The 2024 editions of the men’s and women’s Strade Bianche include an extra loop and more gravel sectors, elevating the Tuscan race even closer to the status of professional cycling’s sixth monument.
The 2023 men’s race covered 184 km and 11 gravel sectors. This year’s race on Saturday 2nd March will cover 215 km and 15 gravel sectors. The extra racing covers much of the traditional final loop of the race to the east of Siena.
Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) won the men’s Strade Bianche with a solo attack, while Demi Vollering beat her SD Worx teammate Lotte Kopecky after a tense battle in the finish.
The 2024 climbs of Colle Pinzuto and Le Tolfe, where the decisive attacks are often made, will be covered twice, before the climb up to central Siena and the finish in the spectacular Piazza del Campo.
The women raced for 136km and covered eight gravel sectors. In 2024 they will race for 137 km but face 12 gravel sectors, also covering the Colle Pinzuto and Le Tolfe loop twice.
The extended routes of the men’s and women’s Strade Bianche were presented in Siena on Tuesday.
The new routes arguably make the races even more demanding, with the final climb up to Renaissance Siena likely to reveal the eventual winners.
The women raced for 136km and covered eight gravel sectors. In 2024 they will race for 137 km but face 12 gravel sectors, also covering the Colle Pinzuto and Le Tolfe loop twice.
The men will race a total of 71 km on the spectacular gravel roads or ‘strade bianche’ of Tuscany, while the women race 40km of gravel roads.
The women’s race starts early on Saturday morning and ends first, with the men finishing late in the afternoon as the sun sets over Siena. A Gran Fondo mass-participation event is held on Sunday, with 7,000 riders of all ages and abilities riding on many of the same ‘strade bianche’ as the professionals.
The first half of both race routes and the 138.5 km Grand Fondo include the longer rolling gravel road sections during a loop south towards Montalcino. The final sectors and the extra loop include shorter sections but often on steep, double-digit climbs through the vineyards and olive groves east of Siena.
Both the men’s and women’s races conclude with the climb up through the narrow and narrow Via Santa Caterina street to central Siena, where crowds pack the roadside to witness any final attacks and see the riders suffer.
A slightly downhill ride leads to a final right turn with 150 metres and then into the Piazza del Campo. The annual Palio horse race is held around the square with the finish line at the bottom and the so huge square creating an amphitheatre for the fans to enjoy the finish.
"This year we wanted to make some changes to the route, and so we created this double circuit, which will increase the difficulty and mileage of both races, as well as give the fans at the roadside the chance to enjoy the show multiple times,” Mauro Vegni, the head of cycling at RCS Sport explained at the route presentation in Siena.
“As a result of this decision, for the first time, the men's race will be longer than 200 km. We will see how the race will develop. Every year, this event gives us strong emotions and great cycling moments such as in 2023 the photo-finish victory of the women's race by Demi Vollering, or the winning attack by Thomas Pidcock in the men's race."
