Chianti landscape
Today sees the 7th edition of the Strade Bianche, which has very quickly became a modern classic bike race. It runs from Gaiole in Chianti and finishes after 190 kilometres in Siena and includes some 70 kms of unmade up roads – the famous white roads of Chianti. It is a very tough race made particularly tough if run in wet conditions. The forecast for today is dry so there may well be more dust than mud this year. The final kilometre has a 18% climb up through the narrow old streets of Siena.
Potential winners include:
Fabian Cancellara – on for a hat trick as he won in 2008 and 2012.
Peter Sagan: showing impressive early season form with wins in the Tour of Oman and took the GP Camaiore on Wednesday.
Cadel Evans: hasn't won the Strade Bianche but did win the stage of the 2010 Giro d'Italia here run over the same roads and in quite appalling conditions.
Weather update: some overnight rain, which should have settled dust. Dry weather forecast for today.
Update: result –
1) Moreno Moser (Cannondale)
2) Peter Sagan (Cannondale) at 5 seconds.
Details here and video of final kilometre into Siena here.
Fine win by Moser who attacked and caught the long time breakaway of four riders. He then attacked and dropped his three remaining companions on the final very steep climb into Siena. He is the nephew of the great Francesco Moser, and is the first Italian to win the Strade Bianche.
This was another demonstration of how strong Peter Sagan is in an uphill finish, catching, with the pursuing group of favourites, the remaining breakaways and then pulling away to finish second to his team mate Moser. It must be very likely that Sagan will win one or more of the coming spring classics.
Tuscan landscape (above and below)
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