It doesn’t happen often that both strong climbers and Classics specialists are among the favourites in the same race, but the Strade Bianche is a rare exception. The race 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 is a war of attrition before a finale that would be the tonic to ignite any race.
Given the surface, it is no wonder that (former) cyclocrossers feel at ease in Strade Bianche. Last year’s podium – Alaphilippe, Fuglsang, Van Aert – featured three riders who started their careers competing in the discipline. Another exceptional cyclocross talent, Mathieu van der Poel, will make his debut on this year’s Strade Bianche, obviously aiming to put his cyclocross skills to good use on the strade bianche (white roads) of Tuscany.
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 to win the race twice, in 2014 and 2017. Other contenders who were victorious in Siena before are Julian Alaphilippe (2019, Tiesj Benoot (2018), Zdenek Stybar (2015) and Philippe Gilbert (2011).
Favourites 2020 Strade Bianche
***** Mathieu van der Poel, Wout Van Aert
**** Julian Alaphilippe, Michal Kwiatkowski, Jakob Fuglsang
*** Tiesj Benoot, Zdenek Stybar, Maximilian Schachmann, Michael Woods
** Simon Clarke, Philippe Gilbert, Peter Sagan, Kasper Asgreen, Dylan Teuns
* Davide Formolo, Alexey Lutsenko, Greg Van Avermaet, Bob Jungels, Gianni Moscon
Strade Bianche Results
Strade Bianche Riders
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Tour de France 2021 Route stage 1: Brest - Landerneau
Tour de France 2021 Favourites stage 1: Alaphilippe for first maillot jaune
Tour de France 2021 Route stage 2: Perros-Guirec - Mûr-de-Bretagne
Tour de France 2021 Favourites stage 2: Punchers at Mûr-de-Bretagne
Tour de France 2021 Route stage 3: Lorient - Pontivy
Tour de France 2021 Favourites stage 3: Fast finishers showdown #1
Tour de France 2021 Route stage 4: Redon - Fougères
Tour de France 2021 Route stage 5: Changé - Laval
Tour de France 2021 Route stage 6: Tours - Châteauroux
Tour de France 2021 Route stage 7: Vierzon - Le Creusot
Tour de France 2021 Route stage 8: Oyonnax - Le-Grand-Bornand
Tour de France 2021 Route stage 9: Cluses - Tignes
Tour de France 2021 Route stage 10: Albertville - Valence
Tour de France 2021 Route stage 11: Sorgues - Malaucène
Tour de France 2021 Route stage 12: Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux - Nîmes
Tour de France 2021 Route stage 13: Nîmes - Carcassonne
Tour de France 2021 Route stage 14: Carcassonne - Quillan
Tour de France 2021 Route stage 15: Céret - Andorra la Vella
Tour de France 2021 Route stage 16: Pas de la Case - Saint-Gaudens
Tour de France 2021 Route stage 17: Muret - Col du Portet
Tour de France 2021 Route stage 18: Pau - Luz-Ardiden
Tour de France 2021 Route stage 19: Mourenx - Libourne
Tour de France 2021 Route stage 20: Libourne - Saint-Emilion
Tour de France 2021 Route stage 21: Chatou - Paris
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