Giancarlo Brocci, creator of the Eroica event on Tuscan gravel roads, told Cycling News that he is eager to host the first UCI-sanctioned gravel world championship. He believes that gravel rides and races will be the new cycling discipline that will allow the sport to break away from modern professional road racing and reconnect people with nature and themselves.

UCI President David LaPartient recently revealed that the sport's governing body is considering the creation of a gravel world championship and is looking at ways to regulate gravel to develop it into a global sport.

While some existing gravel events and gravel riders in the US are opposed to the idea of the UCI taking the lead, Brocci sees a way forward that benefits everyone. [Here in Tuscany, the Strade Bianche gravel road was the inspiration for the original Eroica event.

"We have created something special with Leroyka and events around the world. We have a proven track record in organizing events and I think we can put on some great world championships and events."

"We are very excited to be working with Leroyka,"

"We are very proud to be working with them.

Brocci launched the original L'Eroica event with friends in 1997, attempting to evoke the emotion of the heroic cycling of Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali. The L'Eroica series now takes place around the world and has been copied many times. Participants must use bikes manufactured before 1987 and equipped with traditional pedals, but in recent years other modern eroica events have been added to the calendar, including the Nova Eroica in late April, which takes place on many of the same Tuscan strade Bianche (white roads) modern bikes.

Brocci also organized the under-23 Giro Bio stage races from 2009 to 2012, forcing riders to undergo constant medical checks, sleep in dormitories away from the Directeur Sportif, and spend time together instead of on cell phones and by forcing them to spend time together instead of on their cell phones, he helped to clean up the Italian amateur racing scene.

Brocci believes that by combining the intrinsic value of cycling with gravel riding, a new sport can be created. He visited La Partiente at the UCI headquarters in Aigle, Switzerland, in early January to present his ideas.

"At the entrance to the UCI office there are three big banners: one for road, one for track, and one for mountain biking. I told him we had to make another one," explained Bloch.

"Some people call it gravel, but I prefer to call it Eroico (heroic). Because for me it is a return to the roots and core beliefs of cycling and a departure from the modern robotic sports that have developed. I am not looking back; I want to help the sport move forward.

"Off-road riding, which takes you away from traffic and into nature, has developed rapidly in recent years for a variety of reasons. It may have become a fashion statement for some and a way to sell more bicycles, but it's real and it's really fun. That's what cycling really is."

Brocci hopes that gravel racing can honor these values and inspire people. He wants the race to be "heroic" and it will probably cover 300 km and start at night. Mechanical assistance will not be allowed during the race, and no power meters or computers will be allowed. Also, anti-doping will be very strict and any cheating will be prohibited to ensure the credibility of the event.

Brocci is keen to introduce a minimum body fat percentage to discourage riders from unhealthy, extreme dieting and calculating strength for a certain weight. Drinking is not banned, but rather moderate drinking is encouraged, allowing good riders to socialize with other participants. The best riders would be seen as role models and friends, not elusive stars hiding in hotels and team buses.

Participation, rather than winning at any cost, will shape the spirit of a new form of cycling and racing.

"I do not want to change the current model of professional cycling which is controlled by business interests, sponsors and rights holders. They can keep their version of cycling and we'll see where it goes," Brocci said.

." I want to create a new form of cycling that rekindles the love of the sport, engages everyone, and celebrates the beauty, fatigue, and authenticity of cycling."