Vanmarcke opens Classics season with third at Omloop het Nieuwsblad

Strade Bianche takes the WorldTour peloton from the cobbles of Belgium to the white roads of Tuscany. The young-but-instant classic tempts general classification contenders and one-day specialists. The 12th edition of the Italian one-day race looks set to throw up an additional challenge beyond the dirt farm tracks synonymous with the course – snow!

“I’m not surprised by the popularity of this race,” said sport director Fabrizio Guidi. “I also think that there are conditions for the popularity to continue to grow. The scenario and characteristics of the course are unique. Strade Bianche represents the answers to those looking for both spectacle and tradition and offers the opportunity for victory to climbers and classics riders.”

An on-form Sep Vanmarcke captains the EF Education First – Drapac p/b Cannondale squad on Saturday. Vanmarcke, third last weekend at Omloop het Nieuwsblad, will be joined by road captain Simon Clarke, Alex Howes, Swedish road champion Kim Magnusson, Dani Moreno, Taylor Phinney and Tom Van Asbroeck. Phinney, who missed out on Abu Dhabi Tour due to illness, makes his season debut in Siena.

“We have a strong team and start with important ambitions,” said Guidi. “It’s difficult to predict how the race will unfold in light of the weather forecast. We have a plan for every situation. We are prepared. We start to win, as always, and strategy and team spirit will make a difference.”

What Strade Bianche lacks in heritage it more than compensates for in mystique. The race has been both a fan favorite and rider favorite since inception.

“It’s a special race because it’s heroic,” said Vanmarkce. “It’s very hard to race on gravel roads. Like with a a cobbled classic, you need to be in good position, stay focused from start to finish and have some luck.”

Saturday’s 184-kilometer course takes the peloton through the Chianti and Brunello vineyards in the Tuscan hills. The route includes 11 gravel sectors, totaling 63 kilometers of dirt roads or 34% of the unforgiving course. The race is typically one of attrition, with selections made over the sharp climbs and descents featured in final few sectors. Traditionally, it’s the cobbled climb to Siena’s Piazza del Campo with 900 meters still to race that determines the victor.

Weather conditions may force a departure from tradition. Snow began to fall in Southern Tuscany on Thursday and temperatures dipped below freezing. Current forecasts call for milder temperatures and rain on Saturday, which would turn dusty dirt to soupy mud.

“Growing up in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, most of my favorite routes incorporate wild dirt roads where conditions are often times unpredictable and inhospitable,” said Howes. “To have a spring classic on dirt with the potential for snow is a dream come true for me.”

“The snow can upset this race, making it very hard,” said Guidi. “We’re not worried about this. The weather conditions support us and our goals.”

#PinkArgyle’s early season success has cultivated a team-wide sense of momentum, ambition and optimism headed into Strade Bianche.

“The team on a whole feels like it’s been given a second chance,” said Howes. “Everyone knows that with second chances, anything is possible. Plus, we’re pink. Who needs rosy-colored lenses when the whole kit is pink?”

EF Education First – Drapac p/b Cannondale for 2018 Strade Bianche:

Sport Directors:
Fabrizio Guidi (ITA)
Ken Vanmarcke (BEL)

Riders:
Simon Clarke (AUS)
Alex Howes (USA)
Kim Magnusson (SWE)
Dani Moreno (ESP)
Taylor Phinney (USA)
Tom Van Asbroeck (BEL)
Sep Vanmarcke (BEL)

CONNECT WITH EF EDUCATION FIRST – DRAPAC P/B CANNONDALE

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