READ THE FULL GRAN FONDO STRADE BIANCHE REVIEW →
Tuscany's white gravel sectors to Piazza del Campo.
Gran Fondo Strade Bianche threads nine to ten sectors of compacted clay that turn to dusty highways when dry and grey paste when wet, linked by fast paved roads with constant punchy climbs. Surfaces mix smooth tarmac and rough strade bianche; the demand is handling shifting traction and repeated short efforts, not one sustained climb.
For the experienced rider training seven to eleven hours a week, this twelve-week plan spaces demanding sessions with deliberate recovery, building the bike-handling and punchy-climbing fitness Strade Bianche's white gravel sectors demand, and the legs to still handle Via Santa Caterina's cobbled ramp late in the ride.
INSIDE THE MASTERS PLAN — 7–11 HR/WK
Includes zone-tailored structured rides for your devices, built-in strength with video walkthroughs, heat protocols for when your race calls for them, peloton skills workouts, nutrition and hydration guidance, and recovery-first Masters 50+ structuring.
The Complete Gran Fondo Strade Bianche Guide — training, tactics, gear, and race-day execution.
WANT A DIFFERENT GRAN FONDO STRADE BIANCHE PLAN?
Questions? Great. Hit me up at support@roadielabs.com.
Hey, I'm Matti. I spent 11 years at TrainingPeaks, where they trusted me to teach coaches how to coach at TrainingPeaks University. I raced Amateur Elite with Rio Grande Cycling Team and podiumed my age group at Unbound 200 in 2026. I have a degree in biology and exercise physiology from St. Olaf. I'm also a middle-aged dad of three, so I know training doesn't happen in a vacuum. I help gravel riders get stupidly fast without becoming the person who brings a food scale to a party