The route consists of 190 kilometers through
the region, including 70 kilometers of white gravel roads called sterrati.
Sections of the route were originally used in a recreational race, or gran fondo – a name people in the states
are getting used to hearing with such events popping up all over the place. In
fact a fairly recent fondo was in the
news because a participant was found to be doping, which is just so ridiculous,
I’m not even going to comment any further!
Watching the race on television is a unique
event because at this period of late winter there is very little foliage on the
trees and the riders are fairly unobscured during the helicopter shots that pan
to catch the striking Tuscan landscape. You can really get a sense of the
undulating roads (photo below) and the challenge facing the cyclists. The route
builds nicely to a fantastic finish up the steep narrow roads that weave
through the Romanesque-Gothic buildings into the Piazza del Campo.
In the past, strategy in this race has been
interesting, particularly because of the event’s presence in the cycling
calendar, when fitness levels were all over the place within the pro peloton.
However, as the prestige of Stade Bianche has grown, riders have used it as a
springboard into the classics season, with more teams showing up near top
condition with their top single-day racers.
Saturday’s race featured an early break with
a large group of hard chasing riders that included 2012 winner Fabian Cancellara
and strong contenders such Rinaldo Nocentini, Greg Van Avermaet and Alejandro
Valverde. With Moreno Moser and pre-race favorite Peter Sagan, the Cannondale
team had the advantage of two strong riders present, and while the others were
busy marking each other, Moser jumped clear late to reach the breakaway. Sagan
could just relax, counter any moves, and let the others do the work to catch
his teammate, knowing that he would then be fresh for the finish.
In fact, the chasing group nearly caught
Moser, but he had enough left to hold them off, jumping clear of his breakaway
companions up the steep finish into the Piazza del Campo (photo below). As
reward for being a faithful teammate, Sagan crossed the line in second place,
blowing by the remaining riders as they weaved in exhaustion all over the final
climb, and Nocentini claimed the third podium spot.
No comments :
Post a Comment