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This year’s Strade Bianche races include an extra 30km loop and so more climbs and more Tuscan gravel roads than ever before. It could change the dynamics of the racing and will definitely make them harder. The women’s race is 137km long and includes 12 gravel sectors for a total of 39.8km on the ‘white roads’ that twist and turn through the Chianti vineyards,
The men’s race traditionally covered 184km but the extra loop near Siena over the Colle Pinzuto and Le Tolfe gravel roads extends the distance to 215 km. The men face 15 sectors instead of the previous 11 on Saturday afternoon, with a total of 71.5km on the farm tracks.
Strade Bianche has always suited riders on form, who have the power for the many short climbs and the bike skills for fast racing on the gravel road.
These are the men and women Cyclingnews believe will be the contenders this year. recent Omloop Het Nieuwsblad victor Marianne Vos and gravel world champion Kasia Niewiadoma will surely challenge the might of SD Worx riders Demi Vollering and Lotte Kopecky, who went one-two last year.
Tadej Pogačar is making his 2024 season debut but the 2022 winner is surely the man to beat, with reigning champion Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) and Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) dangerous rivals if the Slovenian makes a mistake. The list of outsiders is long and includes Lotto-Dstny talent Lennert Van Eetvelt, who recently won the UAE Tour, and many others.
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The 2024 Tour de France contenders are starting their seasons one by one, each taking a different approach to their bigger July targets.
Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep) started his season at Figueira Champions Classic and Volta as Algarve, Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease A Bike) at O Gran Camiño, and now it’s Tadej Pogačar’s turn to make his season debut at Strade Bianche.
Pogačar has made no secret of his ambition to win his first race of the season along the white gravel roads of the popular Italian one-day…
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