 L'Eroica Strade Bianche "("Heroic race of the white roads")" was created in 1997 as a "granfondo" (recreational bike race) for vintage bikes only, on the white gravel roads around Siena, an event that is still held on the day after the professional race.The concept was to recreate cycling's so-called "heroic era" from the first half of the 20th century, when most bike races were ridden on dirt or unpaved roads.In 2007, a professional race was spun off the event, inaugurally called Monte Paschi Eroica, won by Russian Alexandr Kolobnev.