From White Roads To Falling Leaves Quiz

Answer: Strade Bianche

Although it was only first run in 2007, Strade Bianche has quickly become one of the cycling calendar's most prestigious races, so much so that it has been mooted that it become cycling's "sixth monument". Held in early March, the race starts in the ancient city of Siena and winds its way through the beautiful Tuscan countryside for 184 kilometres before finishing in the Piazza del Campo, the traditional home of the Palio, the ancient horse race. The distinguishing feature of Strade Bianche is the 60 kilometres of the race that traverse the traditional white gravel roads or "sterrati" characteristic of the region and from where the race derives its name; Strade Bianche translating to "white roads" in English. These are divided into eleven sectors are varying length and difficulty.

The first edition of the race was held in October 2007 and was won by the Russian rider, Alexandr Kobolev. From 2008, it moved to its now traditional spot of the first or second Saturday in March. The legendary Swiss powerhouse that was Fabian Cancellara became the first rider to win the race on three occasions when he added the 2016 title to his wins in 2008 and 2012.

Answer: Tirreno-Adriatico

Tirreno-Adriatico started out life in 1966 as a three day stage race called "Tre Giorni de Sud" (Three Days of the South) to serve as a preparation race for Italian riders attempting to win Milan-Sanremo, the first of cycling's five monuments to be held. In fact, for many years, it was known as the "servant race" in Italy. The first winner was the Italian rider, Dino Zandegu. The race developed over the years and, from 2002, became a seven stage race which is highly prestigious in its own right and which usually attracts a stellar field. The race runs from west to east between Italy's Tyrrhenian and Adriatic coastlines taking in the regions of Tuscany, Umbria, Le Marche and Abruzzo. Although the route varies each years, from 1967, it has always finished in San Benedetto del Tronto on the Adriatic coast. This route has led to it being called "le corsa dei due mare" (the race of the two seas).

One of the distinguishing features of Tirreno-Adriatico is that it runs from a Wednesday to the following Tuesday which allows riders who are taking part in Milan-San Remo the following Saturday time to recover. The trophy presented to the winner is a large gilded trident known as the Master of the Sea Trophy. The roll of honour of its winners include some of the most illustrious names in cycling.

Answer: Milan-San Remo

At an average distance of 298 kilometres, Milan-San Remo, or "La Classicissima" as it is known, is the longest one-day race on the professional cycling calendar. It is also the first of the major classic races and the first of cycling's monuments, the five most prestigious one day races in the sport, to be held every year. Milan-San Remo is normally held on the third Saturday of March and runs from Milan through to and along the Ligurian coastline to the seaside resort of San Remo where the traditional finish is on the Via Roma. Milan-San Remo is often referred to as the "sprinter's classic" as the predominantly flatter route favours the heavier, faster men than the more traditionally hillier events. However, the two iconic climbs of the Cipressa and the Poggio, both which come inside the final 30 kilometres and after nearly seven hours of hard racing, usually mean that mass brunch sprints into the finish are not as common as would first be thought.

The other issue, besides the distance, which often plays a big role in the results of the race is the notoriously unpredictable weather of the northern Italian spring in March. A prime example is the 2013 edition where the race had to be stopped, shortened by 32 kilometres and riders taken to the new resumption point to finish the race because of heavy snowfall and sub-zero temperatures. The images of rider's helmets hanging with icicles were extraordinary, even in a sport known for its toughness. Milan-San Remo was first officially run in 1907 where it covered 286 kilometres and was won by the Frenchman, Lucien Petit-Breton.

Answer: Tour of the Alps

The Tour of the Alps is a good example of a once small race that reinvented itself and found a niche in the crowded cycling calendar that has allowed it to blossom into a prestigious event. It started out in 1962 as a single stage race known as the Giro del Trentino after the Italian area its route traversed. A 1963 edition was held, but then until 1979 it disappeared from the calendar. From 1979 when it restarted, it underwent a a number of incarnations until in 2017, it was rebranded as the five stage Tour of the Alps. The route was expanded to take in the Euroregion of Trentino and South Tyrol in Italy combined with the Tyrol region in Austria.

The secret of its success is twofold. It is traditionally held in the first or second week in April and finishes two weeks before the start of the Giro d'Italia. It is also characterised by short, steep mountainous stages which allows riders preparing for the Grand Tour to fine tune their condition without risking overtiring themselves. This makes it an ideal race for general classification hopefuls and climbers in particular and ensures that it normally attracts a stellar field. The first edition of the new race in 2017 was won by Geraint Thomas.

Answer: Giro d'Italia

For three weeks in late May and early June, Italy goes pink to celebrate the passage of "La Corsa Rosa", Italy's own Grand Tour, the Giro d'Italia. One of only three Grand Tours, the three week stage races in cycling, the Giro is second only in importance and prestige to the Tour de France. The origins of the Giro were, in fact, inspired by the inception and success of the Tour de France. In this case the newspaper direly in need of a boost to sales was La Gazetta dello Sport, who hoped that the Giro could do for them what the Tour de France had done for L'Equipe, the French newspaper who started the Tour de France. The first edition rolled off the start line in Milan's Loreto Place on 13 May 1909 and was won by Luigi Ganna. The Giro is the first of the Grand Tours to be held each season and has only once departed from its traditional spring slot and that came in 2020 with the Covid pandemic, where it was postponed to the October of that year.

The race route changes annually, but it always includes 21 stages held over 23 or 24 days depending on route logistics. Why "La Corsa Rosa" and why a pink leader's jersey, you might ask? Aah, the answer is actually quite simple. La Gazetta dello Sport was, and still is, printed on pink paper. The pink jersey or "maglia rosa" to denote the overall leader of the race was introduced in the 1931 edition and the first wearer after stage one in that year was Italy's Learco Guerra. The Giro is also part of the Triple Crown of Cycling; to win the Tour de France, the Giro and the World Road Race Championships in one season. This treble is considered to be the most difficult feat in cycling.

Answer: Gran Fondo

If ever an example of the popularity of cycling in Italy was needed, then surely the concept of the Gran Fondo provides it. A Gran Fondo, which translates into English as "big ride", is a long distance mass participation event, a style of bike racing which originated in Italy in 1970. The first Gran Fondo, "Nove Colli" (Nine Hills) was held on 12 July 1970 in Cesenatico, a port on Italy's Adriatic coast. The concept exploded in popularity and today Gran Fondos are defined and certified by the Italian Cycling Federation. For an event to be classified as a Gran Fondo, it has to meet three criteria. It must be at least 120 kilometres long, riders must be individually chip-timed and there must be prizes for each age category.

There are now over 100 certified Gran Fondos in Italy which are usually held between February and October each year. The original event that started it all, "Nove Colli", still exists and is considered to be Italy's largest cycling event, attracting between 12 000 and 13 000 riders annually. The popularity of the style prompted the Union Cycliste Internationale, cycling's governing body, to establish, in 2016, a Gran Fondo Series which attracts both amateur and professional riders.

Answer: Milano - Torino

Milano-Torino holds the distinction of being cycling's oldest classics race with the first edition being run between the two northern Italian cities of Milan and Turin over a distance of 150 kilometres in 1876. This event drew eight riders on their trusty metal steeds of whom only four finished. The winner was Italy's Paulo Magretti in a time of 10 hours and 9 minutes and he was one hour ahead of the second placed rider. Compare this to the 2022 edition which was run over 199 kilometres and was won by Britain's Mark Cavendish in a time of 4 hours 31 minutes and 22 seconds.

Miano-Torino could be considered to be the yo-yo of the cycling calendar. It has constantly switched between its original early spring spot in March where it was considered to be a great preparation race for the first monument of the season, Milan-San Remo, to an autumn spot in October. The reason for this switch is mainly due to the unpredictable weather conditions in northern Italy in early spring. In its autumn spot, it is usually held after the annual World Championships and provides an opportunity for riders to show off their newly acquired jerseys. However only two new World Champions have managed to win Milano-Torino in the rainbow stripes, namely Gianni Bugno in 1992 and Laurent Jalabert in 1994.

Answer: Trofeo Alfredo Binda

The increase in popularity of women's bike racing led the UCI, the sport's governing body, to create firstly a Women's World Road Cup in 2008 and then to upgrade this to a Women's World Tour in 2016. One of the stalwarts of both events is an Italian race called the Trofeo Alfredo Binda or Trofeo Alfredo Binda-Commune di Cittiglio to give it its full name, which was first held in 1974. This one day race which always finishes with a circuit around the town of Cittiglio in Italy's Lombardy region was created to pay homage to one of the greatest Italian cyclists, Alfredo Binda, who was born in Cittiglio. It is one of the oldest women's races and is considered to be a prestigious spring classic.

The race is usually held in early March and the route is hilly before a flat run into the finish which lead to an exciting finale. The first edition in 1974 was won by Italy's Guiseppina Micheloni and the first World Tour edition in 2016 was taken by Britain's, Lizzie Armistead.

Answer: Trittico Regione Lombardia

Autumn in northern Italy is a beautiful time of the year and it is both the time and the place on the calendar for a number of prestigious one day classics, which, although not as well known as their counterparts that are run in spring, are equally popular with the professional peloton and the Italian cycling fans. Three of these venerable races have been grouped together to form the Trittico Regione Lombardia or the Lombardy Tryptich. The winner is the rider who fares best over all three races. The three races are the Tre Valli Varesine which starts in Varesi and was first held in 1919; the Coppa Ugo Agostino, first held in 1946 and named after the Italian cyclist who won the 1914 Milan-Sanremo and who was killed in World War II, and the Coppa Bernocchi, named after the Italian businessman, Antonio Bernocchi, who, together with his brothers, founded the race in 1919.

The first edition of the series was run in 1977 with the winner being the great Italian rider, Francesco Moser. The series then disappeared and the component races were held as individual events until 1997 when the grouping was reintroduced. The winner on that occasion was the aptly named Giovanni Lombardi.

Answer: Il Lombardia

With both the location of its route and its spot on the cycling calendar, it is easy to see why Il Lombardia, the final monument of the year, is known as "La classica della fogle morte" or "The race of the falling leaves". This prestigious autumn classic is held in October after the World Championships and is set in the beautiful area of Lombardy and the Lepontine Alps with their snow capped peaks, deep blue lakes and verdant foliage sporting their autumn colours. It is traditionally the last European race of the men's World Tour calendar and normally attracts a stellar field of riders who are hoping to finish their season with a win in this important race. It was first held in 1905 when it was known as Milano-Milano. The winner on that occasion was Italy's Giovanni Gerbi. The race name changed in 1907 when it became the Giro de Lombardia, a name that remained until 2012 when it was rechristened Il Lombardia.

The race distance, as one would expect of a monument, is hefty, usually around 250 kilometres and, although the race route has undergone significant changes over the years, at least five to six significant climbs are included every year, making Il Lombardia the "climber's classic". No matter how many changes there have been, one thing on the route has remained constant and has become the symbol of the race. This is the iconic 10.4 kilometre climb of the Madonna del Ghisallo from the town of Bellagio and then the fast descent from its peak to the finish line. Il Lombardia seldom disappoints for those wanting an exciting finale.