An “expanded” Strade Bianche is Team Polti Kometa’s first World Tour race
Some say it should be the sixth monument and some love to call it “the most southern Northern classic”. For Team Polti Kometa, Strade Bianche is certainly the first World Tour race of the year. And what a race!
The traditional load of heroism and references to the pioneers’ cycling has been boosted this year by RCS organizers, with the length of the route increased from 184 to 215 kilometers and the gravel sectors from 11 to 15, a total of 71 km of… white roads, which is literally the name of the race. Not long climbs but continuous ascents, with the customary Sante Marie mount, dedicated to Fabian Cancellara, and the novelty of the doubled final part: Colle Pinzuto and Le Tolfe will be repeated twice and launch the riders towards Siena, where the last kilometer awaits them, paved with a gradient exceeding 10% in Piazza del Campo.
In its years as a ProTeam, Ivan Basso’s and Contador brothers’ squad has always been invited to the Strade Bianche: Saturday, March 2nd will mark their fourth participation in as many seasons. Two out of the seven Polti Kometa men who will start and finish in the Tuscan city have been consistently present in these editions: Erik Fetter and Diego Sevilla. Alongside them will be Andrea Pietrobon, who also raced here last year as a neo-pro, and directly from Laigueglia, Davide De Cassan, Alex Martín and Fran Muñoz. Completing the lineup is Germán Gomez, who showed great form in the Tour du Rwanda.
It’s precisely the Colombian Gómez who shares his feelings ahead of this challenging commitment: “Taking part in a prestigious and fascinating event like Strade Bianche motivates me a lot. I come from a good background of both team and individual work in Rwanda, and I hope to contribute to achieving the best possible result for Polti Kometa.”
And here’s the analysis from the sports director Biagio Conte: “The additions to the route in the finale will increase the difficulty and the spectacle. We come with our morale sky-high and bring a young team, eager to stand out by making it into the day’s breakaway. Last year, Fetter was a protagonist with a long solo chase, this year he’ll bring into play his excellent knowledge of the Sienese race. In this regard, tomorrow’s recon will be very important, allowing the guys to understand well how to tackle the gravel sectors and to be ready for the fixture.”
