Extra gravel and extra climbs make 2024 Strade Bianche harder than ever

SIENA ITALY MARCH 04 Tim Wellens of Belgium and UAE Team Emirates Andrey Amador of Costa Rica and Team EF Education Easypost Thibaut Pinot of France and Team Groupama FDJ and Michael Gogl of Austria and Team AlpecinDeceuninck lead the peloton during the Eroica 17th Strade Bianche 2023 Mens Elite a 184km one day race from Siena to Siena 318m StradeBianche on March 04 2023 in Siena Italy Photo by Tim de WaeleGetty Images.

The 2024 editions of Strade Bianche include an extra loop of hilly racing through the Tuscan vineyards and more gravel sectors than ever before, elevating the races closer to Monument status. Yet the changes could create different races for the men and women, that tips the balance in favour of climbers and so reducing the chances of the Classics riders.  

Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers), Demi Vollering and Lotte Kopecky (both SD Worx-Protime) are arguably multi-talented but the new route could suit UAE Tour winner Lennert Van Eetvelt (Lotto Dstny) and Simon Yates (Jayco-AlUla) on the men's side, but prove too tough for the likes of Matej Mohorič (Bahrain Victorious), Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal-QuickStep) and Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ).