Strade Bianche
Italy, Saturday 6 March, 136km (women), 184km (men)
Already one of the sport’s most decorated riders, Annemiek van Vleuten stands on the verge of becoming Strade Bianche’s most accomplished rider when she takes the start on Saturday.
Her victory last year saw her become the first rider – male or female – to take consecutive wins, and should she take a third crown this weekend the European champion will match Fabian Cancellara’s record of three wins (though his spanned eight years).
Since the Tuscan race’s 2007 inception and the addition of a women’s event eight years later, Strade Bianche has rarely disappointed fans, and it has become one of the most coveted races among both men’s and women’s pelotons.
But such is the challenge it presents rarely does a rider win more than once. Indeed van Vleuten is the only woman to win more than once, with Michał Kwiatkowski (Ineos Grenadiers) the only other man alongside Cancellara to achieve the accolade, with two wins.
“It would be great to win but I have a love/hate relationship with the race,” said van Vleuten, who joined Movistar over the winter. “The first few hours I hate, but once you get more into the final I start to love it. What I love most is the finish in Siena, and with the last gravel section you fight deep into the final.”
Though her new team have previously failed to make an impact on the race, and are yet to win a Worldtour event, this year’s Movistar squad has been significantly strengthened, with last year’s third place finisher Leah Thomas among the squad.
However, as the first Worldtour race of the season the start list is likely to be stacked with the world’s best, including all but one previous winner lining up in Siena for the 136km loop through the hills south of the city.