The world of cycling is already preparing to witness this Saturday one of the most special races of the season and which has increased in popularity in recent years to the point that many now consider it ‘the sixth monument’: the Strade Bianche, which will once again see the great figures of the peloton on the emblematic and demanding sterrato sections of Tuscany.
Profile and route of the Strade Bianche 2023
The cyclists who compete in the Strade Bianche will face a course of 184 kilometers starting in Siena and ending in Piazza del Campo in the same city on a route in which they will have to face up to 11 sections of sterrato for a total of 63 kilometers of gravel.
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Among the most demanding sections on sterrato, the sectors of Bagnaia, of 5.8 kilometers of which 3.2 will be uphill and with maximum slopes of 15%; the long section of San Martino in Grania, 9.5 kilometers long, with 5.6 of them uphill and ramps of up to 12%; the tough sector of Mount St. Marie, with 11.5 kilometers on gravel, 4.5 of them on slopes and ramps of up to 18%; and the final climbs on sterrato to Colle Pinzutoof 2.4 kilometers and ramps of up to 15%, and le tolfe, with only half a kilometer of ascent but with terrifying 18% ramps that could break the race. If the sterrato does not break the race, the last option to avoid a resolution to the sprint is the extremely hard climb to Santa Caterina, with ramps of up to 16%, just 500 meters from the finish line in Piazza del Campo.
Teams and participants of the Strade Bianche 2023
The 18 teams that make up the UCI World Tour will be present at Strade Bianche: AG2R Citroen, Alpecin-Deceuninck, Astana-Qazaqstan, Bahrain-Victorious, Bora-Hansgrohe, Cofidis, EF Education – Easypost, Groupama-FDJ, Ineos-Grenadiers, Intermarché-Circus-Wanty, Jumbo-Visma, Movistar, Soudal Quick-Step , Arkéa-Samsic, DSM, Jayco-AlUla, Trek-Segafredo and UAE Emirates.
To them we must add the presence of Israel – Premier Tech and Lotto Dstny, with an invitation guaranteed by his sports classification last year, and the presence by invitation of the organization of the Eolo-Kometa, Green Project-Bardiani, Q36.5, TotalEnergies and Tudor.
The favorites for the Strade Bianche 2023
the dutch Mathieu Van der Poel, champion in 2021, starts as the main rival to beat in the Strade Bianche after the absence of Wout Van Aert, winner in 2020, and the champion in 2022 Tadej Pogacar. However, Van der Poel will have to face rivals such as Greg Van Avermaet, Alexey Lutsenko, Julian Alaphilippe, Aleksandr Vlasov, Matej Mohoric, Alberto Bettiol, Rui Costa, Tom Pidcock, Tiesj Benoot, Zdenek Stybar, Tim Wellens or Peter Sagan. Pello Bilbao and Alex Aranburu start as the main Spanish tricks to victory in the sterrato classic
