Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the 2024 Strade Bianch🍬e Woꦓmen

Final preparations for the race are u🧔nderway! 

It was looking like rain in t🤡he forecast for the women's race in the lead up to the race but conditio✱ns are dry in Siena this morning. 

The 2024 edition of the race has 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:a few changes to the route with more climbs and more gravel sectors on the menu for the riders. Elisa Longo Borghini told CyclingNews that she thinks it's a good thing for her after sh💖e 🅠and her Trek teammates did a recon of the course.

“I expect a more selective race than in the past, especiall𝄹y if the weather is not so good,” she said. 

“The final circuit adds a significant variable to tꦏhe course, especially in the finale. It will not be easy to read. For sure, it will be 💖a super exciting race to follow and, for us in the peloton, a very unpredictable challenge to face.” 

The official start is at 9:40 CET 

Aside from Longo Borghini, who showed her impressive form at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad last weeke༒nd, who are the other contenders for the win? 

There is of course the SD Worx duo of Lotte Kopecky and Demi Vollering who sprinted each other to the line last year,168澳洲5最新开奖结果: causing the team a bi🍨t of controversy. 

Elsewhere, Omloop winner Marianne Vos (Visma - Lease-a-Bike) is baꦯck on t♛op after a tumultuous 2023 season. 

 Gravel world champion, Kasia 🤡Niewiadoma (Canyon//SRAM), will also be one to watch at this race. 

A notable absence is Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig of FDJ-SUEZ🍌 who suffered a broken sacrum after a crash at Omloop Het Nieuws♏blad. 

An unexpected star of last year's edition was Zlatana the horse, who escaped and ran alon⛄g the race🍒 route ahead of a surprised Demi Vollering. Let's hope there are no unex🌃pected zoological cameos this time a༺round.  

Race time!

137 km to go

The flag has dropped and the official start has bee๊n given🦄 

137 km to go

The first gravel sector is the one-star Vi♊dritta whi🐓ch comes after just 14 km of racing.

The race is all together heading into ൩the first gravel sector of 12.

129 km to go

The women's peloton have been racing Strade Bianche since 2015 when it was won by now-retired American, Megan Guarnier. Lizzie Deignan, who is racing today, won the 2016 edition while her now-teammate, Elisa Longo Borghini, won the following year. Anna van der Breggen, Chantal van den Broek Blaak, and Lotte Ko💞pecky have all won the race before but it is the now-retired Annemiek van Vleuten who is the only rider to take multiple wins at Strade having won the race in both 2019 and 2020. 

Could Deignan, Longo Borghini, Vollering, or Kopecky be thဣe next rider to take a second Strade Bianche win today?  

The peloton are now on the first gravel sector o💞f the day, the one-star꧂ Vidritta. 

122 km to go

The peloton are all ℱtogether after the first sector. They are already on to the second sector, the three-star Bagnaia. 

114 km to go

Looks like DSM and AG Insurance controlling the front w𓄧ith Canyon//SRAM and F💞enix-Deceuninck also represented at the front of the peloton on the second sector of the day.

Some footage from the Human Powered Health team of the pe💜loton going through the second sector. They have a strong squad at this race including Italian, Katia Ra🧔gusa as well as the American duo of Lily Williams and Ruth Edwards. 

Very little in the📖 way of updates from the race so far but the riders will be heading towards the third sector, Radi, a 4.4km long two-star sect♛or with some climbing. 

108 km to go

We should get live images from 12:00 CET. Here's 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:how to watch once the race is finally live. 

After around an hour of racing at 35 km/h the peloton is still all together an🌠d heading towards the fourth sector, La Piana, which is 6.4 km long. 

100 km to go

It's SD Worx - Protime controlling the peloton at the moment with European champ Mischa Bredew💮old on the front. 

96 km to go

The peloton are around half way through the La P🍬iana sector. 

90 km to go

Still all together, it's like they're waiting for the live coverage to start before kicking it off!&ಌnbsp;

80 km to go

The race is now on the longest🏅 sector, San Martino in Grania at 10 km and including a 5.5 km climb. Surely we're going to see some action here? 

75 km to go

There have been some attacks on this𝐆 sector but nothing seems to be sti🐭cking just yet.

72 km to go

The European cha☂mp, Mischa Bredewold, was busy on the front of the peloton earlier but unfortunately the 23-year-old seems to have suffered a mechanical. 

L𝓰ooks like Barbara Guarischi stopp🥃ed to change wheels with Bredewold.

The peloton has been reduced to arouജnd 60 riders after five sectors and 77 km o꧃f racing. 

60 km to go

"Always 𓆏the goal is to win" hear what Kasia Niewiadoma had to say before the start𝓀 of the race. 

🌌The attacks are flying as the live TV coverage is 🍒about to start.

55 km to go

Eight riders have ten seconds on the bunch 

53 km to go

There has been a crash in the p🙈elo🃏ton involving Uno-X, Team DSM, FDJ - SUEZ, Human Powered Health, and Lidl-Trek. 

Composition of the front group: 

Yara Kastelijn (Fenix-Deceuninck), Neve Bradbury (Canyon//SRAM), Amber Kraak (FDJ - SUEZ), Lizzie Deignan (Lidl-Trek), Mischa Bredewold (SD Worx -Protime), Kim Le Court (AG Insurance ꦚ- Soudal-Quick-Step), Letizia Borghesi (EF Education - Cannondale🍸), Barbara Malcotti (Human Powered Health), Alena Amialusik (UAE Team ADQ), Riejanne Markus (Visma - Lease a Bike)

46.6 km to go

Mavi Garcia (Liv AlUla Jayco) tries 🌞to💃 bridge across to the group 

The break have a gap o🅠f 1'15" heading in🐈to the eighth gravel sector.

Lidl-Trek, EF - Education Cannondale, and SD Worx areꦿ controlling the peloton 

43.2 km to go

The break have entered the Le Tolfe  sector, one of the hardest in t𒊎he race 

Attack from Lotte Kopecky in the peloton!

Marianne ꧃Vos, Puck Pieterse, Elisa Longo Borghini, Demi Vollering, and Kasia Niewiadoma are foll💞owing 

An elite group has been drawn away from the peloton after Kopecky's attack comprising Kopecky and teammates Demi Vollering and Niamh Fisher-Black, Kristen Fa🙈ulkner (EF Education - Cannondale), Ashleigh Moolman Pasio (AG Insurance - Soudal - Quickstep), Elisa Chabbey and Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon//SRAM), Puck Pieterse (Fenix - Deceuninck), Shirin van Anrooij and Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek). 

40 km to go

The ga♓p between the breakaway and the ch꧙asers is 43 seconds.

Riejanne Markus (Visma - Lease a Bike) has at꧃tacked the breakaway 

38 km to go

Cra🐽sh for Mischa Bred🐭ewold out of the breakaway 

The breakaway has been split to pieces after that crash and the chasers are🐟 getting close🌠! 

35.4 km to go

Riejanne Markus, Amber ꩲKraak, and Alena Amialusik h🌃ave a small gap on the rest of the breakaway who are 18 seconds ahead of the chase group.

Niamh Fisher Black (SD Worx -Pro꧟time) is working hard at♏ the front of the chase group as they have the second group in their sights 

33.9 km to go

Amanda Spratt and Sh🐈irin van Anrooij of Lidl - Trek are refusing to work with Fisher-Black for the chase

Elisa Longo Borghini, Ashleigh Moolman Pa🎶sio and Kasia Niewiadoma are sat towardꦛs the back of the group 

Att𒅌ack from Lizzie Deignan now out of the breakaway 

31 km to go

Lotte Kopecky chases Deignan down 

The group of three have a 30 second gap as the original br♍eakaway are absorbed by the chase 

Lidl-Trek take up the case with Lizzie🦂 Deignan on the front of the group 

The gap 🧸is staying 𒁏relatively stable between the break and the chasers 

26.6 km to go

The three riders at the front are working well together as the gap sits at around 25 seconds on the approach to the next gravel secto🦹r (10/12) 

Deignan is starting to eat into the gap of those at the front now as 🏅her teammate Amanda Spratt takes over the chase. The gap is now do💙wn to 13 seconds. 

23.3 km to go

Deignan comes back to the front, after being in the original break and working hard for a while now the British rider is still working to pull back the three riders at the front of the race. Their gap 𝓰is now down to 11 seconds. 

To recap the trio at the front are: Alena Amialusik (UAE Team ADQ🔯), Riejanne Markus (Visma - Lease a Bike), and Amber Kraak (FDJ - SUEZ).

The chasers are now inches away from the break!

So the chase and the break have now formed one group of arou𒁃nd 20 riders at the front. 

Mechanical issue for 𝓰Ashleigh Mool༒man Pasio (AG Insurance - Soudal- Quickstep)

20 km to go

Lidl - Tre♔k take up the front yet again as the riders are on sector 11/12 

The climb on this Colle Pinzuto  sector is causing many▨ of the riders 🥃to drop out of this group 

♈Ashleigh Moolman Pasio h🌟as re-joined the group after a bike change 

Attaꦺck from Léa Curinier of FDJ - Suez but⛎ Demi Vollering comes right over the top followed by Kasia Niewiadoma

Al🐭l together after multiplℱe attacks are neutralised 

Puck Pieterse attacks! 

17 km to go

Pieterse is immediately closed down by ဣVolleꦚring 

Evita Muzic now goes for FDJ - Suez 

Muzic is brougt back as Elisa🔯 Longo Borghini now attacks 

Heading towards the final, decisive gravel🐷 sector there is a select group at the front comprising Longo Borghini, Demi Vollering, and Kasia Niewiadoma

14.8 km to go

Christina Schweinberger (Fenix-Deceuninck) closes the gap with teammate Puck Pieterse on her wh꧙eel 

Th🎀e group is back together as they head into the final sector, Le Tolfe. 

13.6 km to go

Amanda Spratt of Lidl-🐲Trek 🎃comes back to the front of the group once again

Eliܫse Chabbey takes up the fro👍nt coming into Le Tolfe 

They're onto the super steep part oཧf this♎ sector now and Kasia Niewiadoma launches with Demi Vollering on her wheel followed by Kopecky 

Over the top of the climb a group of ꧅five have gone clear includ🃏ing Vollering and Kopecky of SD Worx, Longo Borghini and Van Anrooij of Lidl - Trek, and Niewiadoma 

11.2 km to go

We are on to the run in towards the Santa Caterina climb🎉 now 

D♌emi Vollering tries to attack but is shut down by Ni🅰ewiadoma

Kopecky goes now and gets a small gap🦋 but she has Elisa Longo Borghini i🌳n hot pursuit 

Longo Borghini bridges up to Kopecky down and the pair have a small gap over Niewiadom💮a and Vollering behind.

It's Longo Borghini and Kopecky at the front now with Niewiadoma and Vollering behind.ౠ Niewiadoma won't get any help from Vollering here.

7.9 km to go

Lonꦗgo Borghini and Kopecky have a 15 second gap ahead of the chasing pair&n♌bsp;

7 km to go

Interestingly, Vollering is helping Niewiadoma with the chase as Shirin van Anroo𒊎𓃲ij re-joins them

Kristen Faulkner also makes contact w🍌ith the chasers 

Kristen Faulkner has attacked the chasers but Demi Vollering is glued to h🔯er wheel 

5.6 km to go

Kopecky and Longo Borghini are continuing to work well together at the front. Their🀅 gap is now 18 seconds - will they go to the finish t๊ogether or will the chasers catch them by the final climb?

With around 2km to go until the bottom of the Santa Caterina climb, Longo Borghini and Kopeckꦿy have a 21 second lea𒉰d ahead of Vollering, Faulkner, Van Anrooij and Niewiadoma 

3.4 km to go

The front two are so close to the final climb now, it's looܫking like this race is between Elisa Longo🅺 Borghini and Lotte Kopecky! 

2 km to go

The leading pair go under the flamme rouge with t🍨he bottom of Via Santa Caterina in front of them

Kopecky and Longo🗹 Borghini have gone under the archway that leads in to the final climb. Longo Borghini is on the front and Kopecky is refusing to come to the front 

Longo Borghini is holding the right hand side of the road as the🌳⛎y approach the steepest part of the climb 

Kopecky attacks! Longo Borgh🐈ini cannot follow 

Kopecky has left Longo Borghini behind and has powered away on her way to winning a second Strade Bia🦂nche 

World champ🌠ion Lotte Kopecky wins the 10th editi♉on of Strade Bianche!

Elisa Longo Borghini takes second꧒ place and Demi Voll♐ering third 

Top-10 

Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx - ProTime)

Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl - Trek)

Demi Vollering (SD Worx - ProTime)

Kasia Nieiwadoma (Canyon//SRAM)

Shirin van Anrooij (Lidl - Trek)

Kristen Faulkner (EF Education - Cannondale) 🎀;

Riejanne Markus (Visma - Lease a Bike)

Elise Chabbey (Canyon//SRAM)

Marianne Vos (Visma - Lease a Bike) 

Évita Muzic (FDJ - SUEZ)

Lotte Kopecky: 

"Compared to last week, today we were a bit mﷺore in control. Having Elena Cecchini pulling us out of the wind and leading us into the good sectors and then Mischa Bredewold in the break. And then Niamh doing a great job in the dinal an then Demi and me were there on Le Tolfe and we did really good."

Why did she attack when she did? "It was just how🌠 ဣI felt. You can go early ut I waited a little but longer. I think it as a good moment."

Is she more confident in her climbing now?🉐 "I'm more confident but I didn't have my best day today. I really suffered the whole da🌸y but I didn't get any worse. The whole day I felt really tired but it didn't get any worse during the race. I've had this before but I tried not to panic  and. just trust that the legs will be there.

"It's amazing in this jersey  andalso🐻 two weeks ago I signeཧd for 4 years with SD Worx - ProTime and I really want to show that the confidence in the team and give the conficence back."

Read our full race report here.

No horse this year, just a phone cam🐟era stealing the show 

Another thrilling edition of Strade B﷽ianche. Kopecky joins Annemiek van Vleuten in having won multiple editions of the race and SD Worx take their thir💝d Strade Bianche in a row. Will their winning streak continue into the Ronde van Drenthe next weekend? Join us then to find out! 

Thanks for joining us today!