I've done both (and will be doing so again next week ) and the experiences are totally different. Touring the Tuscan roads and hills is absolutely wonderful; a perfect combination of challenging hills, breathtaking sights and great foods and wines. As good as touring gets.

The l'Eroica event, however, adds something else: the ability to experience some of that mid-20th-century Giro d'Italia atmosphere. If you're romantically inclined, it's easy to let your imagination get the better of you and feel like Gino Bartali as Italian ladies in 1940's outfits are cheering you on.

The 6,000 participants are pretty much spread out in time and space during the day, so you're never really aware of them. In that respect I found the difference with the Retro Tour of Flanders - with less than 1,000 participants - much smaller than the numbers suggest.