Entries are now open for the Oxfordshire White Roads Classic - a tough 70 mile sportive inspired by what is possibly the most beautiful professional bike race in the world: the Italian one-day classic known as the Strade Bianche.

This Strade Bianche race is held annually in the hills of Tuscany in early spring, and its most distinctive feature is the inclusion of several old white gravel roads or strade bianche, which are becoming as iconic as the cobbled roads of Roubaix and Flanders.

The White Roads Classic is a non competitive event that features similar sectors of white gravel and chalk roads (nine in total, ranging from 1300m to 2600m in length) on and around the Ridgeway National Trail in Oxfordshire.

The Ridgeway is the oldest road in Britain, dating back at least 5000 years and is the location of many Neolithic, Iron Age, and Bronze Age sites including forts, burial mounds and white chalk horses.

It sits atop the spectacular downland of the North Wessex Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which bears a striking resemblance to the hills of Tuscany. 

The white gravel sectors, which total over 15 kilometres, are mostly flat or slightly downhill and provide an exhilarating riding experience, requiring both power and control. They are concentrated in the last 30 kilometres, where the event builds to a climax.

The event will have an Italian theme, with a variety of Italian foods, espress, and a glass of prosecco for every finisher. Feed stations, a broom wagon and medical support will be provided. There is also the option of a shorter 40 mile route, which skips sectors eight and nine and the first feed station, but is otherwise the same as the full 112 kilometre route. All of the roads used on the route are relatively traffic-free, with the majority of the White Road sectors being closed to all traffic.

The White Roads Classic will be held on Sunday 17 August. Entries are priced at £25.

The event is promoted by V-Sprint Classics, who organised the recent Tour of the Black Country, a Roubaix-inspired sportive featuring 12 cobbled sectors and a velodrome finish.

WHITE ROAD SECTORS