Postcards from Italy: Strade Bianche
Between strenght and courage, in one of the most beautiful area of the most beautiful country in the world, Strade Bianche is a joy, theater of cycling.
From San Gimignano to Siena, Strade Bianche is a race that all the world would like to have, a tour in the Tuscany on dusty gravel roads, that puts under pressure mind, body and bike, because having technical problems on the machanics of the bike or to flat a tyre is extremely easy.
Zdenek Stybar the winner: “until the last kilometer Valverde could attack, but in the end Van Avermaet did it. Arriving in Siena, in Il Campo square will be a memorable moment.”
Greg Van Avermaet, second place: “I thought that Valverde, would be the ideal winner for the race, so I attacked him but Stybar surprised me, overtaking me and going to victory.”
Alejandro Valverde, third like one year ago: “The race is very hard, and this year we had a lot of wind that complicated the things”
Diego Rosa, fifth place: “I was riding for my captain Nibali and when I realized that he was not in the front I tried to save energies for the final, but I could not do better”
Fabian Cancellara, 17th place: “I knew it was a hard race, but I didn’t calculate this wind. Sometimes it was hard to remain on the bike. I had three flat tyres, so my concentration and energies were over for the final rush”
Photos: Gruber Images
