Strade Bianche serves a fascinating mix of unpaved roads and unrelenting gradients. It doesn’t happen often that both strong climbers and Classics specialists are among the favourites in the same race, but the modern Classic in Tuscany is a rare exception.
It is safe to say Michal Kwiatkowski is the expert when it comes to winning the Strade Bianche. The Pole is the only rider in the peloton who won the race twice – Kwiatkowski did win the race in 2014 and 2017. Other still competing riders who were victorious in Siena are Tiesj Benoot (2018), Zdenek Stybar (2015), Moreno Moser (2013) and Philippe Gilbert (2011).
The Strade Bianche is famous for its dirt roads, often on sharp climbs, while the finale in Siena is a steep cobbled climb with ramps up to 16%. So the race really is a war of attrition and it is wearing any rider out. Moreover, last year’s race was played out on mud roads as it was raining incessantly in Tuscany. Benoot tracked down attackers Van Aert and Bardet inside the final 15 kilometres to go solo on the last mud road.
Favourites 2019 Strade Bianche
***** Zdenek Stybar, Tim Wellens
**** Greg Van Avermaet, Gianni Moscon, Alexey Lutsenko
*** Julian Alaphilippe, Wout van Aert, Jakob Fuglsang
** Tiesj Benoot, Bauke Mollema, Jakob Fuglsang, Alberto Bettiol
* Vincenzo Nibali, Geraint Thomas, Maximilian Schachmann