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Some gravel roads of Strade Bianche are still covered in ice

Conditions promise to make the 2018 edition of Strade Bianche memorable

March 2, 2018
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While the temperature in Tuscany has been rising over the past few days following a cold snap that gripped much of Europe this week, some of the famous white gravel roads are still covered in snow and ice being too treacherous to ride.

Teans have been out reconning the routes of the Strade Bianche in the past couple of days encountering various conditions. Notably, the team of defending champion Elisa Longo Borghini found ice on the second section of gravel which both the men’s and women’s peloton will tackle early on Saturday.

While the temperature is expected to stay above zero into Saturday when rain is forecast, the women’s peloton will roll out at 9:05 am GMT +1 with the men following at 10:35 am.

The snow that covered the Tuscan landscape this week gained a lot of attention making for spectacular views with riders and teams bemused by the conditions posting countless photos on social media.

“We did more than five hours on Wednesday. We started the recon just before the Montalcino climb and did about 110km of the race, which was really nice,” said men’s defending champion Michal Kwiatkowski. “With Leo [Basso], Salva [Puccio] and Gianni [Moscon], we had a really nice day. I enjoyed it a lot. We had blue sky and sunshine, and with snow everywhere the views were amazing.”

https://twitter.com/BMCProTeam/status/969526842398068741

While some teams managed to get out to do recon like Team Sky and BMC, world champion Peter Sagan and his Bora-Hansgrohe teammates opted to stay inside to spin out the legs before the event.

Quick-Step Floors did recon but in the team car rather than on two wheels.

With the temperature in Sienna forecast to rise to a high of 10 C and precipitation forecast, the gravel roads will be wet and sloppy but that excited the likes of Alex Howes of EF Education First-Drapac who incorperates gravel frequently on his training rides. “Growing up in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, most of my favorite routes incorporate wild dirt roads where conditions are often times unpredictable and inhospitable,” said Howes. “To have a spring classic on dirt with the potential for snow is a dream come true for me.”

Strade Bianche is only in its 14th edition but has quickly gained a reputation as one of the unique one-day classics on the spring calendar with an iconic finish Siena’s Piazza del Campo. The men’s race covered 184 km with 63 km gravel while the women  race for 136 km. Kwiatkowski will be vying for his third title in the race but will be challenged by the likes of Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe), Greg van Avermaet (BMC) and Zdenek Stybar (Quick-Step Floors). Borghini won the women’s race in 2017 and it once again opens the UCI Women’s WorldTour calendar.