Strade Bianche 2022 LIVE - Chantal van den Broek-Blaak out to defend title as SD Worx boast ominous line-up
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Updated 05/03/2022 at 12:23 GMT
Chantal van den Broek-Blaak is back to defend her title as SD Worx arrive at Strade Bianche with a typically imposing team also featuring Lotte Kopecky and Demi Vollering. Former champion Elisa Longo Borghini is also in the mix, although team-mate Lizzie Deignan will miss the 2022 season after announcing she is pregnant. Watch the action unfold on eurosport.co.uk and discovery+
‘Fireworks have begun!’ – Strade Bianche and the mythical white gravel is coming…
Live text comments from Becky Hart
Lotte Kopecky wins Strade Bianche for Team SD Worx
The 26 year old looked so strong throughout that race, and had the legs to really take that to Annemiek van Vleuten, the pre-race favourite. Those two were in a class of their own at the finish there, but it was the Belgian - who only moved to her team this season - who crossed the line to take the victory in the first round proper of the WorldTour series. Moolman-Pasio crossed the line third, in a very strong showing from Team SD Worx.
Kopecky wins!
Van Vleuten leads with 500m to go, she's grinding, grimacing here. She has Kopecky on her wheel yet again, and those two have broken clear. Just 100m to go and Kopecky passes, but van Vleuten isn't done here, she draws side by side... And it is Kopecky that grabs the victory for Team SD Worx! What a finish, next to nothing in it. The Belgian marked her opponent superbly and timed that to perfection.
1km to go: All to play for
The gradient is starting to bite, and van Vleuten finds herself leading out. What has she got left in the tank? She is briefly out of the saddle before sitting back and starting to grind...
2km to go: The bunch head for the final climb
Van Vleuten is second wheel, and well placed. Chabbey and van Anrooij have managed to bridge back to the front group, which has swelled out to nine riders. Who will it be?
4.5km to go: The climbing begins
There are a couple of short, sharp climbs before that final uphill to the finish line in the Piazza del Campo. Niewiadoma launches an attack - but the pace is relentless and she only manages a few moments off the front. No more gravel, this one is roads all the way to the finale, and it could be a grandstand finish.
6km to go: Six up front
Kopecky, van Vleuten, Niewiadoma, Moolman-Pasio, Ludwig and Longo Borghini are the six out front. Vollering and Vos aren't out of this though - they are not far back. Cat and mouse here, is this one headed for a sprint finish?
8km to go: The leaders are coming back
Oh it isn't a decisive break, with Kopecky unwilling to work. Van Vleuten isn't happy to do everything herself, and the duo are caught. Will someone launch a counter-attack? There are now six up front, with Vos and Vollering a few seconds further back.
10km to go: Two leaders out front
So van Vleuten leads, with Belgian Kopecky stuck to her wheel. They only have 11'' but van Vleuten has form, and won't be willing to let this one slip from her grasp. Needless to say, Kopecky is not keen to share the work at the front.
12km to go: Into the final gravel section
They have brought van den Broek Blaak back now, and here comes van Vleuten. She starts to grind away, cheered on by the fans who line this final gravel section. Van Vleuten has broken clear here, and the only rider who can stay with her through the white gravel is Kopecky.
14km to go: Defending champion makes a move
She's already chased back once, but van den Broek Blaak still has some life left in her legs, as she launches off the front. This is going to be a lonely break, although she grabs a few extra seconds through a steep right hand bend.
16km to go: The chasing pack bridge to the front
The peloton briefly swells, as some of the chasing riders bridge back, including the defending champion and Elisa Longo Borghini. All the favourites are back together then, with the cat and mouse games beginning again.
18km to go: Kopecky caught
Her break out front doesn't last long, but it has fractured the peloton further. Kopecky is caught on the gravel, leaving six riders out front - including van Vleuten and Vos. There is a chasing group of ten riders around 30'' back.
19km to go: Kopecky leads
So Kopecky has managed to get a 17'' lead as another short section of gravel beckons. Team SD Worx won't now help on the front, leaving it to the likes of Movistar to bring the Belgian back.
22km to go: The peloton starts to thin out
It's getting more elite up front now, with plenty of riders starting to drop out of the back of the peloton. They have been through the short gravel section, just 800m and the road is littered with struggling individual riders, their team work done for the day. Team SD Worx have more than one rider in this whittled down peloton though, and Lotte Kopecky attacks for the team!
Hear from the defending champion
Chantel van den Broek Blaak spoke before the race about her thoughts on what might happen today, have her predictions proved accurate so far?
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'I have shown I can win this race' - Van den Broek-Blaak feeling 'no pressure' at Strade Bianche
27km to go: Two break free
Alena Amialiusik (Canyon-SRAM Racing) and Marta Bastianelli (UAE Team ADQ) have launched a breakaway here, and they get some clear air. A couple of others like the look of this and start to try and bridge the gap - surely Movistar won't let this go? Indeed they do up the pace, with the hemp of Jumbo-Visma and that break, which looked the most promising yet, are brought back.
29km to go: Gravel to come at 24km to go
The next gravel section, from which this race gets its name, is just 5km away now. That seems to be what much of the field are waiting for, although the defending champion van den Broaek Blaak has a look here. Elisa Longo Borghini tries to go with her, and there is no way the peloton will let this go. Indeed, Movistar are quick to shut that move down.
32km to go: Magnaldi makes a move
Erica Magnaldi has a go off the front for UAE Team ADQ, as the peloton begins a short, sharp climb. But her break only lasts mere seconds, as she gets dragged back. Everyone is being closely marked here, in what appears to be slightly nervy moments.
34km to go: van Vleuten looking forward to this one
Annemiek van Vleuten chatted to the media before this race, and this is what she had to say:
"Excited, I love this race, the sun is shining and I love the course. I hate it a bit, the first two hours is not nice, it’s a big fight to be in position all the time. After the long sector, the second part of the race starts. Team SD Worx are the ones to watch."
38km to go: The peloton remains intact
How far will this one go before someone makes a decisive move? They are in Chianti country, with protection from the cross winds in the form of low lying bushes lining the roads. Vineyards line the hills, giving an indication of how undulating the ground here is, and van Vleuten can now be seen just a handful of wheels back. She is the favourite, but will be marked accordingly.
Who are the favourites?
Bradley Wiggins has been discussing the women's edition of this race, and this is what he had to say about the favourites...
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'Real superstars' - Wiggins previews Strade Bianche Donne and contenders
42km to go: The front remains splintered
As a confused herd of sheep watch on, the attacks continue with no single team controlling the front of the race as it stands. There is plenty of watching going on, and in the end it is Jumbo-Visma who decide it is time to get things a little more under control as they work their way forward. That of course is the team of Marianne Vos... Does she fancy a move, or is she going to bide her time? This is her debut road race of the season, but she has her work cut out in a field that is stacked with talent.
45km to go: Jeanne Korevaar makes a move
One rider has managed to escape up the road, picking her moment when the peloton was watching Vos, who has briefly headed back to the team cars. Jeanne Korevaar (Liv Racing Xstra) has now been joined by Margarita Garcia (UAE Team ADQ) and the peloton take notice of this - yes, they reel them back in. Those two were too strong to be allowed to break free.
47km to go: No sign of the pre-race favourites
Back to cat and mouse action here, with little groups forming and immediately being brought back. The next section of gravel is only 800m, and could be used as a springboard for some of the favourites to make their move. For now, van Vleuten and van den Broek Blaak remain in the bunch.
51km to go: Echelons split the peloton
The peloton do indeed start to split into smaller groups - and the riders are in echelon formation, indicating that the cross winds are starting to play havoc with plans. After a long, exposed road section, they do start to group back together but plenty of riders have dropped off the back as a result. And Newsom has been caught now, her long stay out front finally over. A very decent ride that though.
55km to go: Newsom still holding on
Newsom is on the descent now, and that has enabled her to hold onto that slender 35'' advantage. But the peloton are sensing their quarry is close, and have just started to descend themselves. Speeds are increasing, and the peloton could start to see some more attacks here.
58km to go: The teams are working together
No one team has had total control of the peloton, with plenty happy to take their turn on the front. Names to watch here once Newsom is caught - which seems to only be a matter of time - include defending champion Chantal van den Broek Blaak (Team SD Worx), Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) and Marianna Vos (Team Jumbo-Visma).
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Linda Riedmann of Germany and Team Jumbo Visma, Lotte Kopecky of Belgium and Team SD Worx, Marta Jaskulska of Poland and Team Liv Racing Xstra and the peloton through gravel roads during the Eroica - 8th Strade Bianche 2022 - Women's Elite a 136km one day
Image credit: Getty Images
60km to go: Newsom's lead is cut
The peloton can see their prey now, this gravel section has really taken it out of Newsom. Her lead has dropped to just 35'', and it is surely just a matter of time for the American. Nonetheless, she has livened up the opening part of this race no end and given her team plenty of exposure.
65km to go: The main bunch reach the gravel
It really is a glorious day for the official start of the Women's WorldTour season, the sun is shining and there are blue skies overhead. At ground level, all that can be seen is a lot of dust that's being kicked up as the peloton ride across the white gravel now, in hot pursuit of the lone leader out front.
69km to go: No movement from the peloton
Newsom remains out front by herself as she negotiates the gravel of San Martino in Grania, 9.5km of beautiful white road - but much more satisfying on the eye than it will be for Newsom to ride. It comes with a short, sharp uphill to, which may give the pack a chance to close in on the American. The gap has come down slightly, to 2'42''.
74km to go: The gap is growing
Newsom has increased her advantage over the chasing pack to 3'05" as she approaches the fifth gravel section. There might not be cobbles in this one-day race, but the long white stretches of gravel from which this race gets its name do not make things easy for the riders. Fortunately it is dry in Tuscany today, so the gravel sections aren't slick and greasy, but they still require care and attention to negotiate.
77km to go: Newsom still out front
So Newsom remains out front by herself, no one able to go with her over the first gravel sections. She could be in for a lonely ride here until a new breakaway decides to form off the front. Just some housekeeping for you - BikeExchange's Kristen Faulkner and Ane Santesteban didn’t make the start line today, after crashing during a training ride yesterday.
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Emily Newsom of United States and Team EF Education - Tibco - Svb competes in the breakaway during the Eroica - 8th Strade Bianche 2022 - Women's Elite a 136km one day race from Siena to Siena - Piazza del Campo 321m / #StradeBianche / on March 05, 2022 i
Image credit: Getty Images
81km to go: Emily Newsom leads
Good morning and welcome to live coverage of Strade Bianche. The women have been underway since 09:10 CET, and have already completed 55km of the 136km course.
It’s a stunning day in the Tuscan countryside, and Emily Newsom (EF Education-TIBCO-SVB) is out front by herself as it stands, with a 2’40’’ gap to the chasing pack. She did have Rebecca Koener (Uno X) for company, but Koener has dropped back into the peloton.
WHO IS RACING STRADE BIANCHE?
Defending champion Chantal van den Broek-Blaak will feature for a super-strong Team SD Worx alongside teammates Lotte Kopecky, Demi Vollering and Ashley Moolman, while the 2019 and 2020 winner Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) will hope to build on her Omloop Het Nieuwsblad triumph from last weekend.
Another Dutch star, Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma), will hope to crack the top five for the first time from a startlist that also includes the Italian 2017 winner Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek-Segafredo), her Dutch teammate Ellen van Dijk, Denmark’s Cecile Uttrup Ludwig (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope) and Poland’s Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Canyon/Sram).
WHAT IS THE ROUTE?
Strade Bianche Donne tackles eight sections of gravel for 31.6km out of the 136km route, which also starts and finishes in Siena. The two longest sections of strade bianche from the men’s race do not feature. Instead, the focal point of the race will be the tough 9.5km San Martino in Grania uphill section of gravel. Like the men’s race, the women tackle the arduous Colle Pinzuto ahead of the showpiece finale in the Piazza del Campo.
The weather forecast for Siena on Saturday is sunny with clouds, with a max temperature of only eight degrees Celsius. But this follows a solid week's worth of rain and so some of the white roads could be a little brown and not so dusty...
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