by Refresh
Simmons and Cort are still out in front, but only by a few seconds.
The race is starting to split apart now. There are little more than 20 riders left in the peloton, if we can still call it that.
Here come the attacks! Quinn Simmons and Magnus Cort have launched themselves off the front of the peloton.
UAE Team Emirates and Soudal-QuickStep are the teams setting the pace in the peloton. Despite their poor start to the season, the latter must fancy the chances of Julian Alaphilippe and/or Kasper Asgreen.
100KM TO GO
The leaders have been caught. Everything’s back together as we race on the gravel.
We’re at San Martino now. The leaders are still out there, but the pace back in the peloton is surely going to be formidable.
The lead group is down to just 3 now, as Craddock has dropped back into the peloton after having a flat tyre.
Meanwhile, the women’s race has just come to an end, and it was an exciting one. You can read about what happened here
110KM TO GO
Just 20 seconds now for the leaders. They might not even make it to the start of San Martino in Grania.
San Martino in Grania may also spell the end of the break’s time out front. Their gap is now only about 30 seconds. Just 10km now until they’re back on the gravel.
There’s some respite now for the riders in the form of a short flat section. After that we can really expect the life to come to life, when they arrive at San Martino in Grania, the first 5-star sector of the race.
120KM TO GO
They’re approaching the end of Pieve a Salti, and the lead of the quartet out in front has come down to under a minute.
Lawson Craddock also required a bike change, but he’s made it back into the lead group.
Brun’s been caught by the peloton, unable to rejoin the leaders following his mechanical. An unfortunate end to the Swiss rider’s day out in front, but an occupational hazard at Strade Bianche.
No more attacks yet out of the peloton, but the group has been whittled down. There are less than 50 rides left in it.
The Lucignano d’Asso has been completed, and now they’re on Pieve a Salti. This will be the sternest test the riders have faced so far today.
130KM TO GO
The peloton are still on Lucignano d’Asso, and have reduced the deficit to the leaders a bit more, to about 1-15. Nils Brun is stuck between them in no-man’s land.
Bad new for Nils Bruin, who has had a flat tyre and has dropped out of the front group. That leaves just 4 riders in the break.
They’re on the Lucignano d’Asso now.
In anticipation of these sectors, the pace is up in the peloton. The break’s lead is down to only about 1-30.
140KM TO GO
We’re just a couple of kilometres away from sector five, Lucignano d’Asso. This one’s an especially important one, as, at 11.9km, it’s the longest of the whole day, and is immediately followed by the first 4-star sector of the day, Pieve a Salti.
The weather is still showing some ominous signs, that could make this a very different race. There have been a few drops of rain further up the road in the women’s race.
A glimpse of why this Tuscan race is one of the most beautiful in cycling.
150KM TO GO
The riders are currently climbing a tarmacked hill. The gap between the five leaders and the peloton is still growing, and is now up to 2-30.
It might be quiet here in the men’s race for now, but it’s all kicking off in the women’s race. Remember you can follow that race with us too.
160KM TO GO
The success of this break has stabilised the race situation. UAE Team Emirates are leading the peloton for Pogačar, and are happy to let them have a lead, which is now up to 1-30. The next gravel sector isn’t for another 22km.
The leading quarter has become a leading quintet, as counter-attacker Nils Brun (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) has successfully bridged the gap. They have a lead of over a minute.
Time now for the fourth gravel test – La Piana, which has been rated 2 stars, and lasts 64km.
170KM TO GO
The quartet’s lead is now up to over 30 seconds. This could be the break of the day.
They’ve been joined by Dion Smith (Intermarché – Wanty), and have a lead of about 20 seconds.
A new trio now forming a new lead group, and it’s a strong one: Lawson Craddock (Jayco-AlUla), Mark Donovan (Q36.5) and Anders Halland Johannessen (Uno-X), who was on the attack earlier.
180KM TO GO
They’re on the third gravel sector now, the 2-star Radi.
Sergio Samitier leading the peloton on the previous gravel sector. As you see, the roads are dry and dusty, with no rain to cause any mud.
The Bagnaia has been completed, and the peloton remains together.
Time now for sector 2, Bagnaia. It’s harder than the last one, and has been designated 3 out of 5 stars in terms of difficulty. This could be where a breakaway goes clear.
200KM TO GO
That lead group had made it to the first of the day’s 15 gravel sectors, the Vidritta, but did not survive it, and has been brought back. We await the next moves.
The 6 riders with Skujiņš are: Cristián Rodríguez (Arkéa – B&B Hotels), Oscar Riesebeek (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Felix Engelhardt (Jayco-AlUla), Logan Currie (Lotto Dstny), Anders Halland Johannessen (Uno-X) and Francisco Muñoz (Polti Kometa).
Among those seven riders is Toms Skujiņš. Given the form he showed a week over during Opening Weekend, surely he won’t be allowed up the road.
205KM TO GO
Attacks have been made, and a group of seven currently have a small gap ahead of the peloton.
As for that all-important weather forecast – you can see from this image of the women’s race that, though dry at the moment, there are some menacing-looking clouds in the sky. Should the heaven’s open, the gravel roads will become mud baths, and alter the whole nature of the race. But the forecasts are predicting the rain to stay away this afternoon.
215KM TO GO
And they’re off!
The riders have rolled out of the unofficial start and into the neutralised zone. We await the official start with bated breath!
As well as Pogačar, defending champion Tom Pidcock is also among the favourites, while others to watch include in-form young talent Lennert Van Eetvelt, Ben Healy, and Sepp Kuss, who is testing himself on the unfamiliar gravel roads. For a more detailed look at each one’s chances, have a read of our preview analysing the contenders.
Just five minutes until the neutralised start, and the excitement is palpable.
This being one of the biggest prizes of the season, the start list is packed with talent. But one name stands above all the others – Tadej Pogačar. It seems like an age since we last saw the great man race, and was indeed almost five months ago, at Il Lombardia last autumn – which, inevitably he won. He also won the last time he competed at Strade Bianche in 2022, and, in the absence of Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel, is the hot favourite to do so again today.
The route of this year’s Strade Bianche will be the longest yet, exceeding 200km for the first time in the race’s 17-year history. An extra loop near Siena means that 15 sectors of the race’s emblematic gravel roads will be tackled, up from 11 last year. We’ll find out today whether that adds to the spectacle, or upsets the balance of the race by making it too demanding.
While we wait for the men, the women are already off and racing – you can follow all the action of that race here.
Just half an hour to go before the men set off for what many now consider to be the first major classic — and possibly even monument — of the season – Strade Bianche! Whether or not it deserves that particularly weighty level has been debated with increasing intensity in the past few years, but in any case, it’s undoubtedly one of the spectacles of the season.
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the 2024 men’s Strade Bianche
