1 Strade Bianche  |  Siena, Italy  |  4 March

Adopted in short order as an iconic Classic for the men, the women’s Strade Bianche has also become a beautiful race. The third edition rolled out of Siena, a subdued peloton under leaden skies, and set out across 127 kilometers of Tuscany for a race including eight sectors (30 kilometers) of what would become cloying white dirt roads.

Megan Guarnier the defending champion, succumbed in sector four, and a big crash took down pre-race favourites Kasia Niewiadoma (WM3) and Elisa Longo Borghini (Wiggle-High5) in sector five. The Italian was able to get back in thanks to the selflessness of her French twin Audrey Cordon-Ragot who sacrificed her bike and her race for her leader.

Orica-Scott closed the gap to the major escape of the day, and then Boels-Dolmans forced a selection on the penultimate sector of gravel. Longo Borghini, Niewiadoma, Orica-Scott pair Annemiek van Vleuten and Katrin Garfoot (Orica-Scott), and Lizzie Deignan (Boels-Dolmans) forged away.

The chase never gave in as Lucinda Brand (Sunweb) and Shara Gillow (FDJ Nouvelle Acquitaine Futuroscope) caught and then flew past the front five. Brand hammered desperately up the steepling climb of Via Santa Caterina, Gillow hanging just seconds behind as Amanda Spratt (Orica-Scott) arrived at the front.

Longo Borghini ground her way across with Niewiadoma in her wheel, switching lines to ensure the best possibility to keep the pole at bay. The pair went shoulder to shoulder to the last corner; the Italian knew she needed to take it first to win, and she did teetering across a rain-slicked surface to sprint to the win. Miserable weather, crashes, attacks and chases, beautiful scenery, iconic surroundings and a great champion. The best race of the year.