Strade Bianche Women LIVE – Peloton takes on key gravel sectors ahead of Siena finale

It’s the big one.

The longest sector of the race contains three distinct climbs within it. Things could blow apart here, or at the very least form the foundation of what’s to come.

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The big teams are keeping the pace high on this flatter section. They know that the next hour of racing will be important. The next gravel sector is coming up in three kilometres.

Less than 10 kilometres until San Martino in Grania.

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Jackson has been caught.

There really is no appetite to let a break go today.

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Attack by Alison Jackson (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber 93).

The former Paris-Roubaix champion only has a few seconds over the bunch.

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A few of the smaller teams are trying to send riders up the road, but the big teams are not letting anything go at the moment.

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It’s the build-up to the big one now.

San Martino in Grania is the only five-star sector of the race, and it is less than 20 kilometres away. Will anyone try to use it as a springboard?

They will be off it as quickly as they get on it. It’s time for the fourth sector, which is just 400 metres long.

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Vollering’s FDJ-SUEZ team were on song last weekend at Omloop het Nieuwsblad. The French squad have been attentive in the opening hour, leading the bunch through Léa Curinier.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

It’s been a fairly quick opening hour of racing, with the riders holding an average speed of 36 km/h over the lumpy terrain.

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The peloton is all together, with FDJ-SUEZ, Lidl-Trek and EF Education-Oatly riding on the front.

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The peloton kicking up dust on an early sector.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

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The riders are off the Radi sector now. There are around 11 kilometres until another short sector, almost a blip on the route map. After that, there are another 17km until the highest-ranked sector, the San Martine in Grania.

With that small sector aside, this is the longest stretch of tarmac in the race today.

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A mechanical issue for Josie Talbot (Liv-AlUla-Jayco) on the gravel. Radi is almost complete.

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Here’s a shot of the riders leaving Siena earlier.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

EF Education-Oatly lead the bunch onto the undulating Radi sector with 105km to go.

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Rijnbeek’s move was short-lived. She’s been caught ahead of the third sector of sterrato.

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All eyes on the defending champion.

Demi Vollering looked focused this morning as she rode to the sign-on area.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

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Rijnbeek has a 17-second lead over the peloton.

Just over 20km complete and we have our first attack. It’s Maud Rijnbeek (VolkerWessels) trying to break clear of the bunch.

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The riders are all together, although EF Education-Oatly’s Henriette Christie has had a mechanical problem.

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The second sector of gravel is complete and the riders are heading for the third.

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Puck Pieterse is making her road season debut at Strade Bianche, five weeks after finishing third at the Cyclo-cross World Championships.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The riders are mid-way through the three-star Bagnaia sector

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Bagnaia is a tough sector, with ramps up to 15%. Being so early in the race, it shouldn’t have too much bearing on the final result.

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The peloton is back together on the climb.

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The first two groups are now back together, with at least one group further back.

Ferrand-Prévot was among those distanced, but she is back now. It’s unclear whether she was part of that early fall.

The riders are now onto the second sector, one of the steepest of the day.

With the peloton already in pieces following the early crash and first gravel sector, it could be chaos after this one.

They are off the first sector and the bunch has split into three groups. There are reports of a crash on the Vidritta section with multiple teams involved.

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It won’t be long until the peloton hits the second sector, which is much more challenging.

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Vidritta is regarded as one of the easiest sectors of the race as it’s almost pan-flat.

The riders are on the one-star Vidritta section, their first taste of the gravel.

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SD Worx-ProTime’s Lotte Kopecky is a two-time winner of this race, in 2022 and 2024. However, following back problems over the last year, she has been well short of that form of late.

Here’s what she had to say this week ahead of Strade Bianche:

The riders are off. There are just 10 kilometres until the first gravel sector, so not long to get settled in.

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In all, there are eleven gravel sectors for the riders to contend with today. There is one five-start sector, the San Martino in Grania and two very important four-star stretches of gravel, Colle Pinzuto and Le Tolfe, which are the final two sectors before the finish.

Here’s a full list:

Vidritta (2.4km)
Bagnaia (4.8km)
Radi (4.4km)
S.Martino in Grania (9.4km)
Monteaperti (0.6km)
Colle Pinzuto (2.4km)
Le Tolfe (1.1km)
Strada del Castagno (0.7km)
Montechiaro (3.3 km)
Colle Pinzuto (2.4km)
Le Tolfe (1.1km)

The riders have a short neutral zone before getting going

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It’s set to be unseasonably warm today in Siena, with temperatures reaching around 16 degrees celsius. Could that mean we’re in for a quick edition?

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Since finishing third last year, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot has gone on to win both Paris-Roubaix and the Tour de France Femmes. Teaming up once more with Marianne Vos for Strade Bianche, the Frenchwoman is feeling confident in Tuscany.