10 Best Gravel Events in Italy: Races, Rides & Bikepacking Adventures

Why Italy is such a strong destination for gravel cycling

Italy compresses an unusual amount of cycling variety into a relatively small country. White roads in Tuscany, vineyard tracks in Veneto, Apennine plateaus in Abruzzo, riverbanks and rural lanes in the north, forest roads, old pilgrimage corridors and secondary roads all create very different versions of gravel without requiring a single definition of the discipline.

That is important because gravel is not one sport with one ideal course. Some riders come from road cycling and want speed on unpaved roads. Others want a bikepacking route where the GPS track replaces race signage. Mountain bikers may look for technical descents and singletrack. Touring riders may care more about landscape, food and villages than a finishing time. The Italian calendar contains credible examples of all four approaches.

The terrain also changes the equipment problem. Compact white roads reward efficiency; loose descents reward grip and confidence; exposed mountain routes make weather management more important; long unsupported events put more pressure on lighting, power, repairs and carrying capacity. A useful calendar guide should therefore explain what the event asks from you, not simply where it takes place.

10 gravel events in Italy at a glance

The table below separates format from distance and adds the current or next announced edition. That makes it easier to compare events that may look similar on a calendar but demand very different preparation.

1The Hills Gravel Race

The Hills is the clearest pure race in this selection. The 2026 edition started and finished in Susegana, in the Prosecco Hills area of Veneto, on a 120 km course with 2,300 metres of climbing and a claimed 95% off-road surface. That immediately separates it from all-road events that mix timed sectors with social riding and from self-supported bikepacking formats.

The difficulty is not just the distance. A predominantly unpaved race requires repeated changes in traction, cadence and line choice. Climbs can force accelerations; descents reward riders who remain relaxed on loose surfaces; groups can generate dust; and the speed of the event makes equipment mistakes more expensive than they would be on a relaxed tour.

Who should choose The Hills?

It makes most sense for riders who actively want a competitive day: gravel racers, strong road cyclists moving off-road, experienced gran fondo riders or mountain bikers who are comfortable with sustained speed on mixed terrain. If your main objective is sightseeing or an unhurried social ride, one of the no-race or Eroica formats below will probably fit better.

Official information: The Hills Gravel Race. The 2027 date was not published when this guide was checked.

2Nova Eroica Buonconvento

Nova Eroica Buonconvento uses a format that is easy to misunderstand if you think only in terms of “race” or “ride”. The event alternates timed sectors with free-paced sections. You can push hard where the stopwatch matters, then regroup, recover and experience the landscape without racing every kilometre.

Its setting is one of the strongest reasons to go: the white roads around Buonconvento and the Crete Senesi combine fast gravel, rolling terrain, open views and the visual identity that has made Tuscany synonymous with all-road cycling. The format works particularly well here because it lets riders experience the landscape without removing competitive intensity altogether.

Why it differs from a conventional gravel race

A full gas start-to-finish event rewards continuous race execution. Nova Eroica instead asks you to switch modes: race a sector, recover, ride socially, then focus again. That makes pacing less linear and creates a broader appeal. Strong riders can chase performance, while riders who care more about the route can still take part without treating the whole day as one uninterrupted time trial.

Official information and route choices: Nova Eroica Buonconvento.

3Veneto Gravel

Veneto Gravel is not simply a very long gravel ride. The organiser defines it as a non-competitive cycling adventure on paved roads, white roads and trails, with the course open to normal traffic. The 2027 edition is scheduled for 7–12 May with start and finish in Bassano del Grappa and four route options.

This changes the rider's job completely. There is no peloton to hide in and no single race pace to manage. You need to navigate, decide when to stop, carry what the route requires and remain self-sufficient enough to deal with common mechanical and logistical problems. The Classic route announced for 2027 is 720 km with 4,300 metres of climbing, so comfort and continuity become performance variables in their own right.

The real difficulty: staying functional for a long time

On long bikepacking routes, the hardest problem is often not one climb or one technical sector. It is the accumulation of small issues: hands that become sore, a light that was not charged properly, food that becomes difficult to eat, a bag that rubs a cable, glasses that become uncomfortable after ten hours or a navigation mistake made when tired. Preparation is therefore about reducing avoidable friction.

Official 2027 information: Veneto Gravel.

4Tuscany Trail

Tuscany Trail is built around a simple idea: the route is the objective, not the ranking. It is a no-race bikepacking event for gravel and mountain bikes, run on a fixed GPS track with no stopwatch. Riders choose their pace, decide where to stop and manage the experience as a journey.

For 2027, the organiser has announced start/accreditation dates of 19, 20 and 21 May in Campiglia Marittima, with an Original route of about 440 km, an Original + Detour option and a shorter 160 km Newbie route. That shorter option is useful because it creates a more realistic entry point for riders who want the Tuscany Trail atmosphere without immediately committing to the full multi-day distance.

Why Tuscany Trail has a different kind of difficulty

Without a race clock, it is tempting to assume the event is easy. It is not. Self-supported distance still asks for off-road handling, navigation, repair capability, lighting, weather judgement and the ability to organise food and rest. What changes is the decision-making freedom: you can slow down, stop for a village or a meal and shape the route around your own rhythm.

That freedom is precisely why the event suits riders who see gravel as travel. If your ideal memory is not your placing but the sequence of white roads, villages, forests, conversations and long hours in the landscape, Tuscany Trail is one of the most coherent choices in this guide.

Official information: Tuscany Trail.

5Nova Eroica Prosecco Hills

Nova Eroica Prosecco Hills applies the same race-ride-relax concept as Buonconvento to a very different landscape. Instead of long Tuscan white roads, the route moves through the steep, tightly folded terrain of the Conegliano Valdobbiadene hills, where changes in gradient and direction can come quickly.

The timed-sector format means you can ride the event in two ways at once. Push when a segment matters, then use the free-paced sections to recover and enjoy the surroundings. This is particularly useful in punchy terrain because repeated hard efforts can become expensive if you treat every climb as a race.

What the Prosecco Hills change

Short steep ramps reward appropriate gearing. Descents can arrive before you have fully recovered from the climb. Open vineyard roads can alternate with shaded lanes, so visual conditions may change quickly. A balanced setup—rather than the most aerodynamic or lightest possible setup—usually makes more sense when grip, braking, climbing and comfort all matter in the same ride.

Official information: Nova Eroica Prosecco Hills.

6Trail dei Papi

Trail dei Papi turns gravel into a long journey through Lazio. The 2026 edition covered roughly 600 km and 8,000 metres of climbing over six days, starting and finishing at the event village in Bracciano. The route links white roads, inland towns and places with a strong historical identity rather than treating the region as a neutral backdrop.

The event is especially interesting for riders who want bikepacking with a narrative. Long-distance cycling can become visually repetitive when a route is designed only around distance. Here the attraction is the combination of endurance and place: the rider keeps moving through different parts of Lazio while managing the practical demands of a multi-day gravel adventure.

A useful difference: the route now exists beyond event week

After the 2026 edition, the organiser announced that the Trail dei Papi track is also available as a permanent route that can be ridden independently. That gives prospective participants an unusual advantage: the event can be a goal in itself, but the territory can also be explored outside the official dates.

Official information: Trail dei Papi.

7Nova Eroica Gran Sasso

Nova Eroica Gran Sasso shifts the Eroica concept into the Abruzzo Apennines. The 2026 event was based in Castel del Monte and offered several routes, including gravel-specific options through the Gran Sasso National Park. The longest gravel route listed by the organiser was 141 km with 2,730 metres of elevation gain.

This is a different environmental problem from Tuscany or the Prosecco Hills. Open plateaus, altitude, wind exposure and mountain weather can make a route feel harder than the numbers alone suggest. The rider needs enough climbing fitness, but also the ability to regulate clothing, remain stable in wind and keep concentration when the landscape feels more remote.

Why mountain gravel needs a wider safety margin

On a sheltered rolling route, a poor clothing choice may simply be uncomfortable. In exposed mountains, changing temperature and wind can become more consequential. The same principle applies to mechanical preparation: a small issue is easier to manage when services are nearby than when the next useful stop is far away.

Official information: Nova Eroica Gran Sasso. A 2027 date had not been published when this guide was checked.

8Jeroboam Italy

Jeroboam is useful for riders who dislike the idea that every gravel event should offer one fixed challenge. The 2026 Italian series included a 600 km Mathusalem, 75/150 km Classic distances and a 300 km bikepacking format, creating a progression from one-day riding to much longer endurance.

At the time of this update, the next Italian Jeroboam date is the 300 km bikepacking event on 26–27 September 2026. The organiser describes it as a two-day route through the Bergamo valleys, with a start and finish in Bergamo and a mandatory halfway stop. That structure gives it a different character from completely open-ended ultra bikepacking: it is still an adventure, but with a defined rhythm.

Why this format can be a good progression tool

One of the most useful ways to develop as an endurance rider is to add one variable at a time. A rider can learn mixed-surface pacing on a shorter event, then add distance, then add bags and overnight logistics. A series with different distances makes that progression easier to visualise than jumping directly from a Sunday ride to an ultra-distance target.

Official information: Jeroboam Gravel Series.

9Gravel Gourmet

Gravel Gourmet is a useful reminder that gravel does not need to become a race or an ultra-distance test to be meaningful. The event is built around the Parma Valleys and the idea that the route should connect landscape with the food culture of Italy's Food Valley.

For the 2026 edition, the main Sunday ride on 4 October offers 41 km and 70 km routes starting and finishing in Collecchio, with food stops integrated into the experience. The weekend begins on Saturday 3 October, and the organiser also provides a family option. This makes the event structurally different from every long-distance adventure in the list.

Who benefits most from a non-race format?

Not every rider needs an event to prove fitness. Gravel Gourmet makes sense for groups with mixed ability, riders introducing a friend or partner to gravel, experienced cyclists who want a lower-pressure end-of-season weekend, and anyone who sees regional culture as part of why they travel with a bike.

Official information: Gravel Gourmet.

10Grinduro Italy

Grinduro Italy is the outlier in this list—and that is exactly why it belongs here. The organiser describes the format as gravel plus mountain-bike-style enduro on one route that alternates pavement and dirt. Timed stages sit inside a broader day that also includes food, music and a festival atmosphere.

The 2026 Italian edition is scheduled for 26 September in Massa Marittima, at the Bike Hotel Massa Vecchia area. The surrounding trail network means line choice, cornering and descending confidence can matter as much as the ability to hold a steady endurance pace.

Why road fitness alone may not be enough

A very fit road cyclist can still lose time—and enjoyment—if every loose corner creates tension. Technical riding rewards relaxed arms, good vision, predictable braking and the confidence to let the bike move beneath you. If your gravel training has been almost entirely on smooth white roads, add controlled practice on rougher surfaces before choosing a format like this.

Official information: Grinduro Italy.

How to choose the right gravel event in Italy

The most useful question is not “Which event is the biggest?” It is “Which format matches the experience I actually want?” Use the framework below before you compare travel cost, distance or prestige.

1. Decide how much autonomy you want

A supported one-day event and a self-supported multi-day route can have similar scenery but completely different risk profiles. If you do not enjoy route planning, charging devices, carrying tools or deciding where to stop, do not choose bikepacking simply because the landscape looks attractive.

2. Separate distance from difficulty

Kilometres do not tell the whole story. Surface, elevation, technicality, weather exposure, support and how hard you intend to ride can change the meaning of the same distance. A shorter technical race may feel more demanding than a longer social route; a multi-day no-race event can be harder to manage than a fast one-day event even without competitive intensity.

3. Match the event to the rider you are now

Choose based on your current experience, not the rider you hope to become by registration day. You can always progress from a shorter route to a longer one, from supported riding to self-supported bikepacking, or from smooth gravel to technical terrain. A good event stretches your capabilities without making every basic task unfamiliar at the same time.

How to prepare for an Italian gravel event

Preparation should follow the format. The goal is not to create one universal gravel checklist; it is to test the variables your event will actually expose.

For races: reduce decisions

In a competitive event, every unnecessary decision costs attention. Know your bottle strategy, pressure range, tool location and clothing before the start. The faster the event, the less useful it is to improvise basic setup choices on course.

For bikepacking: test the system, not only the legs

A long route is a system test. Bike, bags, lights, charging, navigation, repair tools, food access and clothing must work together. Ride the fully loaded bike before the event and include at least one test in poor light or darkness if your planned schedule could extend beyond daylight.

For technical events: train vision and braking

Look through the corner rather than at the obstacle directly in front of the wheel. Brake before the corner when possible, enter at a speed you can control and release enough braking force for the tires to generate lateral grip. Smooth technique often saves more energy than attacking every rough section.

Related DEMON gravel guides

Use these deeper guides for preparation topics that would make this event calendar unnecessarily long if repeated here.

Choose the experience first, then build the calendar

The strongest reason to ride gravel in Italy is not that the country has one definitive event. It is that the calendar contains genuinely different ways to ride. You can race through the Prosecco Hills, follow white roads in Tuscany, cross Veneto with bags on the bike, ride through the Apennines, combine food and gravel in Parma or turn a technical route into a festival weekend in Massa Marittima.

That variety gives you a better way to plan a season. Instead of collecting famous names, choose one event that develops speed, another that teaches autonomy, or one that simply takes you somewhere you genuinely want to explore. The event should give your training a purpose without forcing every ride to become a test.

Whichever format you choose, verify the latest organiser information before travelling. Gravel routes change, rules evolve and weather can alter what looks straightforward on a screen. A well-chosen event plus a well-tested setup will do more for the experience than chasing a theoretically perfect bike or a fashionable calendar.