It's the holes you don't see on television. The gravel sectors of Strade Bianche add an element of chaos, sure, and are picturesque in the Tuscan hills, but without seeing the sterrati close up, it's hard to imagine what it must be like to race it.
The eponymous white roads are pockmarked with potholes that would make a British council wince, and are hard to avoid at my lowly speed, let alone the pace of the peloton, packed out across the road, with little room to manoeuvre. These are potholes that risk throwing you out of rhythm, out of line, and into someone else or off the road at worst.
