Giancarlo Brocci makes 70: protagonist with the Eroica of the territory and social commitment

Today, Giancarlo Brocci turns 70 and is as mature as the bicycles he has brought to the headlines around the world, as a means of reviving cultures and traditions that were fading too fast.

Giancarlo Brocci, born in Gaiole in Chianti on 4 March 1954, is a rare figure who can undoubtedly be classified as a propheta in patria. One could almost call him a Jacques Cousteau of the Tuscan countryside, because he has been able to make a significant impact on his home territory, contributing in a tangible way to the preservation of the natural environment of his land, promoting community pride and driving the development of sustainable tourism. With the effect of leaving a lasting imprint on the world of tourism and cycling, because thanks to the galaxy that revolves around the Eroica, which he developed with so many friends (mostly local with the exception of Livio Iacovella), the lands of Siena and especially Chianti have become a 'slow' destination, after the world discovered the pleasure of knowing how to savour them slowly, enjoying not only their magnificent views but also their art, architecture and good food.

The Eroica with a capital E has become a fixed appointment for the area, a watershed in the promotion of tourism and an opportunity to teach the world what it meant to create permanent routes from an event. And from there was born an official franchise of events on every continent (just a month ago, it even landed in Cuba) and, above all, a movement that, for more than 25 years, has set in motion the passion and business for the restoration of vintage bicycles and their use in more or less competitive or goliardic occasions, under the banner of friendship and unhurried discovery of the territory. It has also given rise to many unofficial satellite events that have multiplied the world's desire to ride with clothes and vehicles otherwise abandoned in cellars or attics.

Giancarlo Brocci con Felice Gimondi e un auto d’epoca del team Bianchi

Including the creation of the Eroica Pro and the Giro Bio, as well as other dreams from the drawer yet to be realised, Brocci is credited with the paternity of the quest for a cycling style that does not forget the values of yesteryear, with man, challenge, fatigue, spirit, mental strength at its centre, in a clean way and without technological assistance. But his greatest merit, also studied repeatedly at an academic level, is having demonstrated how preserving so many of Tuscany's so-called 'white roads', keeping them from being asphalted - as demanded by the desire for greater speed, safety and comfort in the transport of goods and people - was a key ingredient in the enhancement of the area, because it was able to motivate and select incoming visitors, while at the same time strengthening the region's economy and conservation strategies.

Overall, Giancarlo Brocci's role in initiating and nurturing the vintage cycling event Eroica was instrumental in promoting the cultural heritage of the Chianti region, fostering community pride and driving the development of sustainable tourism.