Kwiatkowski prevails in Strade Bianche
Polish road champion Michal Kwiatkowski (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) continues to exhibit his superb early-season form by winning the gravel challenge of Strade Bianche Saturday in Sienna. Kwiatkowski easily shed his breakmate Peter Sagan (Slovakia/Cannondale) on the final steep slopes leading to the finish line in the medieval part of the Italian city. Sagan was runner-up for the second year in a row, with Alejandro Valverde (Spain/Movistar) third on the podium.
The 2014 Strade Bianche featured 45-km of sterrati, white gravel roads, out of its 200-km length. It was on the hardest, longest section, the seventh stretch from 53 to 42-km to go, that a select group under the impetus of Sky tracked down the handful of Italians in the day’s original break. This new leading squad contained Kwiatkowski, Sagan, Valverde, Cadel Evans (Australia/BMC), and two-time winner Fabian Cancellara (Switzerland/Trek). After the seventh section, the Monte Sante Marie, the group swelled to a platoon, with five Omega Pharmas and three Tinkoff-Saxo riders present.
An attack from Matteo Trentin (Italy/Omega Pharma) started the fireworks, but the move was hauled back. Straight away, with 21-km remaining, Sagan burst from the group and only Kwiatkowski was strong enough to go with him. As the duo bounced along the final three gravel sections, it was clear that the Pole had the best legs on the day. Behind, Valverde lit out in a bid to make the podium, but Cancellara, Damiano Cunego (Italy/Lampre), Roman Kreuziger (Czech Republic/Tinkoff-Saxo) reeled him in with 7.5-km to go.
The final kilometre was steep and narrow. Sagan made a desperate dig to rid himself of the Pole, but with a half kilometre remaining, Kwiatkowski flew by Sagan with a show of power that had the Slovak champion hanging his head. Valverde bolted from the chase quartet to jump on the podium.
Kwiatkowski adds the 2014 Strade Bianche title to his two stage wins and overall victory in February’s Volta ao Algarve and the Trofeo Serra de Tranmuntana this season.
