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Here is Pogačar as he made his 81km assault.
There’s now a few dozen riders in the primary chase group behind Pogačar. Surprisingly, regardless of having probably the most numbers, Visma | Lease a Bike have missed the transfer fully.
4 extra riders have joined that chasing six, and a couple of extra (Madouas and Bussato) are on their approach behind
Not that catching Pogačar would really feel like a chance even when Wellens wasn’t there – the hole has grown once more, as much as over 2-30.
A bunch of 6 are forming with Cosnefroy – Van Eetvelt, Neilands, Sheffield and Bardet are all there. However as is Pogačar’s teammate Tim Wellens.
That is cut up the group up. They’re on a descent, and riders are strung out in ones and twos.
Assault from Cosnefroy within the chase group.
The group continues to be getting larger reasonably than smaller, with riders becoming a member of from behind reasonably than being dropped. Valentin Madouas and Mauri Vansevenant are there now.
60KM TO GO
The peloton has no less than stopped the hole from rising. It has been hovering at round 2-20 for a short time now. They nonetheless have a very long time to get again into the race. Who is aware of, possibly Pogačar will tire?
A motorcycle change for Skujiņš, presumably on account of his earlier crash. It was a fast change so that you count on to rejoin the group.
This was Tim Wellens main Pogačar, moments earlier than he unleashed the assault that already seems to be like it should be the race-winning one.
The chase group has been rising in numbers, as riders from behind rejoin, however that is not serving to them convey Pogačar again. He is now 2-22 away.
Make that 4 Visma riders – Ben Tulett can also be nonetheless there.
Visma | Lease a Bike are one of the best represented group within the chase, with Kuss, Laporte and Attila Valter all there. Groups with 2 riders embody Lotto-Dstny (Van Gils and Van Eetvelt), Ineos (Pidcock, Sheffield and Arensman), and UAE (Toro and Wellens).
Van Gils is letting the bigger chase group behind him convey him again. This can be a large group, with loads of hearth energy, and teammates who can work collectively. However can they do something when up towards the drive of nature that’s Tadej Pogačar?
70KM TO GO
1-36 now for Pogačar over Van Gils, and 2-05 again are the chasers.
The complete-make up of the chase group behind Van Gils:
Ben Healy, Christophe Laporte, Sepp Kuss, Krists Neilands, Matej Mohoric, Tom Pidcock, Magnus Sheffield, Lennard Kamna, Filippo Zana, Davide Formolo, Lennart van Eetvelt, Benoit Cosnefroy, Francesco Busatto, Tim Wellens and Isaac del Toro. Regardless of crashing, Toms Skujiņš has rejoined them.
So it’s Pogačar in entrance, Maxim Van Gil 1-08 behind him, and a chase group 1-38 behind.
Crash in the back of the chase group, Simmons and Skujiņš have gone down.Each are up, but it surely’ll take some effort to rejoin.
Keep in mind after we marvelled on the audacity of Pogačar attacking 50km from the end to win Strade Biannhce two years in the past? It looks like he’s making an attempt to outdo himself with this transfer.
Pogačar has 40 seconds on Van Gils,and already over a minute over the following group of chasers, which is getting larger.
Pogačar’s on the following gravel sector now, Monteaperti. The solar’s come out, and it’s not so muddy.
If Pogacar’s teammates can cowl all these strikes, it should make it much more troublesome for anybody to convey him again.
Healy’s been joined by 3 extra riders – Laporte, and the UAE duo Wellens and Del Toro.
Van Gils has ridden away from the remainder of the chasing group. Ben Healy is making an attempt to bridge as much as him.
Pogačar’s lead is as much as nearly 30 seconds already.
Van Gils is main the chase group behind, which has about 20 riders in it.
Pogačar seems to be as sturdy as ever, however it is a great distance from the end to go all in, even for him.
Sepp Kuss was the rider on his wheel when he attacked, however could not comply with on an uphill incline on the gravel.
He is obtained a spot of a number of seconds already.
81KM TO GO
Pogačar assaults!
Pogačar is already second wheel within the peloton, with solely teammate Tim Wellens forward of him.
Simmons has been caught, and UAE are actually upping the tempo.
Ineos had led the peloton within the run-in to the sector, however UAE have resumed managed now they’re on it.
Earlier than the race, Pogačar acknowledged frankly that he plans to assault right here. He may need simply been teasing, however his rivals will nonetheless should be very attentive.
They’ve arrived at Monte Sante Marie. This could possibly be the sector that shapes the race, particularly of their climate.
Simmons has a lead, however not a giant one. It’s at 15 seconds. He actually might have carried out with a gaggle of riders going with him to share the workload.
The rain is admittedly beginning to fall now, simply as we strategy Monte Sante Marie. This could possibly be carnage…
It’s simply been introduced that Julian Alaphilippe has deserted the race. Following a crash-blighted Opening Weekend, his disappointing begin to the season continues.
One other assault from Simmons! The American champion is feeling stressed at the moment, in a race he has an excellent historical past at.
90KM TO GO
The peloton has obtained a bit larger once more for the reason that finish of the final gravel sector, with sragglers making their approach again. There are over 30 riders in it once more now.
An fascinating improvement: it is raining. Solely gently for now but it surely’ll make this a really completely different race if the gravel turns to mud.
They’ve simply completed San Martino in Grania, but it surely will not be lengthy till the following gravel sector, and it is one of the well-known ones – Monte Sante Marie. Solely about 8km away.
Simmons and Cort have now been introduced again, nonetheless. UAE Workforce Emirates are setting the tempo, main a peloton with about 25 riders in it.
Simmons and Cort are nonetheless out in entrance, however solely by a couple of seconds.
The race is beginning to cut up aside now. There are little greater than 20 riders left within the peloton, if we are able to nonetheless name it that.
Right here come the assaults! Quinn Simmons and Magnus Cort have launched themselves off the entrance of the peloton.
UAE Workforce Emirates and Soudal-QuickStep are the groups setting the tempo within the peloton. Regardless of their poor begin to the season, the latter should fancy the probabilities of Julian Alaphilippe and/or Kasper Asgreen.
100KM TO GO
The leaders have been caught. All the things’s again collectively as we race on the gravel.
We’re at San Martino now. The leaders are nonetheless on the market, however the tempo again within the peloton is definitely going to be formidable.
The lead group is down to only 3 now, as Craddock has dropped again into the peloton after having a flat tyre.
In the meantime, the ladies’s race has simply come to an finish, and it was an thrilling one. You’ll be able to examine what occurred here
110KM TO GO
Simply 20 seconds now for the leaders. They won’t even make it to the beginning of San Martino in Grania.
San Martino in Grania may additionally spell the top of the break’s day trip entrance. Their hole is now solely about 30 seconds. Simply 10km now till they’re again on the gravel.
There’s some respite now for the riders within the type of a brief flat part. After that we are able to actually count on the life to come back to life, after they arrive at San Martino in Grania, the primary 5-star sector of the race.
120KM TO GO
They’re approaching the top of Pieve a Salti, and the lead of the quartet out in entrance has come all the way down to below a minute.
Lawson Craddock additionally required a motorcycle change, however he’s made it again into the lead group.
Brun’s been caught by the peloton, unable to rejoin the leaders following his mechanical. An unlucky finish to the Swiss rider’s day trip in entrance, however an occupational hazard at Strade Bianche.
No extra assaults but out of the peloton, however the group has been whittled down. There are lower than 50 rides left in it.
The Lucignano d’Asso has been accomplished, and now they’re on Pieve a Salti. This would be the sternest check the riders have confronted to this point at the moment.
130KM TO GO
The peloton are nonetheless on Lucignano d’Asso, and have lowered the deficit to the leaders a bit extra, to about 1-15. Nils Brun is caught between them in no-man’s land.
Dangerous new for Nils Bruin, who has had a flat tyre and has dropped out of the entrance group. That leaves simply 4 riders within the break.
They’re on the Lucignano d’Asso now.
In anticipation of those sectors, the tempo is up within the peloton. The break’s lead is all the way down to solely about 1-30.
140KM TO GO
We’re simply a few kilometres away from sector 5, Lucignano d’Asso. This one’s an particularly vital one, as, at 11.9km, it’s the longest of the entire day, and is straight away adopted by the primary 4-star sector of the day, Pieve a Salti.
The climate continues to be exhibiting some ominous indicators, that would make this a really completely different race. There have been a couple of drops of rain additional up the highway within the ladies’s race.
A glimpse of why this Tuscan race is among the most lovely in biking.
150KM TO GO
The riders are at the moment climbing a tarmacked hill. The hole between the 5 leaders and the peloton continues to be rising, and is now as much as 2-30.
It may be quiet right here within the males’s race for now, but it surely’s all kicking off within the ladies’s race. Keep in mind you’ll be able to follow that race with us too.
160KM TO GO
The success of this break has stabilised the race state of affairs. UAE Workforce Emirates are main the peloton for Pogačar, and are joyful to allow them to have a lead, which is now as much as 1-30. The subsequent gravel sector isn’t for an additional 22km.
The main quarter has develop into a number one quintet, as counter-attacker Nils Brun (Tudor Professional Biking Workforce) has efficiently bridged the hole. They’ve a lead of over a minute.
Time now for the fourth gravel check – La Piana, which has been rated 2 stars, and lasts 64km.
170KM TO GO
The quartet’s lead is now as much as over 30 seconds. This could possibly be the break of the day.
They have been joined by Dion Smith (Intermarché – Wanty), and have a lead of about 20 seconds.
A brand new trio now forming a brand new lead group, and it is a sturdy one: Lawson Craddock (Jayco-AlUla), Mark Donovan (Q36.5) and Anders Halland Johannessen (Uno-X), who was on the assault earlier.
180KM TO GO
They’re on the third gravel sector now, the 2-star Radi.
Sergio Samitier main the peloton on the earlier gravel sector. As you see, the roads are dry and dusty, with no rain to trigger any mud.
The Bagnaia has been accomplished, and the peloton stays collectively.
Time now for sector 2, Bagnaia. It’s tougher than the final one, and has been designated 3 out of 5 stars when it comes to issue. This could possibly be the place a breakaway goes clear.
200KM TO GO
That lead group had made it to the primary of the day’s 15 gravel sectors, the Vidritta, however didn’t survive it, and has been introduced again. We await the following strikes.
The 6 riders with Skujiņš are: Cristián Rodríguez (Arkéa – B&B Resorts), Oscar Riesebeek (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Felix Engelhardt (Jayco-AlUla), Logan Currie (Lotto Dstny), Anders Halland Johannessen (Uno-X) and Francisco Muñoz (Polti Kometa).
Amongst these seven riders is Toms Skujiņš. Given the shape he confirmed every week over throughout Opening Weekend, certainly he gained’t be allowed up the highway.
205KM TO GO
Assaults have been made, and a gaggle of seven at the moment have a small hole forward of the peloton.
As for that all-important climate forecast – you’ll be able to see from this picture of the ladies’s race that, although dry in the mean time, there are some menacing-looking clouds within the sky. Ought to the heaven’s open, the gravel roads will develop into mud baths, and alter the entire nature of the race. However the forecasts are predicting the rain to remain away this afternoon.
215KM TO GO
And so they’re off!
The riders have rolled out of the unofficial begin and into the neutralised zone. We await the official begin with bated breath!
In addition to Pogačar, defending champion Tom Pidcock can also be among the many favourites, whereas others to look at embody in-form younger expertise Lennert Van Eetvelt, Ben Healy, and Sepp Kuss, who’s testing himself on the unfamiliar gravel roads. For a extra detailed have a look at each’s probabilities, have a learn of our preview analysing the contenders.
Simply 5 minutes till the neutralised begin, and the thrill is palpable.
This being one of many largest prizes of the season, the beginning record is full of expertise. However one identify stands above all of the others – Tadej Pogačar. It looks as if an age since we final noticed the nice man race, and was certainly nearly 5 months in the past, at Il Lombardia final autumn – which, inevitably he gained. He additionally gained the final time he competed at Strade Bianche in 2022, and, within the absence of Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel, is the recent favorite to take action once more at the moment.
The route of this 12 months’s Strade Bianche would be the longest but, exceeding 200km for the primary time within the race’s 17-year historical past. An additional loop close to Siena signifies that 15 sectors of the race’s emblematic gravel roads shall be tackled, up from 11 final 12 months. We’ll discover out at the moment whether or not that provides to the spectacle, or upsets the stability of the race by making it too demanding.
Whereas we look forward to the lads, the ladies are already off and racing – you’ll be able to comply with all of the motion of that race here.
Simply half an hour to go earlier than the lads set off for what many now contemplate to be the primary main traditional — and presumably even monument — of the season – Strade Bianche! Whether or not or not it deserves that significantly weighty stage has been debated with growing depth up to now few years, however in any case, it’s undoubtedly one of many spectacles of the season.
Hi there and welcome to our dwell protection of the 2024 males’s Strade Bianche
