The French Julian Alaphilippedouble World champion, will be in charge of wearing the leader stripes in 18th edition of Strade Bianche which will take place this Saturday starting and ending in Siena, with a 215 kilometer route that includes a gravel track, the “sterrato”.
The French rider, who won the Strade Bianche in 2019, will be at the start of Siena for the sixth year in a row, this time accompanied by a strong team that completes Kasper Asgreenwho achieved the podium in 2022, Josef Cerny, Pieter Serry, Mauri Vansevenant and two neoprofessionals: Antoine Huby and Paul Magnier, the latter is one of the surprises of the season, with two victories already under his belt. This year’s Strade Bianche features more kilometers, more difficult gravel sections and more kilometers of dirt roads than ever before, making it the most difficult edition yet, due to the presence of that additional circuit around Siena .
For the first time since its creation in 2007, the Strade Bianche will break the 200 km barrier, which will mean around five hours in the saddle, a change that has the potential to change the entire dynamics and the way it runs.
The “white slopes” race will have a total of 15 sectors, including Monte Sante Marie, Colle Pinzuto and Toffe, old acquaintances who are expected to play an important role in the result.
Once all these obstacles have been overcome, the runners have one more obstacle left: the steep climb of Via Santa Caterina, with a maximum slope of 16%, just 500 meters from the finish line in Piazza del Campo.
“We are motivated by what has been one of the best races of the year. Julian and Kasper are two riders who together have been on the podium three times here, while for the youngsters in the team it is a good opportunity to gain some experience. The course has changed and will be more difficult than in the past, but we hope for a good result at the end,” commented Davide Bramati, team director.
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Source: La Verdad
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