Grand Tour of the Val di Merse
The trail of the Grand Tour of the Val di Merse is fully marked, and is about 173 kilometers long with a positive elevation gain of 3100 meters. To be ridden counter-clockwise, it is mostly on paved secondary roads and partly on dirt roads; four dirt sections for a total of 12 kilometers, two sections correspond to the route of the Strade Bianche (Dirt Roads) professional race and one to the route of the Eroica. Note for those who use Road Bikes: we advise at Passo Incrociati not to turn right onto the dirt road of Cetina/Poggio ai Legni, as indicated by the signpost, but to continue downhill on the pavement until Pievescola where, at the roundabout with the statue "Il Fungo Innamorato" (The Mushroom In Love), you turn right to reconnect with the signposted route in Località Scorgiano.
The route is presented here in its entirety but, depending on your level of training, you can of course divide it into two or more stages. Our advice is to do it over several days to allow time to enjoy the pleasure of the journey. The green route, being loop-shaped, can provide for departure in any of the six Municipalities located along the route, where you can find fixed services, such as water fountains, defibrillators, electric-charging stations for e-bikes, bike lounges where you can stop to access maps and gather information on the trails. The itinerary will allow you to discover the authentic and precious heart of Tuscany. The medieval villages of Chiusdino, Monticiano, Murlo, Sovicille, Casole d'Elsa and Radicondoli are not artificial tourist attractions: here stones and people live their daily lives as perfectly integrated islands in an atmosphere that jealously preserves something ancient and genuine.
Today this fascinating area knows only boundless peace and offers dreamy roads to all cycle tourists in search of small secrets and great discoveries.
The itinerary develops 90% on secondary roads with low traffic index, stretching over a vast area that from the heart of the Montagnola Senese reaches the southern offshoots of the Elsa and Cecina valleys, rolling south to the Ombrone Valley, lapping the northern part of the Maremma around Grosseto, and then crossing the scenic clay sea of the Crete Senesi that accompanies us to the gates of Siena.
In a typically hilly territory characterized by an astonishing variety of natural environments, discovering the Val di Merse by bicycle is the best way to appreciate the natural and artistic treasures this shy and wonderful land has to offer.
Itinerary by stradedisiena.it