Coming out of the peloton 50 kilometers from the finish, Tom Pidcock didn’t let anyone follow him to win the Strade Bianche. The podium is completed by Valentin Madouas and Tiesj Benoot.
Tom Pidcock was inspired by Tadej Pogacar. While the Slovenian did not hesitate to start from afar to win the Strade Bianche last year, the rider from the Ineos Grenadiers team tried his luck alone at the start of the last 50 kilometers before doing better than resist to win in the streets of Siena. On a course of 184 kilometers bristling with the white dirt roads which make the fame of a race presented as the “sixth Monument”, Sven Erik Bystrom was the first to stand out by trying to get out of the peloton. A first attempt which turned out to be in vain but the Norwegian had a head for ideas. Just under 160 kilometers from the finish, the rider from the Intermarché-Circus-Wanty team followed Alessandro de Marchi when Ivan Romeo reacted in a second time to form a breakaway intended to liven up the event. As the Astana Qazaqstan and Eolo-Kometa teams took charge of the peloton, Erik Fetter tried to join the leading trio but, after closing within around 30 seconds, the Hungarian time trial champion found himself in a potato-hunting situation which ended just under 90 kilometers from the finish line.
Alaphilippe trapped, Pidcock on the attack
The peloton, meanwhile, finally opted to leave up to seven minutes to the breakaway. Which ultimately wasn’t to everyone’s liking. After EF Education-EasyPost, it was Groupama-FDJ which revived the pace in the peloton when the candidates for victory were replaced by their teammates. Up front, Ivan Romeo was left behind by Sven Erik Bystrom and Alessandro de Marchi with 65 kilometers to go but the gap continued to narrow to under two minutes as the final 50 kilometers approached. That’s when Tom Pidcock decided to blast the race. The Briton, who sacrificed the defense of his cyclo-cross world championship title to start the road season in the best conditions, took a lot of risks in a descent to isolate himself. The junction with the leading duo took place at 42 kilometers while the peloton split in two, trapping in particular Julian Alaphilippe. A time in the attack before the acceleration signed Tom Pidcock, Alberto Bettiol suffered a heavy fall and could not start again. Sensing the threat posed by the runner from the Ineos Grenadiers team, Matej Mohoric then Andreas Kron placed starts to come back, then imitated by Tiesj Benoot.
The pursuers were never able to recapture Pidcock
Movements whose main victim was Mathieu van der Poel. After a start to the race disrupted by punctures, the cyclo-cross world champion could not follow the Belgian and admitted defeat at the start of the last 30 kilometers. Having taken the lead in the leading group, Tom Pidcock first made Sven Erik Bystrom give in when Alessandro de Marchi gave in from the first meters of the ninth stony sector. It is then in a game of resistance in which the runner of the Ineos Grenadiers team embarked. Matej Mohoric, Tiesj Benoot, Attila Valter or even Quinn Simmons tried to relaunch a hunting group in which the agreement was never ideal and in which Valentin Madouas was able to take his place. Over the course of the uncoordinated offensives, the gap grew closer to ten seconds and the group had Tom Pidcock in sight. However, managing his effort perfectly, the Briton was able to tackle the climb of the Via Santa Caterina with a lead of around thirty seconds, enough to savor his victory during this 2023 edition of the Strade Bianche. Valentin Madouas was able to take advantage of the last slopes to surprise Tiesj Benoot and get a very good second place. Romain Grégoire, also present at the forefront for a while, crossed the finish line in eighth position.
CYCLING – UCI WORLD TOUR / STADE BIANCHE
Final classification (184km) – Saturday March 4, 2023
1- Tom Pidcock (GBR/Ineos Grenadiers) en 4h31’41’’
2- Valentin Madouas (FRA / Groupama-FDJ) at 20”
3- Tiesj Benoot (BEL/Jumbo-Visma) at 22”
4- Rui Alberto Faria da Costa (POR/Intermarché-Circus-Wanty) at 23”
5- Attila Valter (HUN/Jumbo-Visma) at 23”
6- Matej Mohoric (SLO/Bahrain Victorious) à 34”
7- Pello Bilbao (ESP/Bahrain Victorious) at 1’04”
8- Romain Grégoire (FRA / Groupama-FDJ) at 1’18”
9- Davide Formolo (ITA/UAE Team Emirates) at 1’23”
10- Andreas Kron (AND/Lotto-Dstny) à 1’35”
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