Curtains up for 2019 UCI Women's WorldTour

French champion from Movistar Team into Italian classic's penultimate selection, despite two punctures; Annemiek Van Vleuten (MTS) wins solo. Oliveira top Blue at men's race, three minutes behind victor Alaphilippe (DQT).

The Movistar Team’s ladies directed by Jorge Sanz at the 2019 Strade Bianche -136km around Siena; eight ‘sterrato’ segments in the opening round of the UCI Women’s WorldTour– had to face the toughness of a race always so harsh with machines like the Blues’ Canyon bikes. Punctures for Paula Patiño and most notably Aude Biannic -two flat tires for the French champion- combined with a crash -fortunately with no injuries associated- by Lourdes Oyarbide and Gloria Rodríguez.

At the initial selection of 40 riders, formed after the Monteroni d’Arbia segment (#5/8), entered Biannic, Malgorzata Jasinska and Alicia González, who shortly went on the attack before the finale. Aude and ‘Jasi’ stayed inside a further break of about 25 women into section #6, before the decisive acceleration from the leaders left both into a second peloton behind the pursuers of Annemiek van Vleuten (MTS).

The World ITT champion took the solo win with 40″ over a first main group led home by Annika Langvad (DLT, 2nd) and Kasia Niewiadoma (CSR, 3rd), with Biannic in 15th position over the line, nearly three minutes adrift. Jasinska (33rd) and González (45th) also completed the race inside the time limit -Patiño, Rodríguez and Oyarbide also reached the Piazza del Campo-.

Oliveira in the pursuit at the men’s race

It was less of a fortunate race from the seven-rider squad directed by Maximilian Sciandri in the 13th edition of the men’s race, won by Julian Alaphilippe (DQT) after a tight ‘face-to-face’ contest against Jakob Fuglsang (AST, 2nd), at times disputed by a courageous Wout van Aert (TJV, 3rd). The trio jumped, with 20km to go, from a main echelon of about a dozen favourites formed at the Monte Sante Marie segment, behind which always rode a second peloton containing Nelson Oliveira (Movistar Team). The Portuguese allrounder finished in 25th place, 3’06” after the winner, as Richard Carapaz suffered a crash with no injuries which took him out of Nelson’s group and José Joaquín Rojas was left out of contention with two punctures at the Monte Sante Marie.

Unos años, barro, y otros, como en este 2019, de polvo y tierra hasta arriba ? #StradeBianche @RichardCarapazM @Nelsoliveira89 pic.twitter.com/jeaJaYN46o

— Movistar Team (@Movistar_Team) March 9, 2019

2019 men’s Strade Bianche results

Cover picture (c): Vélofocus / Movistar Team