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Strade Bianche

For the women's event, see Strade Bianche Donne.
Strade Bianche
2024 Strade Bianche
Race details
DateEarly March
RegionTuscany, Italy
Nickname(s)Europe's southernmost northern classic[1]
DisciplineRoad
CompetitionUCI World Tour
TypeSingle-day
OrganiserRCS Sport
Race directorMauro Vegni
Web sitewww.strade-bianche.it Edit this at Wikidata
History
First edition2007 (2007)
Editions18 (as of 2024)
First winner Alexandr Kolobnev (RUS)
Most wins Fabian Cancellara (SUI) (3 wins)
Most recent Tadej Pogačar (SLO)

The Strade Bianche (pronounced [ˈstraːde ˈbjaŋke]; Italian for 'White Roads') is a road bicycle race in Tuscany, Central Italy, starting and finishing in Siena. First held in 2007, it is raced annually on the first or second Saturday of March. The name stems from the historic white gravel roads in the Crete Senesi, which are a defining feature of the race. One-third of the total race distance is raced on dirt roads, covering 63 km (39 mi) of strade bianche, spread over 11 sectors.[2]

Despite its short history, the Strade Bianche has quickly gained prestige, and renewed interest in road racing on gravel and dirt roads as a specific skill and discipline.[3] The event is part of the UCI World Tour, cycling's highest level of professional road races.[4][5] It is organized by RCS Sport – La Gazzetta dello Sport, and is held the weekend before Tirreno–Adriatico as an early spring precursor to the cobbled classics in April. Swiss Fabian Cancellara holds the record with three wins. Also a three-time winner over the pavé of Paris–Roubaix and the cobbled Hilligen of Tour of Flanders, Cancellara rejected comparisons between the races, believing the "white roads" of the Strade "deserved appreciation in their own right".[6][7] Thibaut Pinot described it as "the sixth Monument" of Classic road cycling because of its unique parcours, difficulty and prestige.[7]

Since 2015, there has been a women's race, the Strade Bianche Donne, serving as the opening event of the UCI Women's World Tour. It is held on the same day as the men's race, on the same roads but at a shorter distance. Both events start and finish in Siena.[8]

  1. ^ Farrand, Stephen. "Strade Bianche 2019 – Preview". cyclingnews.com. Immediate Media Company. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  2. ^ "Pro peloton returns to Italy's dirt roads for Strade Bianche". VeloNews. 31 January 2018. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  3. ^ "Almost as Good as Homemade". The Service Course. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  4. ^ "UCI expands WorldTour to 37 events". Cycling News. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
  5. ^ "The UCI reveals expanded UCI WorldTour calendar for 2017". UCI. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
  6. ^ Wynn, Nigel. "Fabian Cancellara wins Strade Bianche for a third time". Cycling Weekly. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  7. ^ a b Fabian Cancellara: 'Don't compare Strade Bianche with Paris-Roubaix' from Cycling Weekly.
  8. ^ Frattini, Kirsten (28 February 2018). "Longer, tougher Strade Bianche Women in 2018 - Preview". Cycling News. Retrieved 5 March 2019.

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