written by Miriam Terruzzi
When a bicycle unexpectedly enters your life, somewhere between one university exam and the next, unexpected things can happen. That’s what happened to Niccolò Varanini — born in Verona but raised in Brescia — who came across cycling while studying medicine and started trying everything, from road to mountain biking, until he unlocked a new, unknown level that today others call gravel.
Then came the pandemic, his career as an anaesthetist doctor, and everything that came with it. But the bike stayed — a cornerstone of a journey with few stops. A point of balance, but also his own personal playground.
The Gravel Pioneer
Niccolò has been riding since 2010, embracing all types of cycling from the outset: road, track, mountain bike and cyclocross. But it’s gravel riding that has truly defined him. Even when the word meant nothing like it does today, he was already out there, pushing hard on 33 mm tyres along forgotten roads with his mind set on adventure.
“Gravel arrived in Italy when we were still riding cyclocross bikes,” he explains. 'We're talking cantilever brakes and a maximum of 33 mm tyres. There was a vibrant singlespeed cyclocross scene back then, with races appearing along canals and flatland paths, such as the 'Milano – Pandino – Cremona' and 'Lodi – Lecco – Lodi' routes.”
These events laid the groundwork for what would become a movement with a clear social identity and bikes adapted for increasingly unusual terrain.
“My first true gravel adventure, still on a CX bike, was the first edition of the Jeroboam 300. It was my first ever 24-hour non-stop ride. I remember the cold, damp night when I crossed the snowfields at Passo Croce Domini. Incredible! Fortunately, technology caught up with us and, once I started riding the 3T Exploro, we took things to the next level, riding everywhere and practising gravel riding as we know it today.”
A devotee of steel bikes for years, Niccolò changed his perspective once he started riding with 3T. Today, he’s a brand ambassador and the driving force behind MARMöL Gravel — an event that blends adventure, untamed nature and just the right amount of celebration. After all, gravel is also about sharing.
A Difficult Child
Niccolò is both the creator and art director of the MARMöL project. What began as a gathering of friends has grown year on year, attracting more participants and volunteers. The event has evolved alongside 3T, who have always supported it.
“MARMöL is my difficult child,” Niccolò admits. “It’s grown fast — just like gravel itself has changed in these four years. The event is non-profit and is truly an environmental promotion initiative, encouraging people to experience cycling the way we love it: working hard and partying even harder with friends.”
“We started with Carlo Donadoni — 3T’s Global Marketing Manager — serving coffee at the start line of the first event, and we’ve expanded to offer all kinds of experiences.”
Today, MARMöL participants can enjoy a full adventure, complete with bike tests that allow everyone to try out bikes designed for tackling quarries.
A Shared Vision
Niccolò’s vision of gravel and cycling encompasses both performance and exploration. One doesn’t exclude the other, and he finds this duality again and again in 3T’s frames, even in the early models.
“These are fast, stiff, high-performance bikes,” he says. “But they’re also perfectly suited to rough terrain since they’ve always accommodated wide tyres.”
Niccolò and 3T have been working together since 2017, which is proof that his vision for gravel cycling is deeply aligned with the brand’s philosophy. The frames suited his goals and challenged riders who, at the time, were still using MTBs.
“With my 3T bikes, I’ve been able to unleash my competitive side and ‘steal’ KOMs from riders with different setups. At the same time, I've used the bikes to explore mountain valleys and go on incredible bikepacking trips.”
Re-Evolution
Niccolò reflects on the latest release, the Extrema Made in Italy, which has changed one of his long-held beliefs.
“It’s basically the evolution that brings together the best of 3T bikes,” he says. “It’s even faster on rough terrain and descents, but it still has the typical racing soul of the brand. With it, I finally convinced myself that 700c wheels are perhaps a little better than 650s, though we're talking marginal gains.”
It's a 3T through and through: stiff, aggressive and high-performing, yet still perfect for travel. His recent trip to Nepal, where he rode the Annapurna Circuit with his wife, proves it.
“The Extrema performed beautifully, confirming all my expectations, especially its versatility,’ he adds. ‘It’s ideal for extreme mountain bikepacking, but I also raced super-competitive events like The Hills Gravel with it. Now I can’t wait to take it to Ladakh. Who knows what could happen!”
Off the Map
Gravel hasn’t taught us to raise the bar, but to believe that there isn't one. And if there is one, it’s meant to be broken.
What's Niccolò's next frontier? India. He is planning a 1,000-kilometre bikepacking trip in Ladakh, north-west India — extreme in the truest sense.
“We're setting off in early July and will be riding at high altitudes the whole time — between 3,000 and 5,500 metres.” Why will it be so difficult? Indian law prohibits the use of GPS.
That puts us right on the edge of the world. Literally.'
Follow his adventures on Instagram @niccolo_varanini
