Strade Bianche 2018 – 85 Miles Of Rain

Mar 7
cyclical

The snow turned to rain just in time for the flag to drop, and rather than white-gravel roads we got 85 miles of soaking, brown sludge. Another Strade Bianche went in the books on Saturday and the winner claiming epic bragging rights is Anna van der Breggen.

The peloton in the 2018 Strade Bianche ©LaPresse – Ferrari/Paolone

Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM) chased resolutely for second on the podium, while Elisa Longo Borghini (Wiggle-High5) mounted a brave defence of her title, coming home in third after being undone by a late mechanical problem.

Katia Ragusa, Mayuko Hagiwara and Sarah Penton in the early break at the 2018 Strade Bianche ©LaPresse – Ferrari/Paolone

The first attackers were Virtu Cycling’s Sarah Penton, BePink’s Katia Ragusa and Mayuko Hagiwara from Alé Cipollini, in a doomed and short-live endeavour. It was only after the feed zone that the race lit up, with Boels-Dolmans applying the pressure heading into Sector 5.

This lead to world champion Chantal Blaak (Boels-Dolmans) and Ellen Van Dijk (Sunweb) joining a strong-looking escape led by Alena Amialusik (Canyon-SRAM). The trio held a slender advantage, never seriously troubling one minute, until the end of Sector 6.

Anna van der Breggen celebrates winning the 2018 Strade Bianche with her team-mate Chantal Blaak ©LaPresse – Ferrari/Paolone

By this point, a shattered peloton was mustering whatever reserves remained for the final 25-kilometer charge back to Siena. Heading into the penultimate, seventh gravel sector at Colle Pinzuto, it was a two-pronged move from Longo Borghini and Niewiadoma, with van der Breggen monitoring things. By the time the riders re-emerged onto tarmac, it was van der Breggen and Longo Borghini together, but a mechanical for the Italian took her out of the lead.

Niewiadoma chased bravely through the final Sector 8 at Le Tolfe, but van der Breggen was away, solo, and maintained a lead of almost a minute to the line.

 

Strade Bianche Women, 136km, Siena, 3 March 2018

1 Anna van der Breggen (Boels-Dolmans)     4hrs 10’ 48”

2 Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM)     + 49”

3 Elisa Longo Borghini (Wiggle-High5)     + 59”

4 Chantal Blaak (Boels-Dolmans)     + 1’32”

5 Lucy Kennedy (Michelton-Scott)     same time

6 Janneke Ensing (Alé Cipollini)     +1’37”

7 Amanda Spratt (Michelton-Scott)     +1’42”

8 Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (Cervelo-Bigla)     +2’25”

9 Ellen Van Dijk (Sunweb)     +2’36”

10 Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Cervelo-Bigla)     +2’50”