Organizers for the Italian semi-classic, Strade Bianche, announced the details of the 2014 race at a press conference in Siena today.
RCS Sport indicated that San Gimignano will host the start of the eighth edition of the race in Tuscany, Italy, on Saturday March 8.
The revised route will feature 50 kilometers of unpaved road – which are divided into 10 sections.
The first section of unpaved road will start just 33 kilometers into the race, with a 2.2-kilometer section just past the village of Monteriggioni and a final section of 12 kilometers to the finish line in Piazza Il Campo, Siena.
The rough roads and proliferation of short, sharp climbs and descents make the race a technical challenge to say the least. Last year’s winner, Moreno Moser took a solo victory after initiating a late attack from an escape group.
“The Strade Bianche is a jewel in the international cycling scene,” said RCS Sport’s Mauro Vegni. “This year the route is technically more difficult than in the past, given the greater number of sections of earthworks at the start, while the end is modeled on the traditional route, with the finish in the Piazza del Campo in Siena.”
Eighteen teams consisting of eight riders will take part in the race – 11 of which are on the UCI WorldTour level.
Strade Bianche 2014: Teams
Astana BMC Racing Cannondale Lampre-Merida Movistar Omega Pharma-QuickStep Giant-Shimano Katusha Sky Tinkoff-Saxo Androni Giocattoli Bardiani CSF Colombia IAM Cycling MTN-Qhubeka UnitedHealthcare Yellow Fluo
Strade Bianche: Past winners 2013 Moreno Moser (Ita) 2012 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) 2011 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) 2010 Maxim Iglinskiy (Kaz) 2009 Thomas Lovkvist (Swe) 2008 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) 2007 Aleksandr Kolobnev (Rus)
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