Male Team 09 Mar
Strade Bianche
184 Kilometers
The youngest big classic in the UCI WorldTour –and the UCI Women’s WorldTour– will again offer its sterrato as battleground for some of the biggest names in the sport. 63 kilometers on gravel roads -over a total 184km, starting and finishing in Siena- make for a grueling race whose exigence doesn’t only reside on its rough roads or any mechanicals due to the little rocks on the side of the roads, but also on its demanding slopes.
A good part of its 11 sections are uphill, including the toughest and longest. Monteroni d’Arbia (111km) and Monte Sante Marie (130km) make the first big selection, prior to a final section -three sectors, with Vico d’Arbia (160km), Colle Pinzuto (165km) and Le Tolfe (171km)- with continuous up-and-downs, brutal slopes -such as the one near the finish in Via Santa Caterina, as the riders enter Siena- or fast descents en route to the beautiful finish in the Piazza del Campo.