventure”. The Tuscany Trail is a 500-km adventure riding your bike, from North to South “self-supported” as true adventurers of the twenty-first century. A route is loaded on the GPS and the participants start with their own pace, no time limits as venture is a right that must be within everybody’s reach. To date, it is the event in the world with the largest number of participants: 1230.
The route will be one long lap; you decide where & when to stop to eat and where & when (and if) to stop to sleep. Absolute freedom of choice. Follow the whole route thanks to the GPS track that will be sent to you after registering. You have to follow the whole route without shortcuts. Pure riding joy from the first to the last kilometre. No assistance from the organisers, and no support vehicles in tow; just you and your bike. There is no time limit; you decide the pace and the time of arrival at the finish. Regardless it shall be a great adventure.
The search for the “perfect” route began back in 2003 and has not been completed yet. Tuscany is a wonderful region that offers perfect cycling routes. Every year, participants are offered a track that best embodies the experience of the Tuscany Trail. Less and less asphalt, less and less unnecessary kilometres and more and more concentration of beauty. You will cycle on the famous Strade Bianche, through vineyards and dense forests. You will find out that the famous “rolling” hills of Tuscany are not so “rolling” and that there will always be a surprise behind every bend from the start to the finish. The route is varied and includes dirt roads, paths, cart roads and asphalt.
Participating in the Tuscany Trail cannot disregard living a real adventure. Dealing with all the kilometers will not be trivial and, certainly, there will be something unexpected. After all, that is precisely what everyone is looking for. It will be an escape from the daily routine: you will get out of your “comfort zone” and find yourself living whole days with the rhythms dictated by dawn and dusk only. The most adventurous among you will certainly not miss the opportunity to sleep under the starry sky in your tent or just your sleeping bag.
The word “unsupported” must not mislead you. Joining the Tuscany Trail means taking part in a first-class organized event. You will be welcomed the day before your departure in what has become a small “village” in which you can make friends and become acclimatized to the “Tuscany Trail climate”. In the evening, you can sleep in the facility in your own sleeping bag or tent. On your arrival, you will find volunteer staff who will be proud to welcome you after riding all those kilometers and a place where you can take a shower and sleep (always using your sleeping bag or tent). The facility will be open 24 hours a day until the last participant arrives.
The GPS track provided is the result of months of hard work and contains all the best that Tuscany can offer a cyclist.