Strade Bianche comes with a couple changes this year for its 20th edition: the distance has been reduced by almost 15 kilometers and two gravel sectors have been left out, meaning the peloton will now tackle a total of 14 white roads segments.
After the riders leave behind the Fortezza Medicea, they’ll cover just a few kilometers before taking on the first difficulty of the day, but the race is expected to explode much later, when the bunch will arrive on the brutal slopes of the Monte Sante Marie sector, the longest of the whole day. Le Tolfe, set to be tackled twice, and Colle Pinzuto, are other key points of the race and potential launchpads for a successful attack, as has happened several times at the past editions.
The final kilometer of Strade Bianche remains the same, which means those vying for a good result will have to overcome also the 16% gradients of Via Santa Caterina before entering Piazza del Campo, one of cycling’s most spectacular finish venues.
