By @jmhers
It’s time for one of the most attractive races of the year, the spectacle of the White Roads in the majestic setting of Tuscany. A classic that rivals in notoriety the oldest one-day races in the world, the Strade generates a lot of anticipation for the emotions to which it has accustomed us in its previous 16 editions.
The images of the peloton going through the stages of dirt road, the famous dirt roads or White Roads that give the competition its name, in the middle of the Tuscan countryside, are some of the most captivating postcards of world cycling. But the importance that this race has gained on the calendar comes not only from the visual beauty it conveys, but also from the challenge of its 63 km of dirt roads, as well as the winding terrain full of hills and slopes that make up the 184 km of total length.
As is the case with the most traditional classics in the world, a group to which this race already belongs in its own right, the Strade route changes very little from edition to edition, each sector of dirt road It has its name and almost its own personality. Starting and finishing in the city of Siena, there will be a total of 11 dirt sectors that the runners will face and the first of them: Vidritta arrives quite early on the route, barely 19 km away. Precisely the length of the race which, in the opinion of many cycling purist opinions, is one of the things in which it must improve, since there is no shortage of those who would consider it correct to add 50 km or more of asphalt before reaching that first sector.
The decisive terrain of the Strade is in the last third of the route, when you reach Sector 8: Monte Sante Marie (a section that was dedicated to Fabian Cancellara in 2016). At this point the main group usually arrives already reduced or even cut off due to punctures, damage or piles that usually occur on dirt roads, and the complicated terrain, but it will be very difficult to see a major attack before. Monte Sante Marie is 11.5 km long and starts 54 km from the finish line, from here Tadej Pogacar launched his final attack to go solo to the finish line in the previous year’s edition, and in 2021 it was where Julian Alaphilippe made the first selection of the group of favorites.
Once this 8th section is over, there are several kilometers of paved but undulating road, with steep slopes and descents in which it is not so easy to mount a chase, until reaching the last three sectors of sterrato that despite being short (they have less than 2 km long) all of them include double-digit ramps: Monteaperti (Section 9) 24 km from the finish line, Colle Pinzuto (Section 10) 17 km away and the most difficult of the three: Le Tolfe 13 km from the final, where Mathieu van der Poel launched his very strong offensive to win the 2021 edition.
But the challenges of the route have not ended there, since the last 3 km of the route enter the majestic historic center of Siena, through ancient arches and cobblestones that initially present slopes of 9 or 10%, until reaching within the last km the mythical Via Santa Caterina, one of the iconic sites of the Strade Bianche, which has a slope of 16%. The arrival will be, as is tradition, in the Piazza del Campo in Siena.
Regarding the participation, this edition will have two great absentees in Tadej Pogacar and Wout Van Aert, riders who have already won here and who were expected to take the game. But even if we were left wanting to see those two superlative riders seek their second victory, the lineup for this Strade Bianche continues to be impressive with the presence of Matheiu van der Poel, Julian Alaphilippe and Tiesj Benoot as recent winners, as well as a remarkable list of runners who shine in this field and who are going through a great moment like Matej Mohoric, Tim Wellens, Carlos Rodríguez, Tom Pidcock or Quinn Simmons.
The one who starts as one of the top favorites is undoubtedly Van der Poel, who with the displays he has done in this and other races does not need more credentials, but who also comes from a great cyclocross season, having been crowned world champion of the specialty, which can be transferred very well to the sterrato. If the Dutchman reaches the Strade with his best legs, he will be the man to beat, and he is also accompanied by a very solid Alpecin roster for this type of terrain.
The rest of the teams will have to use aggressive strategies to seek victory, and try to get the most out of the collaboration they can give their leaders. Soudal Quick-Step, who has started the classics season on the wrong foot, has several strong riders surrounding Alaphilippe; as well as Ineos that will be led by Pidcock but has strong people like Rodríguez, Kwiatkowski or Tulett. Waiting for Van der Poel to make the first move could be very expensive.
Lastly, the weather forecast announces a sunny day, so we won’t have mud but there will surely be a lot of battle and memorable moments in yet another edition of a race that almost never disappoints.
favorites
***** Mathieu van der Poel
**** Tiesj Benoot, Matej Mohoric, Tim Wellens
*** Julian Alaphilippe, Tom Pidcock, Quinn Simmons
** Carlos Rodríguez, Attila Valter, Pello Bilbao.
Marcelo Hernandez
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