Classics season continues with a trip away from Belgium down to the sunshine* and gravel roads of Tuscany.
*the weather is not looking sunny - in fact it looks rather wet...
Eurosport 2 from 1pm on Saturday but really annoyingly there isn't any live TV for the Women's Strada Bianche. 🙁
It's probably too open to call in the Women's race but I reckon Stybar, Sagan, Nibali in the Men's race.
Would be good to see Nibali battling it out at the front with the likes of Sagan and Stybar. Depends how good his legs are though, he has a tendency to catch up with his fitness later in the season. Is he riding the Giro this year?
I've gone for Stybar. Fallback Dumoulin.
Nibali is a bit of a left field choice but if the weather is crap (and it does look like it'll be raining for at least some of the race) the route will favour bike handling and Nibali is a really good technical rider. That's why I've gone for CX legend Stybar for the win plus of course he's won it before and knows what's needed.
Vos might be a good shout for the women's race, she's far and away the best CX rider on that start list. But she's never ridden the event before, this is only the second year there's been a women's race and Vos missed most of last season...
DinBun
Looks like the wowman's race is on eurosport player, but on the UCI channel
at 11.25, but I think that channel just has pictures, no commentary.
Will be hitting the Chinese media feeds to try and watch this, cracking race and gutted I'm not back in Euroland to fully enjoy it.
Cracking weekend of cycling ahead, this and Paris Nice tomorrow.
Fun facts, everyone in today's race must ride a bianchi bike, hence the name.
Fun facts, everyone in today's race must ride a bianchi bike, hence the name.
And it has to be on Strava, hence the name.
(I also follow @ukcyclingexpert on Twitter 😉 )
Indeed! Looking forward to his musing on Paris Nice and the biscuit ceremony
I wonder who will be on discs today. Having ridden the white roads in the wet I'd want them! Sagan/stybar/nibs mental tech fest for the last 30k please.
I wonder who will be on discs today. Having ridden the white roads in the wet I'd want them!
You should try riding on a 1966 bike with very dodgy (by today's standards)side pulls. But I did love L'Eroica and it was dry 🙂
Go Zdenek 🙂
In the same way Boonen has been riding discs as the 'eye catcher' & Specialized advert, I'd half expect Stybar as one of the favourites to be on them today but we'll soon see
Please rain, please rain, please rain. 😈
wimmin's live on eurosportplayer now (UCI feed so no commentary).
It's wet 😉
Rain starting to fall 🙂
What a finish in the women's. Almost better without commentary.
Just caught the last km, good finish!
Video here of the womens finish. Such a great race.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5dv4tk_strade-bianchi-2017-hd-women-final-kilometers_sport
News from the Men's race then is that Sagan is out. Stomach upset apparently.
Still trying to work out the rest of the race and they've already cut to adverts. 🙁
Sagan has had "dramatic stomach issues" at the roadside, and now climbed off. Hope no one was close on his wheel...
top marks sir for posting the women's link!
Well since this thread seems to have taken over from the other one...
Glad to see a huge lack of disc brakes in the race... y'no.... since all those pushing for them would expect to see em' here, if anywhere.
Glad to see a huge lack of disc brakes in the race... y'no.... since all those pushing for them would expect to see em' here, if anywhere.
I haven't seen any so far, I'd have expected a few riders to be on them. Watching them mince down some of those wet descents, I'm wondering just how much advantage they'd have given. After all, most of them are on 28mm + tyres so you'd think it'd be the perfect race to try it.
Just don't think the appetite is there for them, maybe one or two in P-R.. who knows.
Time for a punt, I'm going for either Kwiak, Stybz or Wellz. Think it's quite open, hard to pick one.
Yep, Kwiatkowski is off on a lone break. Although it does look a bit camerabike-assisted at times...
Anyone found anywhere to stream it? Sagan (well whoever does his Facebook page) actually put up a link earlier but doesn't seem to want to work in the uk
Eurosport 2, it's on ES Player.
That moto bike is a ****ing liability - not only has it been helping him by filming from the front, it's getting in the way by trying to film from the side as he's cornering.
That climb up to the finish!
that's a brute of a climb to end with 🙂
Lovely, glad to see Kwiak back on some form and Wellz in third too !! Brilliant.
What a disappointment! Just another drug fuelled sky rider "winning" a race!
^ y eah, Obvz innit.
Finally caught up, good race that. Good to see Wellens get on the podium too.
The pro race was a day too early. Torrential rain all day today for the sportive. Epic conditions.
Also the last climb into Siena is by far not the toughest climb actually there are 4-5 steeper on the ride although it's difficult to tell from the TV pics.