A Dream Beyond the Unexpected

A Dream Beyond the Unexpected

After taking part in the Ultra route of GeoGravel Tuscany – Le Strade Grigie, Edvinas Underavicius shares the story of his journey – even through the night – where fatigue meets the wonder of the landscape.

GeoGravel Tuscany – Le Strade Grigie is one of those experiences that turns into a journey: through dust, rolling hills, silence, and encounters. A route that crosses the most authentic side of Tuscany and that, for those who choose the Ultra distance, becomes a real adventure.

For Edvinas Underavicius, who travelled from Lithuania, tackling the Ultra route in non-stop mode was exactly that: an almost unreal journey through landscapes he had previously seen only on a screen.

The call of Tuscany
When asked what pushed him to take part in GeoGravel Tuscany – Le Strade Grigie, the answer comes simply and naturally.

“The biggest motivation was Tuscany itself,” he says. “And then the Ultra distance. It seemed challenging, but at the same time manageable.”

For many foreign cyclists, riding here is almost a dream: roads cutting through the hills, a poetic atmosphere, rows of cypress trees, colors that look like they belong in a painting. But experiencing it for real, on a gravel bike, completely changes the perspective.

The atmosphere at the star
Once he arrived in Pomarance, Edvinas immediately realized that this race would be something special.The medieval village filled with bicycles, the energy of the riders and of Paolo Bettini, and the atmosphere before the start all left a deep impression on him.

“Seeing so many cyclists in the same place was really exciting. I was also very happy to see many young people involved in the activities before the race. Before the start we received a lot of support from the organizers and from the crowd. It was a huge motivation to begin.”

Riding through wonder
During the race, the emotions arrived almost naturally, kilometer after kilometer.
“Most of the time I felt happy,” he says, “motivated and full of energy thanks to the landscapes of Tuscany. But what struck me the most was the almost unreal feeling of riding through places I had only seen on television before.”

Even in the toughest moments, when fatigue begins to build and the legs start to feel heavy, something changes in the mind. That is where the experience takes on a deeper meaning.

“It doesn’t make things easier physically, but mentally something happens. It’s almost like being inside a dream.”

Riding through the night
Choosing the Ultra route means accepting a particular challenge: riding continuously, kilometer after kilometer, until you inevitably reach the night. And that is exactly when the race changes completely.

“It was cold and sometimes a bit scary, especially on the descents.”

All around there is the silence of the forests. A deep silence, broken only by the sound of tires on gravel or by distant noises coming from the vegetation. Darkness surrounds everything, and the feeling is that of being completely immersed in nature, with no reference points other than the light of your bike.

For Edvinas it was also a personal discovery. “I realized that riding through forests at night scares me a little,” he says with a smile. “And I kept wondering: are there wolves in Tuscany?”

The challenge of the climbs
If the night brought new emotions, the real physical challenge was something else: the climbs. For a cyclist coming from Lithuania, where the landscape is almost entirely flat, the Tuscan hills represent something completely different.

“The hardest part was definitely the climbs,” he explains. “Back home everything is flat, so for me it was really tough.”

The gradients follow one another without pause, forcing riders to constantly change rhythm and putting both legs and endurance to the test. Yet it is exactly this effort that makes GeoGravel Tuscany – Le Strade Grigie so special: climbs one after another, landscapes that keep changing, and the feeling of crossing a more authentic and wild side of Tuscany.

The strongest memory
Among all the images from the race, there is one that Edvinas carries with him more than any other: the moment he arrived at the Piazzone after completing the first lap.
He didn’t expect it, but as soon as he arrived, the people at the party gathered around him to cheer him on. “The people who were there at the party gathered around me to encourage me,” he says.

It was a simple and spontaneous moment, but incredibly powerful. For a brief instant the fatigue faded into the background, and that shared energy gave him a new boost.

“They gave me an incredible push. Thanks to them I found the motivation to keep going and complete the Ultra without stopping.”

Returning to the Strade Grigie
At the end of the story, the question comes naturally: would you do the Ultra again? Edvinas’ answer is immediate.

“Yes, definitely.”

But next time, with a small change in mind. “Next time I would try to ride it entirely during the day, so I could enjoy the nature and the landscapes even more. This part of Italy is truly a gem.” And for those who are dreaming of tackling the Ultra distance of GeoGravel Tuscany – Le Strade Grigie for the first time, Edvinas has a simple piece of advice. “Don’t think too much about it being too long or too hard. In the end, it’s just a matter of time.” According to him, the most important thing is to start with the right mindset and some practical preparation. “If you decide to do it non-stop, bring warm clothes for the night and plenty of water. For me, having a camel bag was a great idea.” But more than anything, there is one message he really wants to share:

“Start, ride, and enjoy the atmosphere and everything around you.”
Because here, in the end, the journey often matters much more than the distance.