Under fair weather and at exactly 8.30am this morning, the 5,000 participants of the Gran Fondo Strade Bianche crossed the start line in the fantastic location of the Fortezza Medicea in Siena.
At the start were various VIPs, including representatives from Team Sky – including the riders Gianni Moscon and Leonardo Basso, Team Principal Dave Brailsford and Sport Director Dario David Cioni; former professional cyclists Filippo Pozzato, Paolo Bettini, Luca Paolini, Andrea Tafi, Johan Museuuw and Massimiliano Lelli and Ignazio Moser; alongside Pinarello CEO Fausto Pinarello, Italian Cycling Team General Manager, Davide Cassani, Strade Bianche Race Director, Stefano Allocchio and RCS Sport CEO, Paolo Bellino.
The young event is growing year by year – both nationally and internationally – with this year’s event seeing almost 1.000 non-Italian riders, from 43 countries, at the start line. Nations represented included all the main European countries, with riders coming as far as Iran to enjoy the famous gravel roads of Tuscany.
The winners
On the finish line in Piazza del Campo the winner was Federico Pozzetto (3h48’23”), preceding Roberto Cesaro at 1″ and Carlo Muraro at 17”.
Among the women, first was Simona Parente (4h01’30”), second Claudia Gentili at 10’32” and third Debora Morri at 15’26”.
Gran Fondo Il Lombardia: see you in Cantù
The Gran Fondo Strade Bianche started the 2019 season of the sportive rides organised by RCS Sport/RCS Active Team that will continue with the Gran Fondo Il Lombardia, Sunday 13 October, following pro race Il Lombardia, raced on Saturday 12.
The sportive will have a new location, starting and finishing in Cantù. The course, which will be unveiled in details later in the year, will still face the iconic climbs of Sormano and Ghisallo.
The event’s philosophy is the same that the organisers apply to all of their events: combining a love for pro races with an individual’s sporting passion, letting riders test themselves on the very same roads on which the pros fought.
