Strade Bianche is a race that always pairs dramatic racing with images to match, turning on scenery ranging from the green hills of Tuscany with dust from the white gravel roads billowing into the air through to the steep crowd-packed climb on the terrace-lined street that leads riders to the distinctive finish line in the Piazzo del Campo.
The race may be one of the newest among the races that are given the title of Classics, with the men’s edition starting in 2007 and the women’s race being added in 2015, but it always remains one of the most photogenic.
2023 was no exception, as while there may have been grey skies and rain in the lead up the sun shone on Saturday, leading to blue skies, and hard-packed roads, although dry enough to still throw up plumes of white dust.
What it did mean, however, was that the men’s edition was the fastest in race history, with Tom Pidcock crossing the line solo to take victory in the race with an average speed of 40.636 kilometres per hour.
The British Ineos Grenadiers rider started his move with over 50km to go, soon riding away from his original companions Alberto Bettiol (EF Education-EasyPost) and Andrea Bagioli (Soudal-QuickStep) to join the riders from the early break. He then also left them behind, to take on the final 20km solo.
The gap at times shrunk to within ten seconds, but his efforts to hold the chasers at bay meant Pidcock became the first Briton to win the men’s edition of the Strade Bianche, joining Lizzie Deignan as a victor at the event after she won the women’s race in 2016.
In the women’s event this year, Kristen Faulkner (Jayco-AlUla) was holding out the front right until the final 600 metres, when SD Worx teammates Demi Vollering – who had earlier in the race had to contend with the unnerving presence of a horse on the course – and Lotte Kopecky made the junction.
They rode the final stages of the race together to distance the rider from the United States, but when the line approached while it was clear that the Strade Bianche win would go to SD Worx, the confusion over what was next began.
Was it the defending champion Kopecky who would take the line first or Vollering? Even after they crossed that question wasn’t answered, with the jury having to review a tight photo finish…
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