Strade Bianche 2017

pelevin

Someone else with bags of brains can add maps & stuff if they feel like it, but anyway just to start a thread on today's race, already a big fans & riders favourite. Lifting from CN: "Known for the dirt and gravel "white roads" that give it its name, the race also tests riders with several short but difficult climbs. The ascent to the finish line in Siena, typically lined with cheering fans, has been the site of several spectacular finales in the event's brief history."

Big favourites the likes of Sagan, GVA, Stybar, perhaps Kwiatkowski.

Link to PP betting for the degenerates out there: http://www.paddypower.com/bet/cycling/strade-bianche

JK.BMC

Don't know who Quickstep have as leader today but I have a fancy for Stybar. I think eventually he has to land a big one in these classic races

nilhg

Women's race live on eurosport player at the moment, conditions fairly mucky but they're going at it hard, riders all over the road

neris

fairly manky day for a bike race looking at the end of the ladies race

nilhg

Longo Borghini wins the ladies race, savage racing, the cobbles in the last few KM not for the faint hearted.

neris

was a good last 5km. the fdj girl did well getting over the leaders at 2km to go

TheBlaaMan

JK.BMC wrote: »

Don't know who Quickstep have as leader today but I have a fancy for Stybar. I think eventually he has to land a big one in these classic races

Stybar has already won Strade Bianche - in 2015.....;)

It's wet, very wet, so could be EPIC

neris

https://twitter.com/StradeBianche/status/838008847797219329

neris

theres a feed for it on europsort now. 60km to go. no commentary

Eamonnator

Eurosport 2 has it live.

dastardly00

Riders in the first chasing group:
Moreno Moser, Greg Van Avermaet, Luis Leon Sanchez, Tiesj Benoot, Tim Wellens, Matteo Trentin, Zdenek Stybar, Luke Durbridge, Scott Thwaites, Christopher Juul Jensen, Jasper Stuyven, Michal Kwiatkowski, Edvald Boasson Hagen and Tom Dumoulin.

dastardly00

40km remaining. About 16km before next gravel section. Breakaway group are about 30 seconds ahead of the 'main' group including GVA, Kwiatkowski, Tom D, Stybar etc.

dastardly00

There's no way that this group will be intact coming into Siena. There's loads of small attacks going on.

Eurosport are going overboard with the ad breaks. About 4 in the last 40 minutes.

dastardly00

Really hard to predict who will win this. Good be any of Kwiatkowski, GVA, Stybar, Wellens, Dumoulin...

Weepsie

dastardly00 wrote: »

There's no way that this group will be intact coming into Siena. There's loads of small attacks going on.

Eurosport are going overboard with the ad breaks. About 4 in the last 40 minutes.

Has to be paid for in some way or other

dastardly00

Great ride by Chris Juul Jensen

dastardly00

Weepsie wrote: »

Has to be paid for in some way or other

Oh I know... I just wanted to moan

dastardly00

Looking like Kwiat is going to win this... Similar to his Worlds victory a few years ago!

dastardly00

Kwiat
GVA
Wellens
Stybar
Dumoulin
Durbridge
Juul Jensen

pelevin

Didn't get to see any of it unfortunately. Kwiat simply the strongest or messing around behind him?

dastardly00

pelevin wrote: »

Didn't get to see any of it unfortunately. Kwiat simply the strongest or messing around behind him?

Everyone looked equal with about 30km to go and the main guys were each having a little dig. Kwiatkowski got a gap and he was simply the strongest. Not too much messing around behind him. GVA, Wellens and Stybar just couldn't catch him.

Really good victory for Kwiat. Very impressive.

JK.BMC

TheBlaaMan wrote: »

Stybar has already won Strade Bianche - in 2015.....;)

It's wet, very wet, so could be EPIC

D'oh!
Forgot about that- I even watched the bloody thing too

Today, Kwiato looked strongest from miles out- great win
Twas full on racing for most of that final 60km; at 175km the race is shorter than the monuments but it was still long enough to create a great spectacle

And chapeau to CJJ - himself and Durbridge rode very well together

jelutong

Siena looks absolutely beautiful. Worth a visit.

Lusk_Doyle

Great win for Kwiatkowski. An especially nice start to the season after last years write off.

TheBlaaMan

Some really great pics from the race over on the cyclingtips.com gallery: https://cyclingtips.com/2017/03/photo-gallery-grit-gravel-grimaces-2017-mens-strade-bianche/