Strade Bianche: August 1, 2020

[Blanco]

Vd Poel likes it hot, judging by the MTB exploits last year. No chance of yorkshire happening when it's hot either

still for VdP same problem as Van Aert. If any kind of top climber/puncher is there in the final i dont see him winning

Top climber/puncher Valverde lost to a rider with similar characteristics to VdP, even with the same background...

 

[Gigs_98]

Yeah that final rise to Siena never makes any sense. It just seems to favor a different sort of rider every year for no apparent reason.

2013:
"Francesco Moser wins but Peter Sagan is the strongest out of the 2nd group which bodes well for him for the future"

2014
"So you think a sprinter like Sagan has a chance there? Oh you are wrong as he gets destroyed by the better climber Kwiatkowski"

2015
"So that mean it will get pretty embarassing for Stybar a year later against GVA and Valverde as they are a lot more similar to kwiat and both climb better than Stybar aaaaaand Stybar wins of course"

2016
"Well maybe that just means Stybar is an anomaly and that ramp just really suits him. So clearly an old and heavy Cancellara will have no chance against him whatsoever and Cancellara wins...obviously"

 

[BlueRoads]

Yeah that final rise to Siena never makes any sense. It just seems to favor a different sort of rider every year for no apparent reason.

2013:
"Francesco Moser wins but Peter Sagan is the strongest out of the 2nd group which bodes well for him for the future"

2014
"So you think a sprinter like Sagan has a chance there? Oh you are wrong as he gets destroyed by the better climber Kwiatkowski"

2015
"So that mean it will get pretty embarassing for Stybar a year later against GVA and Valverde as they are a lot more similar to kwiat and both climb better than Stybar aaaaaand Stybar wins of course"

2016
"Well maybe that just means Stybar is an anomaly and that ramp just really suits him. So clearly an old and heavy Cancellara will have no chance against him whatsoever and Cancellara wins...obviously"

That's probably one of the reasons (just like the landscape and the possible mud) this race has become so popular so fast. There seems to be a certain type of rider for this, but there are a lot of ways it can play out.

I think this year the heat might take out Pogacar or Benoot - or it might not. I suppose van der Poel and Lutsenko could profit.

 

[janraaskalt]

2013:
"Francesco Moser wins"

He would make Rebellin look like a baby.

Moreno Moser however...

 

[Sciatic]

Yeah that final rise to Siena never makes any sense. It just seems to favor a different sort of rider every year for no apparent reason.

2013:
"Francesco Moser wins but Peter Sagan is the strongest out of the 2nd group which bodes well for him for the future"

2014
"So you think a sprinter like Sagan has a chance there? Oh you are wrong as he gets destroyed by the better climber Kwiatkowski"

2015
"So that mean it will get pretty embarassing for Stybar a year later against GVA and Valverde as they are a lot more similar to kwiat and both climb better than Stybar aaaaaand Stybar wins of course"

2016
"Well maybe that just means Stybar is an anomaly and that ramp just really suits him. So clearly an old and heavy Cancellara will have no chance against him whatsoever and Cancellara wins...obviously"

Excellent points. I don’t have any data to back this up, but I wonder if, even though it is not a long race in km, the nature of those long climbs on strade take a lot out of riders, so that they’re not able to save energy throughout the race. Canc once said something about being able to win big races only if they were made hard enough, which would take some of the snap out of some riders legs.
So the rider who wins in Sienna may not be the best climber on paper. But obviously being a climber helps, as Van Aert intimates (in the post up thread) in saying he would have to finish alone to win.

 

[Red Rick]

Yeah that final rise to Siena never makes any sense. It just seems to favor a different sort of rider every year for no apparent reason.

2013:
"Francesco Moser wins but Peter Sagan is the strongest out of the 2nd group which bodes well for him for the future"

2014
"So you think a sprinter like Sagan has a chance there? Oh you are wrong as he gets destroyed by the better climber Kwiatkowski"

2015
"So that mean it will get pretty embarassing for Stybar a year later against GVA and Valverde as they are a lot more similar to kwiat and both climb better than Stybar aaaaaand Stybar wins of course"

2016
"Well maybe that just means Stybar is an anomaly and that ramp just really suits him. So clearly an old and heavy Cancellara will have no chance against him whatsoever and Cancellara wins...obviously"

There's harder climbs before, so anyone who would normally be counted out there has long been dropped. The race is so hard it's more about being fresh than being an uphill sprinter, though when equally dead I think it should still suit the puncheurs more, although generally sprinting while dead seems to be a rather specific quality.

It's also just very short. Super short steep climbs that are still under 70m in altitude difference are just weird.

 

[Pantani_lives]

**** *Alaphilippe, Van der Poel
****Sagan, Fuglsang
***Stybar, Gilbert, Van Avermaet, Van Aert
**Bettiol, Nibali, Schachmann, Teuns, Benoot
*Kwiatkowski, Naesen, Jungels, Küng, Dillier, Moscon, Brambilla

 

[Cinemaniak]

**** *Alaphilippe, Van der Poel
****Sagan, Fuglsang
***Stybar, Gilbert, Van Avermaet, Van Aert
**Bettiol, Nibali, Schachmann, Teuns, Benoot
*Kwiatkowski, Naesen, Jungels, Küng, Dillier, Moscon, Brambilla

I'd have Lutsenko on the same level as Fuglsang. In the beginning of the year it really looked like he stepped up another level.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Another kind of rainbow jersey

specially for Strade Bianchi

Ciclismo. Movistar arcobaleno: una maglietta speciale alle “Strade Bianche”

La squadra celebra il ritorno all’attività dopo lo stop per la pandemia con una divisa d’autore prodotta dalla veronese “Alé” e scelta con un sondaggio dai tifosi. Dieci pezzi saranno messi all’asta, il ricavato a Croce Rossa spagnola e Protezione Civile italiana

www.gazzetta.it

 

[RedheadDane]

They should keep it!

 

[BlueRoads]

to me:
**** * van Aert, Schachmann
**** van der Poel, Benoot, Fuglsang, Lutsenko
*** Alaphilippe, Kwiatkowski, Sagan, van Avermaet
** Teuns, Stybar
* Pogacar, Nibali, Gilbert

 

[HelloDolly]

First world tour races back so who can win without RACING form ?
Who is strong on endurance but can climb
The heat will be a significant factor ..so who can survive the blistering heat

Those 3 issues can narrow the field


BTW is SK Anderson leader over Benoot fro Sunweb ?

 

[Leinster]

BTW is SK Anderson leader over Benoot fro Sunweb ?

The team seems to be listed in alphabetical order. I'm sure Kragh, Benoot, and maybe Roche all have equal freedom to go for the win. Benoot is their obvious most likely contender, though.

 

[RedheadDane]

So... I came across a (somewhat old) startlist on Cycling Weekly:

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/strade-bianche-start-list-208034

I somehow don't think this is allowed:

Groupama-FDJ – confirmed

GENIETS Kevin
VINCENT Léo
DELAGE Mickaël
KÜNG Stefan
GUGLIELMI Simon
GENIETS Kevin
VINCENT Léo
DELAGE Mickaël
SARREAU Marc
LE GAC Olivier

 

[Oliver]

VD Poel vs Van Aert Greg will also be strong.

 

[RedheadDane]

Right, this is mostly me being silly, but with all the dust, could it actually be an advantage for riders to keep their masks on during the race?
But I suppose it's also gonna be quite hot...

 

[SafeBet]

Right, this is mostly me being silly, but with all the dust, could it actually be an advantage for riders to keep their masks on during the race?
But I suppose it's also gonna be quite hot...

It's been the hottest week of the year thus far, with temperatures well above 35 degrees.
Tomorrow is going to be a nightmare.

I would advice against using masks.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

What a field we have for this race. And what a diverse field as well. VDP should be the favorite here, but there are so many who could win this race. I think Schachmann will be extremely strong, and I'm looking forward to seeing Teuns here as well, as this race should actually suit him really, really well.

 

[Red Rick]

Expecting absolutely nothing from Nibali in this weather.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

What a field we have for this race. And what a diverse field as well. VDP should be the favorite here, but there are so many who could win this race. I think Schachmann will be extremely strong, and I'm looking forward to seeing Teuns here as well, as this race should actually suit him really, really well.

Yes, i already mentioned Teuns as my dark horse. It's incredible how well he stays under the radar here. Should be a top 5 favorite here, imho.

 

[tobydawq]

Teuns to be lanterne rouge.

 

[Breezy1985]

VD Poel vs Van Aert Greg will also be strong.

So your saying Van is definitely gonna win this one

 

[BlueRoads]

How does Teuns deal with heat? Somehow I put him down as "not so great", but really I don't know why.

 

[SKSemtex]

I am so excited. Is it really happening? This could be the best cycling 4 months of our lives.
I like Strade so much. And this time with so many top riders hungry for riding it will be fun.

 

[jaylew]

Who deals better with heat will definitely play a part. Could possibly be an advantage for the smaller guys