This year's Strade Bianche races were dry, dusty and fast compared to last year’s cold, wet and muddy battles for survival. Equipment choices based on the need for comfort but also lightweight for the many climbs and for racing speed.
Pure aero bikes were deemed too rigid and perhaps lacked the handling finesse needed for the twisting and turning Tuscan farm tracks. Instead, riders opted for more traditional-looking road bikes fitted with 26mm or 28mm tyres and varying rim depths based on personal choices between better performance, comfort and a low risk of punctures. Most men still preferred tubular tyres, but Cyclingnews spotted the women’s Canyon-SRAM team using Schwalbe 1 Pro tubeless tyres on their race bikes.
Men’s winner Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-QuickStep) used his custom-coloured Specialized disc-brake Tarmac that Cyclingnews spotted and photographed at the Vuelta a San Juan in February. He raced on Specialized’s 26mm S-Works Turbo Gripton tyres, which have a varying dotted tread pattern.
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Annemiek can Vleuten (Mitchelton-Scott) used a semi-aero Scott Foil fitted with caliper brakes to time trial away from her rivals and win the women’s race. Rival and current world champion Anna van der Breggen (Boels Dolmans) had a multi-coloured Specialized S-Works Tarmac, fitted with SRAM's new RED eTap AXS 12-speed groupset. The rainbow colours were drip painted, making for a very standout colour scheme.
Tyre choice and pressure were a vital piece of each team’s tech strategy, to ensure sufficient grip, to help soften the ride on the dirt roads while keep rolling resistance low.
Greg Van Avermaet wore these oversized Oakley Sutro sunglasses (Stephen Farrand)
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/strade-bianche-huge-tech-gallery
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