The time has come Strade Bianche 2024. The Sienese race, increasingly a Classic on the international calendar, will be held Saturday 2 March and promises to be very uncertain as to the final result. Despite some absences, the starting field includes some stars of absolute level and the conditions, both meteorological and of the route, should prove to be an additional variable for the progress of a race for which surprises cannot be ruled out. The “Southernmost Northern Classic in Europe” will see 25 teams competing, 18 WorldTour and 7 Professional: among these there will also be the Italians Corratec-Vini Fantini and Polti-Kometa.
Recent Roll of Honor Strade Bianche
2023 PIDCOCK Tom
2022 POGACAR Tadej
2021 VAN DER POEL Mathieu
2020 VAN AERT Wout
2019 ALAPHILIPPE Julian
2018 BENOOT Tiesj
2017 KWIATKOWSKI Michał
2016 CANCELLARA Fabian
2015 STYBAR Zdeněk
2014 KWIATKOWSKI Michał
2013 MOSER Moreno
Strade Bianche 2024 Favorites
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Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) is inevitably the big favorite for Strade Bianche 2024. The Slovenian has already won in Siena, in 2022, and over the years he has proven to be a champion who is difficult to contain by the competition. For him, however, this is the first competitive outing of the season and this can only lead to a little more doubt about what his real condition could be. However, if this were to be the best of days, it would be difficult to think of a race without him being among the protagonists.
Furthermore, UAE brings a very high level team to the race, with other riders who could also carry the weight of the responsibility of achieving results on their shoulders. It is the case of Tim Wellens (five participations and five times among the best 15 of the day) and also of Marc Hirschi. The qualities of the very young players should not be underestimated Isaac del Toro e Jan Christenstill to be measured in competitions of this type, but definitely talented guys.
In a hypothetical starting grid, he has a place in the front row, alongside Tadej Pogačar Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers), if only for the great victory in last year’s edition. The Englishman has a top-notch engine and if the roads, as well as being white, were muddy he could also find advantages from his bike riding skills. Pay attention then, as far as British training is concerned, also to Magnus Sheffield it’s at Michal Kwiatkowskiwho has already won this race twice and who in the recent past has shown that he is still capable of great days in the saddle.
We are talking about Classics and we cannot consider the Visma | Lease a Bike. On the eve, the man designated as a reference is the Hungarian Attila Walteralready brilliant on dirt roads in the past. Christophe Laporte he is perhaps a little too heavy for the expected climbs, but he is a rider with a thousand resources, while we will have to see what the performance of Sepp kiss, he was perhaps “too light” for a similar race, especially given the weather forecast. So who knows whether a “half surprise” might come out of the yellow and black deck, perhaps like Bart Lemmena runner still little known to the general public, but whose quality already seemed anything but negligible.
The most dangerous runner outside the squadron circle is Matej Mohorič. The Slovenian from Bahrain Victorious has never won this race, despite having done well especially last year with sixth place. His start to the season has been more than good, with a stage win at the Volta Valenciana, so he is expected to be there to challenge for victory at the decisive moment. He had done even better, twelve months agoValentin Madouas (Groupama-FDJ) which starts from second place in a race definitely suited to its characteristics and which has already been won by a Frenchman, Julian Alaphilippe, in 2019.
As for Italians, there aren’t many who can aim for success though Andrea Bagioli (Lidl-Trek) demonstrated last year that it has grown a lot in one-day races and that it has what it takes to do something important, also thanks to the support of the good Quinn Simmons. On the experience front, Davide Formolo is back from a good AlUla Tour with the new Movistar jersey and sets off with the desire to finally establish himself here, where he was second in 2020. Among the most important Italians at the start we also find Alberto Bettiol (EF Education-EasyPost), however in good form at Laigueglia as well as Andrea Vendrame (Decathlon Ag2r La Mondiale), Simon Velasco (Astana Qazaqstan) e Vincenzo Albanese (Arkéa-B&B Hotels). Filippo Zana (Team Jayco AlUla) appeared further behind in condition, although he remains an interesting runner for this race.
In addition to Bettiol, EF Education-EasyPost still fields a competitive team with the Ecuadorian Richard Carapazthe American Neilson Powless and especially Irish Ben Healy quoted for a top finish after an excellent start to the season which saw him as a protagonist both in Bessèges and in the Algarve. Colombians on the shields then in BORA-hansgrohe which will try to do well with Daniel Martinezvery bright in the Algarve, and Sergio Higuitawhile Groupama-FDJ is betting everything on young people Lenny Martineza possible surprise given his sensational, and equally brilliant, start to the season Romain Grégoire. Always among the French, pay attention to Benoit Cosnefroy (Decathlon AG2R La Difesa Team), recent winner of the Tour des Alpes-Maritimes, and the young Kevin Vauquelin (Arkéa-B&B Hotels). Also the duo of Team dsm-firmenich PostNL formed by Romain Bardet e Warren Barguil Finally, it must be kept an eye on.
Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal-QuickStep), winner of the 2019 edition, does not seem to be at the ideal level at the moment to repeat that success, but he should always be taken into good consideration together with his partner Kasper Asgreen, which has never been seen this year but capable of finishing third two years ago. Quite a low profile also for Cofidis, led by Guillaume Martin e Axel Zingleboth possible protagonists as well as Quinten Hermans e Gianni Vermeerschcapitani della Alpecin-Deceuninck.
There is no shortage of possible outsiders, identifiable mainly in Lennert Van Eetveltpoint man for Lotto Dstny with Maxim van Gils e Dylan Teuns (Israel-Premier Tech).
Strade Bianche 2024 Favorites Bag
***** Tadej Pogačar
**** Matej Mohorič, Tom Pidcock
*** Valentin Madouas, Attila Valter, Tim Wellens
** Andrea Bagioli, Davide Formolo, Ben Healy, Daniel Martinez
* Marc Hirschi, Lenny Martinez, Neilson Powless, Quinn Simmons, Toms Skujins