This Saturday is the 15th edition of the Strade Bianche. The route is 184 kilometres and finishes just after a 16% climb into the old town of Siena. As usual the finish is in the Campo in Siena and I can vouch for the fact that the climb up to the citadel is a brute. Young to be called a Monument but it is a firm favourite with fans and riders alike. Much of the route rolls through stunning scenery when dry the dust rolls off the Strade from the riders and team cars and when wet the white mud cakes everything and gets everywhere – and I mean everywhere (having ridden the Sportif in the wet and the dry).
The start list can be found here.
For the Femmes the route is 136 kilometres with the same finish.
Last year’s winner was Annemiek van Vleuten who racked up her second win in succession and is the only women to have won the race twice. Will she make it three in a row this year? Last year’s podium was rounded out by Mavi García and Leah Thomas.