More Strade Bianche

A follow up on the Montepaschi Strade Bianche event from a HTC rider's perspective:

Montepaschi Strade Bianche a race that deserves a lot of respect

This year marked the 5th edition of the Montepaschi Strade Bianche (white roads) race held in and around the city of Siena, Italy. Even though the race is a relatively new event, it already carries a great deal of respect within the pro peloton. The rolling, smooth and not-so-smooth, roads through the region of Chianti pack a serious punch with gradients up to 18% in sections. With the addition of almost 60 kilometers of sterrati (gravel) to be traversed, the event produces a worthy winner each time, much like the more famous Paris-Roubaix in France.

Upon arriving at the starting village of Gaiole in Chianti, I immediately felt like I was stepping back into the 60's. Overcast skies paired with smoke throughout the valley - from the residents burning their freshly trimmed olive branches - added to the feeling of being in a time when everything was black and white. With no race radios, making support from our team vehicles almost impossible, and the image of the eventual winner, Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto), starting the race with a tubular strapped over his shoulders the tone was set for the day. I knew the next 190 kilometers would be burned into my memory forever.

Initially, it is easy to say that racing over gravel roads at 60 kilometers per hour (40mph) on just a few millimeters of rubber, elbow to elbow, is a bit extreme. And yes, it was extreme...extremely enjoyable. Of course there were the usual crashes and mechanical issues, just like with every other race, but for the most part it was a safe day. With the narrow and very technical roads, each rider was forced to ride most of the day in a single line and therefore was in charge of their destiny.

Bike handling skills were tested at every turn, and those skills had to be equally matched with powerful legs and lungs to get your body over the short but steep climbs. For me, all of this equals the perfect racing conditions for the fans and riders. Sprinters like Mark Cavendish (HTC-Highroad) and pure climbers like Emanuel Sella (Androni Giocattoli) were still present and active at the end of the race. How often to do see that?

If the UCI is looking to make the racing more exciting, put more races like Strade Bianche on the calendar. The day required 100% focus on all accounts. By the end, every rider agreed that day was equally as intense as it was enjoyable - a rare combination. Maybe having diverse events, such as Strade Bianche, could be the key to providing more excitement to the viewers and even the racers?

Posted by Craig Lewis